Quick Axle Removal
By: MustardCat

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It seems many people remove balljoints or lower control arms to get axles out, but there is a faster way:

 

Using drivers side in this example, car already jacked up, wheel off:

1. Unbolt upper control arm from in engine bay (17mm), drop it down and out.


2. Take brake line off shock (12mm) and knuckle (10mm), unbolt shock from top (14mm) and bottom(17mm), and pull the shock w/ lower fork out.


3. Take axle nut off. (Use an impact gun or take it off first using a breaker bar with the car sitting on the ground.)


4. Crank steering wheel all the way to drivers side. (Gives the clearance needed to slip axle out.)


5. Now with the UCA off and cranked to drivers side there is enough room to push the axle in through the hub. It's tight on clearance, but does come out! After you do it once or twice you can get it out real quick.


6. Once the outer end is out, just pry the inner joint out and your done.

 

It will be pretty tight I admit, but it comes! You can try pushing down on the LCA as which can give a tiny bit more clearance as well.

Do this a few times and you will be able to get them out sooo quick....

 

 


Hondamonster's Method
(From: http://www.preludepower.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283230)
This one requires the removal of one balljoint, see my Quick Balljoint Removal.

"Slightly different than the MustardCat way, requires less unbolting and the axle is easier to remove without the tight squeeze.

I found this out while replacing my balljoint's. I finished up only to find the wheel bearing dust covers still in my garage so I had to take the car apart again. I decided the easiest way to do that would be to swing the knuckle around instead of taking it completely out. So...

(driver side will be the example)

Remove axle nut, then jack it up and remove the wheel.
Turn the steering wheel all the way to the right.
Take out the cotter pin from the lower balljoint and remove the castle nut.
Pop the lower balljoint loose, then lift the lower balljoint out of the lower control arm and swing the knuckle around toward the rear of the car while pulling the axle out of the hub.
Now unbolt the horseshoe looking part under the strut from both the lower control arm and the strut.
Spin the horseshoe part and remove it.
Now you should be able to pull the axle out after only unbolting 4 things. (Axle nut, lower balljoint, and the two bolts on the horseshoe)"