Axle Rod Removal Question

[fxeditor]

Hi all,
It's time for me to R&R the CV joints and I have a question. I assume that I have remove the big Axle bolt that holds the Axle rod on without having to take the wheels off. Is this correct? The car is up on my 4-post lift so I don't have any problems with clearance but I'd prefer to not remove the wheels if I don't have to.

Thanks in advance,
Michael

[304065]

It is not necessary to remove the big castle nut to R&R the CV joints. Just remove the screws in the joints. You only need to remove the nut to replace the wheel bearings. This is discussed in detail here.

[Flat6pac]

The 87 Carrera has a solid axle so the nut has to be removed to pulll the axle off.
Bruce

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by Flat6pac

The 87 Carrera has a solid axle so the nut has to be removed to pulll the axle off.
Bruce

Correct. Change was made in late 1985.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by Flat6pac

The 87 Carrera has a solid axle so the nut has to be removed to pulll the axle off.
Bruce

So can I do it with the wheels on the "ground"?

Michael

[Rot 911]

Originally Posted by fxeditor

So can I do it with the wheels on the "ground"?

Michael

No you have to remove the rear wheels to get at the axle nut. And you will either need a really long breaker bar or a serious impact wrench and the torque on the rear axle nut is 230 lbs!

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

No you have to remove the rear wheels to get at the axle nut. And you will either need a really long breaker bar or a serious impact wrench and the torque on the rear axle nut is 230 lbs!

Bummer. I had a feeling I was going to have to jack the car up! Thanks for the FYI on the nuts torque. I was aware of that and I think I have a cunning plan to get it off!

Michael

[88-diamondblue]

This should help some Carrera CV Boot Replacement Diamond blue, great color. I biased though

You can remove the nut with the wheels on the car and it is torqued to 330-340ft lbs. It is recommended to loosen the nut with the wheels on the car and on the ground. I didn't do that but would do that if I need to take them off again.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by 88-diamondblue

This should help some Carrera CV Boot Replacement Diamond blue, great color. I biased though

You can remove the nut with the wheels on the car and it is torqued to 330-340ft lbs. It is recommended to loosen the nut with the wheels on the car and on the ground. I didn't do that but would do that if I need to take them off again.

Thanks Michael! I had your post already bookmarked. It's a great resource! I will definitely remove the bolt with the wheels on now, I think it will make the job much easier,

Take care,
Michael

[burgermeister]

This may be heresy, but if you take a crappy (aka soft) #1 or 2 phillips screwdriver or something similar and jam it in between the brake rotor fins so it bottoms against the caliper, you'll have no problems loosening the axle nut (worked on mine, at any rate). On some of the domestics automobiles, this is actually the "proper" procedure for hub & bearing R&R.

[fxeditor]

Well, Removing the nut while the wheels were grounded worked out great! I had no problem getting it off. Now my problem is I didn't realize you needed to remove the bottom end of the shock so you get enough clearance to remove the axle and wouldn't you know it but the shock bolt won't move no matter what I do! I've tried a big a$$ breaker bar, impact wrench, and tapping the bolt with a mallet with it not budging! Now I have them soaking in PB blast so I can attack it tomorrow.

Thanks again for all the advice,
Michael