Sorry to post it here, but I have a 99 C70 but don't get much activity on that forum so I'm going to post it here since the info mostly applies here too.

I'm in the process of changing my passenger side hub bearing. I've done a ton of reading on the forums, so I know many people have had the same problem and many people whose axle almost fall apart on its own.

I'm at the step where I need to loosen the axle spline. I've literally beat on it with a drift punch and used a puller for couple of hours. In the process I also somewhat by accident pulled out the inner CV because I thought I had pulled out too far and gotten the joint in a bind. So I'm thinking I should just replace the axle now, too, instead of risking contamination and have to change it in a month. I have few questions:

1) What else can I try to loosen the spline? Keep going with the puller? Should I heat up the bearing to expand the space? I'm going to assume I have that metal adhesive from the factory so it's not going to be easy either way. The other option is to just remove the whole assembly with the knuckle and take it to a shop, but that adds time to the whole process and I'd like to get my car back together tonight.

2) The CV is off at the inner boot. What do I need to do to remove the cup and shaft inside the transmission? Some posts indicate there is a circlip or a 2 bolt hanger? Or can I just use a chisel/screwdriver at 180 and pry it loose? This is the passenger side.

 

I've had success with a big rubber mallet in the past. Barring that, I've seen people use a sledgehammer with a block of wood (to keep the end from mushrooming) with some success.

Actually, if you're replacing the bearing anyway and have wrecked the driveshaft, why not just take the bolts that hold the bearing in place out and get rid of the whole thing?

I'm also assuming you undid the two bolts that hold the carrier bearing in there...if you haven't, that might be part of your issue too.

 

What I have done in the past is put the nut on the end of the pline, just so that the nut is flush with the end of the shaft. Then I use a mallet, or small sledge hammer to whack it with. The nut helps prevent the shaft from mushrooming since it gives it a larger surface area to hit. Also the key is for the knuckle not to move much so as the blows are not absorbed or dampened. You will find that if the knuckle if moving around freely it will just bounce around and no matter how hard you knock the spline, it will do no good.

 

Put the nut on the end of the shaft and whack it with a BFH. It will come apart.

 

After some heating and screwing up threads on a loaner axle puller as a last ditch effort, I decided to remove the knuckle with axle attached. Took it to a mechanic friend's place. He air hammered it, no movement. Liquid Wrench and air hammer, nothing. Oxyacetylene torch and air hammer, nada. Repeat last step. Put in 12 ton press. Still no movement. More Liquid Wrench, torch, press, no movement. Torch longer, press. BANG, SUCCESS! (or is it?) Removed from press, put on ground, pull, not budging. Air hammer, still not budging more than what the press had done. Back in the press, had to press it all the way out. The sucker was resisting to the last millimeter. It was rusted. No way I was going to be successful using hand hammer or axle puller. Glad I decided to remove it and take it to his shop. Gained knowledge about removing the driveshaft from transmission, strut assembly, knuckle, but don't know if I saved any money doing it myself given the amount of mental effort and time I've spent. If I have to do the other side I'm going to give it the old college try for 30 minutes and if it's not budging I'm going straight to the shop with knuckle/axle. Still have to put it back together but that should be easy since I've been staring at that region for 10+ hours now.

 

Thought about that, but can't get enough clearance to the E16 bolt head. If it was hex head I probably could have loosened it with a wrench. And wasn't sure if the hole in the knuckle was big enough for the CV cup.

 

Soak it good with PB Blaster, use heat if you have it to warm it up and then spray the blaster in so it sucks it in as it cools. Repeat a few times. Then try this tool that you can get from oreiliy or autozone as a loan. You bolt it down with your lug nuts, flat side of the nut against the tool and then use the screw to push the axle out of the hub.

 

WOW, what an adventure! Glad you got it though.

 

@Kiss4afrog, those are the exact tools I had. The spline shrugged them off.

I thought I was all set using the DIY since someone said they did it in 45 minutes under moonlight. It should've included a 12 ton shop press and oxyacetylene torch as backup!

I think I need an alignment now.

 

I hadn't read all the threads when I posted that and had I read the two above me ... , sorry for jumping in. But it might help someone who's doing a search as that loaner tool does a pretty good job most of the time. I had a pair of CV axles that a national tire chain store returned for core credit with the SPINDLES attached. I laughed a little and took them home thinking it was some kid who was lazy and felt a little sorry for the customer who had to buy the spindles. I spent some time here and there over a number of days along with soaking them to death with PB Blaster as I had them vertical and filled the hub center with the stuff and I was never able to get them to budge. Torch, air hammer (expensive Ingersol) and press, no go. I'm a believer, some times they just don't budge but the good thing is it's rare that you can't break them apart.