Hi All

Starting to rebuild the front end on a 1997 RS. Have the Axle nut and brake rotor off. According to the manual, the axle should now push out of the front hub. I have sprayed it with rust breaking luricant (PB Blaster) and have a 3 fork puller on it. It will not budge. Have heated the hub with a MAPP Gas tourch (may not be hot enough).

Any and all suggestions on how to get the axle out of the hub would be appreciated.

 

Hammer time!
Man, I've always wanted to say that....too bad I'm a decade behind, lol.
Seriously, take a piece of wood and a hammer or a rubber mallet and start off light by hitting the bolt (start the nut back on it and make the top of the nut flat with the top of the bolt, the nut should not be touching the hub) with the mallet or put the piece of wood on the hub and hit that with the hammer. Another method is to pry the axle from the hub. Another is to spray liquid wrench on it (like you've done) and wait for an hour or two (sometimes spraying it and waiting a day might help), then use a variation of the above.

 

If you're using an air compressor at all, just use an air hammer.
Will come out alot easier than silvers caveman tactics will.
If you don't have an air hammer, buy one. Its a valuable tool for a mechanic. Me and mine are best friends.

 

Ive taken a bunch out in the past year and only thing we needed was a prybar... Are you having a problem on both of them or just one side?

 

Thanks all.

One side had so much rust on the nut that I had to split the nut and peel it off the axle. Threads came out perfect.

I have a three jaw puller on this think with a 2 foot bar on the socket to turn the thread. Left it under tension all last night with rust busting lubricant. Still has not let go. Going to add heat and more torque to the puller. I now know that all that is in the hub is about 3 inches of spline. With any luck, tonight;s the night.

I will be asking more questions as we get further into getting the Eclipse road ready. This is my son's first car and he is learning fast. I am reasonably mechanically inclined. Have a 1950 MG TD and a 1967 Supercharged MGB GT.

 

Well, No luck. That axle must be welded into the hub. I actually bent the push rod on my puller. Oh well, axle turns fine, so for now, I will leave it. Anyone know a way to remove the backing plate without taking the hub off? Mine is swiss cheese from salt.

 

just wondering since i have done it several times on lots of different cars.. but exactly what steps did you take before trying to remove the axle before you started beating on it?

 

Woh, Jerusry. No were in my post did I say I was beating on it. That is never the answer. The nut was so rusted on the axle of this 97 that I had to split the axle nut and peel it off the axle. This left good threads with the exception of the threads that were in front of the nut. After getting the nut off, the axle area (front and back) was soaked with PB blaster, one of the best rust penetrators out there. This was allowed to set for 24 hours.

I then used a 3 jaw puller to attempt to push the axle out. While the puller was under torque, I also added heat to the hub. None of this was of any success. Axle is going to have to come out and a press will be needed to get the axle out. Don't exactly know why this side had so bad rust. Other side is fine. The axle on that side popped out with a single hit from a rubber mallet.

 

okay, well it is good you weren't beating on it.. i had a friend try to do that on his gs..... and in about 5 whacks he mushroomed the tip so bad... it took me 3 hours to grind it down and redo the threads on the end just so we could reuse it... o man.. it was hell.. lol.. dont want you to have to go fown that road i will ask a know it all mechanic what he thinks of your situation and whats best to help. he deals with this shyt all the time.. i learn from this dude like every day.. lol

 

Air hammers knock axles out in 5 seconds.