I need to replace the front axles on my 85 BRAT.  Do I need to remove the wheel bearing housings from the car?

 

 

I usually leave them swinging on the strut. You do need to separate the ball joint from the bottom of the hub knuckle.

From there you should be able to hammer out the old shaft and get the new one in.

If you want a larger working space then remove the hub knuckle as well. This give you the option of using a press to do the hammering part of the work. Getting it setup in the press would be the hardest part here.

Cheers 

Bennie

Use the floor jack to hold pressure on the LCA when removing the ball joint castle nut nut. Then take the castle nut and thread it back on upside down until it is flush with the stud tip of the ball joint. Few whacks with a BFH and it should be loose.

Tricks learned from an old timer, my pops

On 7/4/2021 at 10:19 AM, 6 Star said:

Use the floor jack to hold pressure on the LCA ..."

What is "LCA"?

Lower control arm.