Tools needed for the ZE owners for Axel replacement.....

LooseChangeRacing · Post by **LooseChangeRacing** » June 8th, 2006, 8:57 am

Since I'm a new owner of the ze and I've never had to replace the axle on my mx I wanted to know the list of tools needed to replace the axles on the mx.

I lost all my tools a few weeks ago (lent all my tools to a friend for him to do an engine swap....let's just say i never got them back grrrr.)

Post by **Custommx3** » June 8th, 2006, 12:04 pm

I think its a 32mm socket (someone verify)
a big breaker bar (or an impact)
and a few sizes of pry bars. 1 may work if your lucky.

Spinkx79 · Post by **Spinkx79** » June 8th, 2006, 12:17 pm

You will need a:

-Jack and stands
-Punch or screw driver to open the gap on the axel nut, so the it will spin
-32mm socket to get the axel nut off
-A compressor to spin the nut or your biggest friend (i broke my 2 ft breaker bar and my 1/2 drive ratchet)
-14 mm sockets to get off the caliper, ball joint,
-allan key for the end link
-pry bar to pop the axel out
-hammer to get the old axel to budge from the knuckle
-some grease for the splines on the new axel, cause if your going with re-mans you will prob be doing this again next year and will make it easier to get off.
-6 beers (must keep hydrated

)
-kitty litter for the tranny fluid puddle your going to make
-Oh and you shoud get a new seal for the tranny, i have changed axels atleast 4 times and I only changed the seal on the last change....so it is up to you but i would do it, and will everytime from now on.

FYI Partsource here in Canada has lifetime warranty on axels as im sure your Autozone does too, like i said im on my 4th set, when ever they start to go i swap em out at no cost.

IIRC that should be it.

g/l

JWMX3 · Post by **JWMX3** » June 8th, 2006, 12:36 pm

caliper, ball joint and end links ? thats way too much work... i like the gro harlem method, just take off the 2 strut bolts and lean the hub back to pull the axle out, i can change an axle in 20 mins, and believe me ive had them out 15 times in the last 2 weeks, lol

I just mark the camber bolt and strut with a scratch mark so i can put it back in the same place

Custom_V6_Limited_SE · Post by **Custom_V6_Limited_SE** » June 8th, 2006, 1:34 pm

I would have to recommend a good impact wrench. My neighbor is a mechanic and has a really nice impact wrench. It does something like 435ft/lb of torque at 90psi. We ran it at 150psi

for a minute before those axle nuts came off. And this was after a couple of days of liquid wrench and jumping on a 2ft breaker bar

. Of course, they will probably only be this difficult when they are removed for the first time in their history

.

Spinkx79 · Post by **Spinkx79** » June 8th, 2006, 2:22 pm

JWMX3 wrote: i like the gro harlem method

Im not understanding....take out the 2 big bolts (strut to knuckle), but how would you move the knuckle out enough to get the axel out without pulling the ball joint?

Im sure it can be done, but im having trouble picturing it.

JWMX3 · Post by **JWMX3** » June 8th, 2006, 2:30 pm

after removing those 2 bolts, the hub leans back plenty far (pivoting on the ball joint) to pull the axle out... also unclip the brake line from the strut before doing this, its simple

Spinkx79 · Post by **Spinkx79** » June 8th, 2006, 2:48 pm

Ya that makes sense...i forgot the ball joint would pivot. I will be sure to try that one on my next set

I can do it the hard way in less than an hour, i bet i could get it done this way in less than a half hour.

Where did you find that procedure? With all the CV/Axel posts floating around that should be made into a Sticky.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » June 8th, 2006, 5:36 pm

JWMX3 wrote: I just mark the camber bolt and strut with a scratch mark so i can put it back in the same place

Joe, how accurately does that put the alignment back using the scribed/scratch mark? I take it your not going to get EXACTLY bang on where it was before will you?

RizzeRocket · Post by **RizzeRocket** » June 8th, 2006, 8:42 pm

if u pop the balljoint you can pull it far enough to the side so the axle slides trough, thats all u gotta remove , no need to touch the caliper nor the strut bolts.

Flinch · Post by **Flinch** » June 8th, 2006, 9:54 pm

umm i dont know if its been said already but a pickel fork, you probly want to do your ball joints while you got the chance, go to NAPA cuz they are life time warrente.

JWMX3 · Post by **JWMX3** » June 8th, 2006, 11:54 pm

jschrauwen wrote:
JWMX3 wrote: I just mark the camber bolt and strut with a scratch mark so i can put it back in the same place
Joe, how accurately does that put the alignment back using the scribed/scratch mark? I take it your not going to get EXACTLY bang on where it was before will you?

for someone with the stock strut bolts it does go back exactly where it was, since camber is adjusted with the strut mount and toe with the tie rods, it dosent change alignment at all

With a camber bolt in the top strut bolt, it CAN change, but marking it and realigning the marks seems accurate to me, i dont see why it wouldnt be

RizzeRocket wrote:if u pop the balljoint you can pull it far enough to the side so the axle slides trough, thats all u gotta remove , no need to touch the caliper nor the strut bolts.

I dont touch the caliper.... the point it its faster and easier to do it the strut bolt way, espacially if your ball joint hasnt been replaced recently

I did it the traditional way first, after i read how gro did his and tried it myself, its a huge time saver

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » June 9th, 2006, 1:43 pm

I guess I should have been more specific wrt the strut bolts. I was thinking of those that have lowered there cars and have the camber adjusting bolts installed. Getting those camber adjusting bolts placed back exactly the right way that is was set at the alignment shop may be a tricky thing to accomplish, even if they were marked/etched. Only because alignments are such a fine degree of measurment and setting (no pun intended) that expecting to get the camber adjusting bolts back to there original /correct positions might be a real challenge. I imagine a discerning road test may be able to confirm this after the fact. I wouldn't want to run the risk of having to pay for another alignment.