cookie Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 I wonder if you really have to pull the axle out? I think the splines do the driving and all the roll pin does is keep it from falling off. If the remaining roll pin clears I might try installing the other end of the axle in and turning it to see if there was any binding. If it felt good I'd try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted February 14, 2006 Share Posted February 14, 2006 Been there done that. Too much force and the end of roll pin gets burred making it difficult to remove. Mine went through the output shaft but not through the other side of the axle. I couldn't get it back out but it cleared so I left it that way as cookie suggested. It's been 4K miles now and no problems so far. Stumpy Does everyone know if the line-up of the holes are 180 degree off the"perfect line-up", what happens if someone hammers in a new roll pin? I am wondering if my line-up is 180 degree off or something else. seanliu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted February 14, 2006 Author Share Posted February 14, 2006 Been there done that. Too much force and the end of roll pin gets burred making it difficult to remove. Mine went through the output shaft but not through the other side of the axle. I couldn't get it back out but it cleared so I left it that way as cookie suggested. It's been 4K miles now and no problems so far. Stumpy Cookie and Stumpy: The reason I am so desperate to pull out the pins (two of them on both sides) and the axle is that only very small portion of the pins in the axle. However, it seems to be deep enough to prevent the axle from pulling out. I rotate the hub when the front of the car is on the jackstands, it clears. I understand the pins is only for retaining the axle in case the other components of the suspension (lower control arm, for example) fail. Am I right (You can not pull out the axle without disconnecting the lower control arm from the hub even the roll pin is removed)? Nevertheless, I am more concerned with the safety issue. Subaru is one of the few car manufacturers that use roll pin to lock the axle to the output of tranny and I am wondering why (and also the odd number of the splines). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 The only portion that is ever holding is the shear line. The rest of the pin is to keep it firmly in place. Sounds to me like you have the sucker firmly in place. If you drive the car a few miles and inspect and it is still firm I'd run it. If one falls out you have your chace to put another in. If both come losse you can change it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted February 15, 2006 Author Share Posted February 15, 2006 The only portion that is ever holding is the shear line. The rest of the pin is to keep it firmly in place. Sounds to me like you have the sucker firmly in place. If you drive the car a few miles and inspect and it is still firm I'd run it. If one falls out you have your chace to put another in. If both come losse you can change it. Cookie: I will try one more time to hammer the sucker in before I drive away the car. I have basically exhausted my imaginations and probably others' trying to unstake the stuck pins. Thanks. seanliu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnVT Posted February 15, 2006 Share Posted February 15, 2006 My situation is the same as yesterday. P.B. Blaster has been used once and will try it again. I have not been able to take out the pins and so I cannot pull out the new axle. Does everyone know if the line-up of the holes are 180 degree off the"perfect line-up", what happens if someone hammers in a new roll pin? I am wondering if my line-up is 180 degree off or something else. seanliu on my 97 OBW, (and I assume the Forester is similar), it looks like 180 degrees would line up about half the hole. There are an odd number of splines, so one end of the hole is centered on a spline, and the other end is between two splines. But I don't see how that's big enough to get hardly ANY of the roll pin in there. But then, if the holes are lined up correctly, once you get the pin started (for me, that was the hard part, just getting it straight) it should hammer right in. Would have been easier with a longer punch though, and it did take some force and patience - and I'm not good at those . And I don't really have any experience with this, but although it won't fall off with no pin, you'll get movement which could wear the drive shaft, and even the transmission housing if the axle isn't held steady. Not sure about that, but it sure looks like it could do that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted February 15, 2006 Author Share Posted February 15, 2006 on my 97 OBW, (and I assume the Forester is similar), it looks like 180 degrees would line up about half the hole. There are an odd number of splines, so one end of the hole is centered on a spline, and the other end is between two splines. But I don't see how that's big enough to get hardly ANY of the roll pin in there. But then, if the holes are lined up correctly, once you get the pin started (for me, that was the hard part, just getting it straight) it should hammer right in. Would have been easier with a longer punch though, and it did take some force and patience - and I'm not good at those . And I don't really have any experience with this, but although it won't fall off with no pin, you'll get movement which could wear the drive shaft, and even the transmission housing if the axle isn't held steady. Not sure about that, but it sure looks like it could do that... John: Is that possible that the portion of the pin is collapsed and somehow "hooks" the splines of the output of the tranny? I remember that when the first pin stuck in the opening and I probed the hole with an undersized philip screwdriver from the other side, I noticed the screwdriver initially just barely passed the new axle's hole. I wiggled a little, then the screwdriver went through with some light resistance. I used a Lock Technology long axle pin punch designed for Subaru axle pin removal, the length of the punch is OK at the removal but too long for installation under the car (I can barely swing the hammer). Also you talked about force and patience, can you quantify them? I don't want to discover late that all I need is good and long repeated whacks to solve my woe. seanliu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted February 16, 2006 Author Share Posted February 16, 2006 Someone suggested to me to use a pair of dykes (not lesbians) to grip the roll pin and then use leverage aginst the axle to pull the roll pin out. The dykes are wire cutter like tools, according to the source of the tip. Does anyone know what a pair of dykes are and where can I buy a pair? seanliu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Any hardware shop, Sears, tool company, or auto parts store. Other names are end cutters, cutting pliars, snippers, and side cutters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnVT Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 dikes are "diagonal cutters", or electrician's wire cutters. Most popularly Klein with red plastic handle covers. (Home Depot has them, for example. The other sources mentioned above are good too) seanliu, I did use considerable force to get the pin in. It was slow, and hard to get a good angle to hit with the hammer, BUT I could tell that the holes were lined up, so the same diameter all the way through. Of course this is tight for the pin, since you don't want it to move once it's in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 dikes are "diagonal cutters", or electrician's wire cutters. Most popularly Klein with red plastic handle covers. (Home Depot has them, for example. The other sources mentioned above are good too) seanliu, I did use considerable force to get the pin in. It was slow, and hard to get a good angle to hit with the hammer, BUT I could tell that the holes were lined up, so the same diameter all the way through. Of course this is tight for the pin, since you don't want it to move once it's in... I will try to use vise-grip first since I have few of them lying around. if that does not work, I will try to use wire cutters or dykes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted May 10, 2006 Author Share Posted May 10, 2006 I will try to use vise-grip first since I have few of them lying around. if that does not work, I will try to use wire cutters or dykes. Finally after much struggle and trial-and-error, I solved this problem. I used a 8 in dike (diagonal cutter) with offset at the head. I used the dike to grab one stuck roll pin that is slightly stuck and pried the pin out of the hole and then I used a long pin punch with a diameter slightly larger than that of the inner diameter of the roll pin and drive the other roll pin out. And the rest was history. However, in an attempt to do the replacement of CV axle on the driver side, I accidently damaged the tone wheel (tone ring) for ABS sensor when I tried to drive out the old stuck CV axle from the front hub with a three-leg gear puller. Now, I need to remove the front hub to replace the tone wheel. Does anyone have practical idea of how to remove the front hub without removing steering knuckle? I have several tools for front ball bearing removal/installation from Harbor Freight Tools and supposedly hub puller/installer from the same vendor and a piece of weldment (the big curved piece used on the other side of the hub) that is part of the OTC Hubtamer Elite tool kit. I just don't know how to use the tools to remove and install the front hub. If you have OTC Hubtamer Elite or Master kit, could you send the scanned user manual to my PM? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 Finally after much struggle and trial-and-error, I solved this problem. I used a 8 in dike (diagonal cutter) with offset at the head. I used the dike to grab one stuck roll pin that is slightly stuck and pried the pin out of the hole and then I used a long pin punch with a diameter slightly larger than that of the inner diameter of the roll pin and drive the other roll pin out. And the rest was history. However, in an attempt to do the replacement of CV axle on the driver side, I accidently damaged the tone wheel (tone ring) for ABS sensor when I tried to drive out the old stuck CV axle from the front hub with a three-leg gear puller. Now, I need to remove the front hub to replace the tone wheel. Does anyone have practical idea of how to remove the front hub without removing steering knuckle? I have several tools for front ball bearing removal/installation from Harbor Freight Tools and supposedly hub puller/installer from the same vendor and a piece of weldment (the big curved piece used on the other side of the hub) that is part of the OTC Hubtamer Elite tool kit. I just don't know how to use the tools to remove and install the front hub. If you have OTC Hubtamer Elite or Master kit, could you send the scanned user manual to my PM? Thanks. I will prepare a PDF file for the narrative of the experience I had with the replacements of two front CV axles (also called half-driveshafts). If interested, PM me and leave an email address so I can send it to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seanliu Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 I will prepare a PDF file for the narrative of the experience I had with the replacements of two front CV axles (also called half-driveshafts). If interested, PM me and leave an email address so I can send it to you. The pdf file with step-by-step detailed information including the tools and sources of the tools about front CV axle replacement is ready. if interested, PM to me with your email address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 i'm tellin' you, find every socket extension you can find, slap them together, get a tiny socket (that fits over the pin) but it in... then hammer the piss out of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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