What is the procedure for removing a rear axle from a 1987 GL wagon?I went to pull and save for a stub axle to keep the bearings happy when I weld up my diff.I wanted to take the whole axle so I had practice removing it.I punched out both pins,unbolted the strut,the control arm,the diff,etc etc. but I could not get the axle to come off the diff.even hitting it with a 3lb hammer.Finally I just hammered the stub off the axle and left.

 

So what is the procedure to replace a rear axle without completly removing the rear suspension.

Some of them have never been removed and are rusted on. Usually some PB Blaster or other solvent will loosen it up, but it will take a day (or more) of soaking.

Some of them have never been removed and are rusted on. Usually some PB Blaster or other solvent will loosen it up, but it will take a day (or more) of soaking.

 

if worse comes to worse, heat helps too.

 

 

had to use an acetylene torch and an air chisel on one of mine

With the car off of the ground, punch both pins, unbolt the mustache bar, unbolt the shock. If it won't come off, it's rusted.

If you live in the northeast like me, you pray that you never break the outer rear CV, because they fuse to the stub axels. I got them off of the diff, but one diff I had to take apart the inner CV, unbolt the torx and pull the stub out of the diff. I tried putting the CV in the vice and using a bar and hammer to drive the stub out, but no luck.

Heat may screw your seals...

 

 

A mate hammered and hammered (with the diff and driveshaft/axle out of the car) for more then 30mins with all sorts of hammers ranging fomr anything upto 7lb. It finally came, but the cup looked very beaten up and the diff had quite a few chips missing. Some times they are just VERY VERY stuck. I soaked one for 3 days and gave up on it.. I just left the cup on the diff and pulled the joint apart.