Impreza axle shaft removal

[Del Rawlins]

Hello, I'm looking for suggestions for what to do next... I'm
attempting to replace the right hand front halfshaft on my wife's '95
Subaru Impreza and I'm having an extremely difficult time getting the
old shaft out of the hub. According to the manual (chiltons) that I
have, everything that needs to be removed for this to happen has been
removed, but the shaft will not budge. The book shows a special puller
which Subaru has and I'm sure can be bought for a hefty price, so I
welded up my own using some 1/4" steel and a 2 ton bottle jack from
lowes. Here is a jpg of the tool in place and ready to be used:

http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/soobtool.jpg

Unfortunately, the axle shaft will still not budge even under the full
hydraulic pressure that the jack can supply (including use of a 4 foot
cheater handle). Is there something else that I am missing, like a snap
ring or something else holding it in? My understanding is that the only
thing holding the shaft to the hub is the axle nut, which was the first
thing that I removed. So far all I have accomplished is to tweak my
puller at the flange where it is held to the hub/rotor by the lugnuts (
installed upside down).

For all practical purposes at this point I am too far along to put it
back together and take it to a shop and I'm not sure that they would be
able to do any more than I have, since the "correct" puller only uses
screw threads to apply pressure. I suppose I could pull the entire hub
and spindle and try to separate it with my full size hydraulic press but
then that opens up another can of worms with alignment and ball joints
and I don't really want to go there if I can at all avoid it. Any
suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

If you feel it is due to corrosion, you could try seriously heating up
the bad part (since it's being replaced anyway) and then hosing it down
with water. The thermal shock MAY free it up.

good luck and let us know what works.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Ed Rachner]

Try posting on http://server2.ezboard.com/bultimatesubarumessageboards; I'm
sure you'll get some good advice there. ---Ed Rachner---

 

[Del Rawlins]

If you feel it is due to corrosion, you could try seriously heating up
the bad part (since it's being replaced anyway) and then hosing it
down with water. The thermal shock MAY free it up.

Since the car has spent the last few years on the Alaskan coast,
corrosion could very well be a factor. Unfortunately, for heat to do
any good I'd have to heat the hub, which I don't really want to replace.
At this point I may just take my big sledge and pound on it with the
jack under pressure and see if that might break it loose, but I am going
to wait a while to see if I get any better suggestions first.

 

[SuperPoo]

Take the brakes off and smack it with a sledge hammer a few times.

Steve

 

[WRXtreme]

That is what I would recommend as well.

Chuck

 

[M]

OK so you may think I am crazy, but here goes...
You did remove the lower ball joint or control arm right?
You look like you may be pushing the anvil of the jack into the disk and
hitting the splines therefre no push on the shaft...
take the jack off and just pull the disc toward you in an arc - the shaft
should fall out - nbut you have to pullo up on the steering knuckle to make
the knuckle move out away from the shaft. I just did this two months ago.

Mike

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

If you keep the heat under a dull glow(<~900deg.F) you probably wouldn't
affect the metal's temper.
Might try some penetrant. repeated applications over a few days. I also
think hammering while under force is a good idea.
keep us informed
Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Belgian]

have you sprayed lots of penetrating oil over the splines ??
I usually do that when i get this problem, spray some over and wait a few
hours.... if yours is jammed that bad.
I would heat up the thing, if you cannot find any other ways ,but.......you
will have to heat it up bad...!!!
That is no good for your front wheel bearings .....
Good luck .

 

[J999w]

I guess if it was me, and I've had this much trouble so far, not wanting to do
it again for a l o n g time, I'd whack the thing silly to get it apart,
then replace the bearings, ball joint, and shaft ... just to be done with it!

:^]

 

[dave]

Hi,
Take the brake caliper and brake disc off, put the hub nut back on back to
front - until it is flush with the end of the shaft - then hit the nut &
shaft with a good size copper mallet - you may be unlucky and the inner
wheel bearing may come off with the shaft !.
Good luck
Dave H.

 

[Del Rawlins]

It's out finally:

http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/axleout.jpg

What worked was hitting the back end of the tool with a sledgehammer,
and then pumping the jack handle between hits. Slowly the axle came out
of the hub, and luckily the rebuilt unit slid back in easily.

I didn't go into it any deeper to replace the bearings because that is a
can of worms I will let somebody else open up if/when it becomes
necessary. Thanks to everybody who shared their input.

 

[Gilles Gour]

It's out finally:

http://www.rawlinsbrothers.org/axleout.jpg

What worked was hitting the back end of the tool with a sledgehammer,
and then pumping the jack handle between hits. Slowly the axle came out
of the hub, and luckily the rebuilt unit slid back in easily.

I didn't go into it any deeper to replace the bearings because that is a
can of worms I will let somebody else open up if/when it becomes
necessary. Thanks to everybody who shared their input.

I'm willing to bet the meccanic's coverall helped a lot also