I am the owner of a 1992 Legacy L and I am planning to install a new or remanufactured driveaxle on the front right side. My question for the members, do I need to remove the complete catalytic converter or just the front and how difficult will it be to remove the front or both?

You don't need to touch the cat at all. Here's a thread from "axle guru" edrach that might help:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75739&highlight=early+ej+axle

 

And welcome to USMB!

Remove the ball joint pinch bolt, spread the knuckle open a bit with a screwdriver or chisel and pop the lower control arm free from the knuckle. Drive out the roll pin and pull the axle free on the transmission end. There is plenty of room to get the axle out without touching the exhaust.

 

GD

no need to touch exhaust, converters....or really much of anything other than remove the wheel.

 

i suppose Denver won't have any rust but since i have issues with that lower pinch bolt and ripping the boot on the ball joint i do it another way, which i find easier as strut mount bolts always come right out and ball joints don't.

 

remove the top strut mount bolt (mark the head first so you can install it exactly the same way it was to maintain alignment - a quick touch with a chisel marking it and the strut bracket will do) and loosen the lower strut mount bolt (no need to remove). pull and swings out with plenty of room to remove the axle. you're only removing one bolt and loosening another.

Remove the ball joint pinch bolt, spread the knuckle open a bit with a screwdriver or chisel and pop the lower control arm free from the knuckle. Drive out the roll pin and pull the axle free on the transmission end. There is plenty of room to get the axle out without touching the exhaust.

 

GD

Thanks for the response. Following this procedure was basically my plan. However, going through the preparation steps today jacking up the car and looking at the area I had only one problem it was with the spring pin. The opening was at the top and the head was at the bottom. Please confirm that I can rotate the axle to position the spring pin in place for the hammer and punch. In hindsight I should have tried this when I had the car on jacks this morning.

you just need to turn the axle for access? then yeah, just turn the wheel to turn the axle how ever you need it.

There is no "head" on the spring pin. It is a 6mm roll pin and the holes are not tapered. It pounds in/out from either side. Just rotate the axle till you can get a good angle for punching it out with a 3/16" pin punch and a hammer - usually it's easiest to knock it out from above before you jack up the car.

 

GD

You don't need to touch the cat at all. Here's a thread from "axle guru" edrach that might help:

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75739&highlight=early+ej+axle

 

And welcome to USMB!

 

Thanks for the response and the link. This steps in the link was basically how I plan to do it. However, going through the preparation steps today jacking up the car and looking at the area I had only one problem it was with the spring pin. The opening was at the top and the head was at the bottom. Please confirm that I can rotate the axle to put the spring pin in place for the hammer and punch. In hindsight I should have tried this when I had the car on jacks this morning.

I think I posted to much. But I want to thank you all for the quick responses and valuable information.

I had only one problem it was with the spring pin. The opening was at the top and the head was at the bottom.

 

As mentioned before, there is no head on the roll pin. The hole through the DOJ housing is chamfered on one side only--perhaps it's full of gunk and looks like a head to you?