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Axel Swap?

4K views 32 replies 9 participants last post by  thedubsack85 
#1 ·
how is this done i have yet to change an axel on a gm fwd. so please tell me how to do an axel swap on a redline. i got my axel today. and need to get it in dangit. thanks for any help. (and troll+1 leave this thread alone. if u post on it ill vote ban. again. for the 3rd time for your oh so smart self.)
 
#2 ·
not many of us have done the axle swap, did you get the intense axels? Or did you snap yours and are getting the stock ones on? If you dont know how to do them Id take it in to a pro, for safetys sake atleast. Thats what i would do, granted it wouldnt be cheap.
 
#4 ·
thedubsack85 said:
how is this done i have yet to change an axel on a gm fwd. so please tell me how to do an axel swap on a redline. i got my axel today. and need to get it in dangit. thanks for any help. (and troll+1 leave this thread alone. if u post on it ill vote ban. again. for the 3rd time for your oh so smart self.)
man im not a good teacher but its pretty strait foward disconnect the battery if you want to. (for safety get the car up on some jack stands dont forget to block the rear wheels for safety. pull the wheels off losten the ball joints bolts use a pry bar to seperate the joints. it shouldnt take too much force but it will take some. take the intermediat shaft bolts out. then pull on the CV joint untill it comes out dont pull the CV joint by the boot as you will probably seprtate the CV joint if you do it. its kind of a pain to get it back together if you seperate it. (i made this mistake sort of) well my buddy made this mistake on my car :D as you seperating the CV joint from the tranny case you might need to slightly pry on it it get it to move. be care full as you dont want to rip the boot.
 
#5 ·
They're shafts, not axles!!! No matter what INTENSE says!

sigh.

But, yeah, I've never done it either. I would assume that you gotta pull the wheels and hubs off, but beyond that I wouldn't be any help. Sorry.
 
#7 ·
sheek360 said:
didnt know that... so when someone says "i snapped my axle" they really just snapped the shafts?
Yes.

Half shafts, to be even more specifically correct. Axles have gears.
 
#9 ·
handyjoe said:
They're shafts, not axles!!! No matter what INTENSE says!

sigh.

But, yeah, I've never done it either. I would assume that you gotta pull the wheels and hubs off, but beyond that I wouldn't be any help. Sorry.
ahhh dont let something like that bother ya man I tried to explain it to people all the time but i thin realise that they dont care and im waisting my breath.
 
#10 ·
sheek360 said:
makes sense, thanks.


just so you know sheek CV stands for constant velocity.
 
#11 ·
fullthrottle said:
ahhh dont let something like that bother ya man I tried to explain it to people all the time but i thin realise that they dont care and im waisting my breath.
LOL, thanks ft, I just work for an auto supplier prototype department where we build Axles...and Shafts.

So the difference is rather bothersome for me.
 
#12 ·
yeah thanks for all the help. im gonna take a look at it and see what i can do. i was thinking i needed air tools for the hub and such. guess not. she will be fixed damnit. and i went with jus a stocker from OZERman. 200.60 cents
 
#13 ·
i thought you had to un bolt the axle bolt then just pull the ael out, replace the new one, and bolt the axle nut back down...huh gues its more complicated than that...
 
#15 ·
Shabodah said:
HandyJoe - I get your point about what you call them, but would you consider a "axle" out of a 10-bolt a shaft? It doesn't have gears.
Ok, bad definiton.

An axle takes rotational motion from the transmission via a drive shaft, multiplies it (usually using gears), and turns it into the rotational motion that turns your wheels.

A shaft does no multiplication and just transfers rotational motion.

A transaxle is where the transmission and axle are one piece, eliminating the need for a "driveshaft". Shafts still drive the actual wheels in this application.

Shab, I'm not really familiar with the 10-bolt axle, (I may be...I've just never looked into it in depth) but it probably fits more solidly in the axle definition.
 
#16 ·
socalsilverRL said:
i thought you had to un bolt the axle bolt then just pull the ael out, replace the new one, and bolt the axle nut back down...huh gues its more complicated than that...
what is this axel nut u speak of?
 
#17 ·
when you take the wheel off...look in the middle of the hub/rotor...there is a nut there with a cotter pin in it...remove the cotter pin and un bolt the nut. that will allow you to remove the axle from the hub. you will need a hammer to knock the axle loose. that nut is only torqued down to like 37 ft/#'s tho so it shouldnt be too hard to get off of there. I dunno how to remove the axle tho...i do know you have to remove that nut first tho...we had to make a special socket to get my buddy's passat's axle nut off.
 
#18 ·
handyjoe said:
Shab, I'm not really familiar with the 10-bolt axle, (I may be...I've just never looked into it in depth) but it probably fits more solidly in the axle definition.
The ring and pinion in the differential are different parts than the "axle shafts" on most all live axle setups. A full solid axle rear end would act like a full spool setup and cause both wheels to always turn the same speed, and that's what I'm thinking of with your defination of "axle."

However, all of this is moot, because even in cases where half-shafts fail, it is very seldom that the shaft is the point of failure, it is almost always the CV itself. This is quite different than a live axle where the shaft will fracture either neer the center spiles or at the hub bearing area.
 
#19 ·
Shabodah said:
The ring and pinion in the differential are different parts than the "axle shafts" on most all live axle setups. A full solid axle rear end would act like a full spool setup and cause both wheels to always turn the same speed, and that's what I'm thinking of with your defination of "axle."

However, all of this is moot, because even in cases where half-shafts fail, it is very seldom that the shaft is the point of failure, it is almost always the CV itself. This is quite different than a live axle where the shaft will fracture either neer the center spiles or at the hub bearing area.
This I know. To all statements.

We could get into discussions of open/locking differentials...but not here.

And yes, you're very right about the CV joints. those casings crack much sooner than the solid, heat treated shaft.

I could probably go find pictures of broken cv joints and axle shafts...but I dunno why anyone would really be interested.
 
#25 ·
ok got the suspension apart. and the knuckle off. and the axel except for the inner cv housing where it sits in the trans. how do i get it out with out taking apart the other side? any halp appreciated.. BUMP
 
#26 ·
The shaft just snaps into the transmission. The proper tool is a slide hammer that clamps onto the inner CVjoint.
I have had some luck just giving halfshafts a good pull but most of the time I end up using a pry bar and getting behind the inner CV joint with it.

Just be carefull and dont put a prybar directly against the transmission case (use a block of wood in between) or you may risk punching a hole in the case.
 
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