Aspire CV axle removal

[kartracer46]

Update: cold chisel didn't work. Just wasted another four hours trying that and some other stuff.

Disassembled inside CV on new axle. Tried to use old cup and new tripot bearings. That didn't work because the old cup is too small--new bearings and cup are slightly larger.

Going to Advance Auto to buy two new outer CV boots (pass. side needs it too). Gonna just pack the old axle w/grease and hope the clicking stops or at least lessens.

Maybe someday I'll try the slide-hammer approach, but for now I'm tired of f***ing with this stupid axle. Terrible design.

I ended up just purchashing a service set that had the C looking clip that you slide up in there and use a punch and a Bammer to get it out.

Hope you get it soon, if not you can actually remove the outer CV joint and pop a new one and a fresh boot on to get you going.

[Pu241]

^^^
yes, I have and to "sweat" copper pipe you also have to clean the metal of GREASE/OIL and flux the metal or it will not stick together when you fill the space with melted metal.
So it is not the same principal.
If the gears get hot the axles get hot and they both expand, and contract when they cool.
Unless the steels are hugely different in there thermal expansion rates, and the steel used in gears is not that much different than that used in the axles (different alloys but very similar thermal expansion rates), they do not bind.
Not here to argue, if anyone has ever had the axles shafts bind themselves to the gear in an otherwise healthy tranny please let us know.

[zoom zoom]

I didn't say it would get hot enough to weld together, but it will expand and contract from the heat, even with fluid it still gets really hot. It doesn't take 1000 degrees to heat a piece of metal to the point it expands. For instance, I work on the river, I'm very familiar with steel, in the summertime, some doors don't want to shut because the metal expanded and there's not enough clearance between the edge of the door, and the door frame. During the winter there could be 1/4" in that same gap, and that's just from the ambient air temp. Now think about a shaft inside a gear running for thousands of miles at temperatures well above room temp. It can only expand so much, but it will seize itself in there.

I'm not saying its the biggest problem with removing the axel, once it breaks loose the first time there's no problem...undoubtedly, the c clip is the PITA here, comming out and going back in.

[91_festy_Gl]

ZZ, I've never seen an axle weld itself to the gears inside the transmission.
If your transmission is running that hot you have other issues.
Besides those gears are sitting inside of 2 Qts of ATX, a pretty decent pentranting fluid, which would easily keep metal from welding itself together.
He just has a particularly, stubborn C clip and it takes a lot of force to flex or break it so the axle can be removed.
Worst is he must balance the applied force so that he doesn't break the aluminum tranny housing. Something that does occur if force isn't properly applied or too much is used.

Yep. I had to patch the diff casing because of a gash on my tranny.

[Pu241]

....Once the inner axel sweats itself inside the transmission gear it doesn't want to move, your talking 100k++ miles worth of heating (expanding inside the gear filling in all the voids) and cooling on the same axel/gear, so of course its not going to want to come out. ...

ZZ, I've never seen an axle weld itself to the gears inside the transmission.
If your transmission is running that hot you have other issues.
Besides those gears are sitting inside of 2 Qts of ATX, a pretty decent pentranting fluid, which would easily keep metal from welding itself together.
He just has a particularly, stubborn C clip and it takes a lot of force to flex or break it so the axle can be removed.
Worst is he must balance the applied force so that he doesn't break the aluminum tranny housing. Something that does occur if force isn't properly applied or too much is used.

[ericsmith32]

One a couple I also used a harmonic balancer puller wedged between the axle and transmission housing. Only takes a little pressure. Sometimes it just pops right out other times you can turn it with pressure applied and tap with a hammer. The puller has a groove that will allow you to turn and apply pressure at the same time.

[zoom zoom]

That's kinda interesting that the new inner bearings are bigger than stock.. sucks you can't get it out.. the slide pull hammer would do the trick tho. Once the inner axel sweats itself inside the transmission gear it doesn't want to move, your talking 100k++ miles worth of heating (expanding inside the gear filling in all the voids) and cooling on the same axel/gear, so of course its not going to want to come out. The inner clip just makes it that much harder! If you feel froggy and want to drive to Ohio ill pull it for you..can't gurantee you'd leave with blue gauges tho! :p

[TominMO]

Been doing it for hours, not a few times.

[ericsmith32]

A little late in the discussion but I had a similar experience with a Festiva. What it took was taking turns prying and pushing the axle in while turning it a 90 or so degrees and smacking the axle with a big damn hammer so the clip would fall.. took about 30 minutes but finally it popped out. Way to easy actually. I know you said you tried something similar but took a little more effort than just turning it and hitting a few times.

[TominMO]

Update: cold chisel didn't work. Just wasted another four hours trying that and some other stuff.

Disassembled inside CV on new axle. Tried to use old cup and new tripot bearings. That didn't work because the old cup is too small--new bearings and cup are slightly larger.

Going to Advance Auto to buy two new outer CV boots (pass. side needs it too). Gonna just pack the old axle w/grease and hope the clicking stops or at least lessens.

Maybe someday I'll try the slide-hammer approach, but for now I'm tired of f***ing with this stupid axle. Terrible design.

[TominMO]

I've always had to take a large cold chisel and drive it between the bearing cup and the transmission case and it pops them right out. I've done it on 5 aspires.

If you sell the car I want it! sight unseen!

Didn't get to it today, so tmw I will try this method as a last-ditch effort instead of sticking the new guts in the old cup.

No dibs on car, as stated. Besides, you are a nerd, as am I, and for once I would like the car to have an owner who is not a nerd. (The PO, who bought it new, was a nerd too.)

[Nerd Racing]

I've always had to take a large cold chisel and drive it between the bearing cup and the transmission case and it pops them right out. I've done it on 5 aspires.

If you sell the car I want it! sight unseen!

[TominMO]

Aw man u gotta SE? With the blue gauges and rpm tach and all?

DIBS! On the cluster! LMK when your rdy to sell

Yep, blue gauges, tach, nicer interior. No dibs given at this time, sorry. (I knew someone would ask! )

I will possibly offer it to certain friends, either whole or parts. Might keep some parts. Might even buy another straight 2-door Aspire and transfer the cool parts to it.

[zoom zoom]

Aw man u gotta SE? With the blue gauges and rpm tach and all?

DIBS! On the cluster! LMK when your rdy to sell

[TominMO]

Tom, update on the protege in our shop: burned (blue wrench drill) a hole and attached slide hammer to inner cup and went to town... it came out eventualy but put up a good fight till it just gave up and almose fell out. turns out that the circlip was stretched and was hanging up on the splines of the spider gear.

i vote for not beating around the bush and get at it with heavy equiptment.

Good feedback, thanks. That will be my backup plan. Hoping that the seal is still intact, I will stick the new inner CV bearings into the old cup. If it turns out that the seal is leaking significantly, I will go the route you did. I don't relish drilling into that thick steel cup; plus, going that route is irreversible, once I drill into the cup. And as long as I can't get the cup out, it's a nonfunctional vehicle; besides, there might possibly be more risk in damaging the tranny if I go the slide hammer route.

My plans for this car are just to get it to pass safety inspection next month, which obviously I need to get this job done just to drive it to the inspection place. I will drive it for 1 - 2 years, then probably part it out or sell it cheap to a forum member. This is the almost-pristine white Aspire SE I bought two years ago, then some seriously old guy* ran into me within two months. Damaged the rad support, etc. on the left front. I'm planning on keeping the Festy and getting a 1995 - 96 Suby Impreza Outback Sport for my "real" car.

* I am only semi-seriously old.