I am planning to replace both front axles (and all front axle bearings and seals) on my 1980 4wd GL wagon and I am awaiting shipment of all the parts tomorrow. I am off work today and tomorrow and I would like to get a head start on the job, hopefully to complete it in two days (today to tear down, tomorrow to rebuild). It seems I heard something somewhere about a possible problem that could result from taking both axles off at the same time but I can't seem to find it while searching this forum (did I dream this?)

I've done it a couple of times myself with no problem, though I find it quicker to do one side at a time save for driving out the roll pin.

Some newer front wheel drive cars you can't take out both sides at once because the spiders there pin will fall out.

 

Doesn't apply to any subaru I know of. Espescially older ones with Male stubs. Axles just slide onto the stubs, so nothing inside is disturbed.

 

But on Honda Civics and Accords, Nissan Altima, and slews of others it is nessecary to either do one at a time, or use a wooden dowel rod inserted through the first axle "hole" to support the spiders while the other side is removed.

Darnit Gloyale. I wanted to be the one with the answer!!!

OH okay, thanks to both of you for your rapid response! I could really save some time by getting started today!

wow, and to think i've done some friends honda's before having no idea. glad i didn't remove two at once, that would have sucked to learn that the hard way.

maybe THATS why we had to beat the axle in when we did motor/trans swaps in all those civics, integras, and crxs.

A possibility is that the reference was to removing both stub axles at once: This might make it difficult to properly reposition the diff carrier whne replaceing/retightening the bearing retainers.