mydecember1985

iTrader: (1)

I am in the middle of a 6-hour hair-pulling contest with my car. Replacing drivers side CV axle, took rotors and calipers off to get to this thing. Where the spline come through the hub, they are seized or something. Tried a hammer and a piece of wood, tried a 3lb sledge.... nothin... tried an 8 POUND SLEDGE... NOTHING!!this thing will not move. what am I missing???

On a '00 I30 (Max, same diff) Original axle, 90K miles, KSports are at their highest possible setting, probably about .7" below stock. I havent removed either the tie rod end or the lower ball joint. Once I feel some kind of movement from this thing, I will unbolt the suspension to let the knuckle fall to the outside and away.

I have looked around for threads and videos on youtube, and they all look so easy, usually just pop right out. what am I doing wrong here?!?!

2slow

iTrader: (6)

Does the axle have open space behind for it?

While I haven't replaced axles on a Maxima, on other vehicles you must remove a ball joint or strut to make clearance for the axle to move towards the car's center. Else you are just pounding the axle into the transmission or trying to snap it.

VQP0WER

Did you remove the retaining clip? Nevermind, don't think you need to do that for this. Have you tried renting a puller tool from Autozone?

cjandura

iTrader: (3)

I do believe you have to loosen the spindle assy before taking the axle out otherwise your just beating it into the trans so drop the lower arm and unbolt anything else holding it on hit it with some wd40 and use a soft hammer or a puller to press it out

VQP0WER

1. Remove wheel bearing lock nut.

2. Remove brake caliper assembly and rotor.

3. Separate tie-rod from knuckle with Tool.

4. Separate drive shaft from knuckle by lightly tapping it. If it is
hard to remove, use a puller.

From the FSM

ColtMax

You will need at least to dismantle 2 of the 3 followings:

- shock Strut to knuckle
- Tie Rod
- Ball Joint.

I usually go for strut and tie rod.
Right now you cannot get it out because it is stuck in between the tranny and the knuckle. Wont go anywhere!

mydecember1985

iTrader: (1)

ZOMG I have given up for the day. I tried hitting it with the suspension off, still not a budge. I can jerk the axle and pop it about 2 inches out of the tranny, so there's room for sure. I was thinking about taking the whole knuckle and axle assembly to a shop and have them press it out, but I cant get the 19mm nut off the lower ball joint. I just rounded the nut a little, so I gave up after throwing my tools across the yard and screaming to the heavens above.

How do you get the tie rod off??? I did my g/f's 94 accord like 3 months ago and was done in an hour and a half!!!!!!!

The car isnt really rusty, it's a FL car. I got the nut off the tie rod, and pounded the **** out of the knuckle it joins to, even tried using autozone's crappy ball joint press. Did nothing but squish some grease out of it.

tdabboud

iTrader: (6)

I just replaced the same axle last week. The only thing needed to be removed is the strut. The ball joint would help if it was removed because I had trouble getting the axle back through the hub when reinstalling, but it will work without removing. No need to remove the outer or inner tie rod or brake calipers. First remove the strut, then try to keep the axle completly straight. put some pb blaster or wd40 for a little lube, then i would try to tap it again. I know you already have been doing this, but it should work if the hub is perfectly straight, if not at a slight angle. Let me know if you need any more help. GL!

Amave

i had to do this a few months ago on a Suzuki that was a car from up north ( live in FL ) , i had to soak the crap out of it in PB Blaster, then remove the whole knuckle with axle , then take it to a press and press the hell out of it...at 1st i was like " this thing isn't coming out, time for a new axle and knuckle " , but i kept pressing it and all of a sudden, the axle " popped " out, kept pressing and finally the axle fell out..


try taking the whole knuckle and axle to a machine shop and have them just use a shop press to press it out, what happens is the splines in the hub " freeze " in lace from the corrosion...an 8 ton press will be your friend

Amave

wow it doesn't even look THAT bad

luvlexus101

iTrader: (6)

I jacked up the rotor from underneath and then hammered away at the tie rod.

mydecember1985

iTrader: (1)

Thats why I was trying to get the whole assembly off when I rounded the bottom ball joint nut and I think I broke the tie rod seal, so Im going to rent one of these and if that cant press it out, it will come off on Sunday and be taken to a shop on monday to get pressed.

No amount of hammering at any angle has helped. I just dont understand how it got stuck. I dont track the thing, I don't drive through puddles of acid, I avoid potholes like the plague and I'm not doing hard cornering, so how do they bind that bad?

KillaKarebear

I reccommond the tie rod and ball joint just make sure you hammer on the knuckle not the tie rod.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

It's called rust.... I had the same problem a few years ago. dandymax and I had to hit the damn thing so hard we actually deformed the threads, then we had to cut about 5 mm off the threaded end so we could get the axle nut back on. Oh, and to get the axle nut off, we used a 4x torque multiplier with a 6 foot pipe and me jumping up and down on the pipe while dandymax was standing on the brake pedal... do the math....


You need to remove the 2 bolts for the strut, the bottom end of the end link, and the brake caliper assy... the ball joint does not have to be removed. I just did ball joints for someone last week. You can't get the ball joints off with the axle in the way...
Once you get the axle loose it will come out with a bit of creative movement.

ColtMax

Ball joint was completely seized on my car. I had to remove the cv joint out first to allow an impact wrench.

Professor

iTrader: (4)

A Air hammer is your BEST Friend in these situations.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

I would suggest putting the axle nut back on and try to hit the nut and the axle end at the same time to try and save the threads.

mydecember1985

iTrader: (1)

ok, im done!!!

I used that hub puller I linked to in an earlier post to apply pressure to the punch with the suspension loosened. Thanks for the help everyone, but I need one more favor. IM NOT SAYING IT WAS EASY. still put up one hell of a fight.

Really simple question that I cant find a good answer to. After fully warmed up, do you check the tranny fluid idling in P, in N, turned off, or what?

VQP0WER

Turned off, in P.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

Check the level on the dipstick after putting the selector lever in “P” with the
engine idling.

Field Service Manual Page MA-5