'04 STI front axle. Or: Job Cory probably makes bucks on...
 

It was a nice day and I needed to do it before Thunderhill, so today was axle day.

Talk about a job that the shop manual makes sound way harder than it is... I bet Cory can do one in under 15 minutes.

1. Jack up that corner or the whole front and pull wheel.

2. Loosen axle nut

3. Remove Pin from transmission stub.

4. Mark and remove strut-spindle bolts.

5. Tip spindle forward and turn as needed and remove axle. May require tapping outer stub with a punch to release splines.

6. Reverse process for new axle.


Now all I need to find is the torque for the axle nut and I'm done. (162 ft pounds, but I need a second human to push the brake pedal while I torque it...)

The shop manual has you removing calipers and rotors, unhooking sway bars, ball joints and tie rod ends.... Don't do it!!!

x2!!!
I was shocked how easily it was done, I drank a beer, had a smoke, ate bananas foster, and changed my axle in<45 minutes

I pull the swaybar link, and the ball joint cross bolt, then just pop out the LCA from the spindle. Avoids having to mark/re-align the strut camber bolt. Usually takes about 5-10 minutes with the lift and right tools.

I thought about that. How do you avoid destroying the ball joint or at least its boot? Sometimes those suckers just won't move except by pickle fork which usually destroys the boot...

No, don't pull the bottom of the ball joint, where it goes into the LCA, you pull the 14mm cross bolt where it goes into the spindle, and pop the upper half of the joint out of the spindle. There's no boot or anything up there. The only trouble is when they've been in there for a LONG time, and are a bit rusted. PB Blaster and a BIG prybar...

Ah, Gotcha... That may be even easier. I remember that bolt being captive for some reason but can't remember why.

I've always broke and set the axle nut final torque with the wheel still on the ground...

^ that works. Or a BIG, BAD impact gun, if you have one available. 1000 ft. lbs. of torque FTW.

The RCE brake duct blocks that ball joint cross bolt, so you are back to removing almost everything under the sun to get to it. :(

I don't have Cory's monster impact gun, but my 500 or so ft/lb one broke the axle nut loose no problem. It wasn't powerful enough to do the front aft control arm nut though which Cory's spun right off. :(

I ended up wedging something between the driver's seat and the brake pedal to torque it. I'm not sure I would want any weight on that wheel bearing without that nut being property tight. Might also skew torque reading.

^What did you use to wedge between the brake pedal and the seat? Nicks serving tray?

^LOL

He used his adjustable orthopedic cane.

I'll be fixing a torn inner CV boot soon. Thanks for the tips.

Wish i would have found this thread when i was doing a LCA replacement with Tom.B ... we found a way to make that into like a 10 hour job ... lol