What it the trick to get a new axle into the wheel hub? The bearings and hub went in easy peasg. I replaced the differential seals and now trying to put in the new axle. For the life of me I can't get it in the hub. I can get to the point where the splines are lined up just enough for the wheel to spin but no further. I'm afraid I'm going to damage the CV joints if I force it too much. As a point of reference, I was able to put the old axle in and out as a test. I counted the splines on both the old and the new to ensure they didn't mis-package it. Please tell me I don't need a new hub as that would result in buying another set of bearings and is more money I wasn't planning on spending.
Oh, and I guess I should add that I have only tried with the driver's side axle. I did try it on both sides since the splines are the same - trying to rule out an individual hub being damaged. The passenger side axle should arrive today. I guess I can try that one to see if I have a faulty axle.
This is driving me absolutely nuts. What should be the simplest part of this whole process, putting the axles back in, just isn't working. I got the new axles into the hubs this evening but they won't go in far enough to fully tighten the nut. By that I mean, I can get the nut on it and start tightening but it won't tighten all the way down. It's getting hung up on something but I can't figure it out. Again, as a test I put the old axles back in and was able to tighten the nut basically to where it should be. Here's a picture of where the nut is ending up - clearly not far enough down, and a video so you can hear how it's hitting metal and stopping. I am flummoxed and feeling like a total idiot at this point (especially since I have installed axles in other vehicles before).
I can't tell much from your vid there Joe, but, I'm no axle expert - I just don't want to be an axle-hole about it (nyucknyucknyuck). Ok, bad puns aside, if the old axles fit fine and the replacements don't, that would make it seem something's different about the replacements - maybe measure the length of the protruding shaft? If the new one's too long by a smidge that you can't tell visually, that might be it, or, maybe the circumference of something is slightly larger & getting hung up? Hopefully Charlson will have some suggestions here - in the meantime, if nothing else, you could also throw a call or email at some of the other tech reps too, although I wouldn't be surprised if some are at O'Fest right now.
Thanks Marshall. I verified the old axle and the new axle are the same part numbers by the same manufacturer. I stood them up next to each other to make sure they are the same height and visibly (didn't actually measure) look to be the same. I have been thinking today that I need to pull out the tape measure this evening for the circumference of the space after the spindle. I was getting so excited last night once I finally got the spindle part of the axle to actually make it through the hub opening just to run into this road block. I swear the car gods are just mocking me and having a good laugh at my expense. I actually had dreams about it last night. This should be so insanely easy and has been on other axles I've replaced.
I went ahead and measured both the old and the new axle. Everything seemed to be the same. I must be missing so obviously simple.
Yep, was missing something obviously simple. Just call me Captain Obvious - DOH! Take a look at the following pictures. Old axle nut is on the left, new axle nut is on the right. No wonder I couldn't get the nut as far down as the original. Once I put the original nut on the new axle, I could see it tightened down on the new axle just like the old. UGH, such wasted time. My only question now is, is it OK to use the new nut or should I use one like the one I removed. The wheel bearing kit came with nuts similar to that which I removed so I could use those vs. the nuts that came with the axle.
Alway recommend using new axle nuts when doing a job. They will have to be staked once installed and old ones always get damaged when removing.
Thanks Charlson. I'm definitely using a new axle nut. When I bought the wheel bearings, I bought the kit that included a nut of similar design to the old nut. The new nut in the pictures is the nut that was included with the axle. Is it OK to use the one that came with the axle or should I use the nut that came with the bearing kit? Here's a couple pics to show the difference between the two on the axle itself. Nut that came with axle (tighend a bit, but not fully torqued down): Old nut (have new of this style from wheel bearing kit):
Use the one from the picture below it fits better onto the axle so when you stake it down the nut will bite into the axle better.
That's how I was leaning. I just didn't know if there was a reason for the other design. Thanks for the help. I'll buttoning up the rear this morning and moving back to the front.
Thanks for all your help guys. I finally have it back as my daily driver. I wrapped up the suspension work on the 18th, drove it on the 19th to return the loaner tools to make sure it felt OK to go through the process of burnishing the brakes. Did the the brakes on the 19th and burnished them in on Sunday the 22nd (went out of town for a few days.) It was woefully out of alignment so I let it sit while tires were delivered to the shop. Tires were installed yesterday and alignment done - it had some serious toe in. Anyway, it's back on the road and I'm now smiling instead of cursing. My only issue is I still get a clunk at very low speed, especially when making a turn. Everything is torqued down per the Bentlly Manual. I replaced the rubber spring pads but not the springs themselves. I wonder if I should have done the springs after all. They still looked good - heck still had most the red pain on them. I don't know if there are any mounts or bushings that might be causing it but I'm just going to live with it for now.
Never did update about the clunk. I found that the upper spring rubber somehow managed to become unseated and actually a bit inside the the spring vs. between the top of the spring and the upper spring pocket. The spring also wasn't seated (aligned with the strut) very well. I discovered this after re-torquing every bolt - control arm mounts, ball joints, etc... Anyway, I re-rented the spring compressors and was lucky to be able to compress them while still on the car, twist the upper spring pocket around a bit and re-seat the rubber spring pads. I think it did mess with the alignment ever so slightly but now no clunk. And I can say it is oh so fun to be driving it again. Everything has settled in nicely and the BF Goodrich's stick like glue.
