gcthree

As the topic suggests, in my haste disassemble the rear suspension for bearing replacement, I've removed the upright. I am now faced with removing the half shaft to replace the boots, but need to prevent the axle from turning as I apply torque to the bolts.

I'm hesitant to put it in gear as a means of preventing the axle from turning. Any thoughts or experience? Probably be a bad idea to use an impact wrench on the bolts, right? Here's a photo of where I'm at as of this moment:

Ducman82

air tools or by hand? in gear wont hurt anything.

gcthree

I have an air tool, but concerned about 'hammering' on bolts with it in gear?

Mrmerlin

leave it neutral and clean the bolt heads out so they are dirt free,
hammer the tool into each bolt head before you use the gun,
NOTE surface the tool so it has no bevel at its tip this will give the maximum amount of grip to the tool ,

use hi quality tools for bolt removal

Ducman82

oh super easy! hold on to the axle with one hand. they are not on there THAT tight.

Ducman82

^^^ clean and well seated bit is key! as Mrmerlin said

MainePorsche

You did suspend that brake caliper... right ?

dr bob

Other side still intact? Put the car in gear and lock the other side. The gear drive regularly handles just slightly more than the torque you'll use pulling those bolts.

I'm not at all a fan of using impact tools against gear faces. If you do decide to use the impact (and I certainly would...) plan on holding the axle against rotating with your hand rather than putting it in gear and smacking the gear faces.

928mac

put a block of wood in that caliper incase when you get in the car you accidentally step on the brake

danglerb

My very first use of an air impact wrench was taking apart an old garbage disposal to see how it worked, why it failed, it was there. I got no place with conventional tools, bent to pretzels a couple of the big hex wrenches used to unjam the motor trying to counter hold. Fired up the air compressor and took my free with purchase impact wrench and hit about three time with nothing counter holding and the big assembly nut was loose. HF Earthquake I have now blips most anything off without a rattle.

The beauty of the impact wrench is that it applies very high force, but for such short segments of time that very little reaction force is created.

NickT

First thing I saw

NickT

The wiring harness needs replacing or repair while you are in there..

gcthree

I'm replacing all the brake hoses, so yes, as painful as it is to see, it is dangling there. The frayed ABS harness cover seems to be a common issue; I've ordered larger diameter shrink wrap tubing of sufficient diameter to get past the rubber stand-offs and anticipate that I can shrink it enough to work. I'll test it first off the car. Also ordered shrink wrap tape should that fail.

Good input on the CV bolts. I ordered the Phase 8 bolts with locks from Ideola's Garage for the reassembly.

Thanks, as always, for the comments.

Bob

gcthree

The HF EarthQuake gun is the deal. Held the axle with one hand and the gun took one blip and the bolt was out. With the 20% coupon seemingly in every car magazine published, the gun is $69 and worth 4X that amount. It took a few hit to remove the rear axle bolt. I'd have bee there for days doing it by hand.