Front Driveshaft removal - Help!
 

Anyone got any tips on removing a front driveshaft?

I've got the hub nut undone, and the driveshaft disconnected at the gearbox end, but I can't get the flaming thing out of the hub despite hitting it with a large hammer.

Is there anything I've missed, or is there some special tool required?

It's almost got to the point where I'm going to take the entire upright off the car and take it to someone with a press, but I don't want to do that unless I really have to.

Assuming that you have it disconnected from the gearbox end and hanging loose, then it should just pull out with a modest bash or two.

It may well be rusty, seized, so give it good dose of WD40 or another penetrating oil and leave it to soak overnight.

OR get really mad and bash harder

David APi - Good luck.

Thanks David.

Tried the big hammer, then a bigger hammer, then made up a puller out of some 5mm plate which bent so I've given up and taken the upright with driveshaft still attached to the local dealer. They said the same as you "usually not a problem to remove them", but they've got a hydraulic press so if that doesn't get it out nothing will.

And ??

And... the upright won't fit onto their hydraulic press, and when they tried to use the Subaru tool they had a 3 foot bar attached to it and just managed to start bending the tool. Next attempt (after checking with me as the bearings would probably have been damaged) was to heat it up - still no luck.

They were going to leave it overnight with some more freeing oil then have another go, but weren't hopeful.

Just my luck to have the one driveshaft that has somehow managed to weld itself into the hub - still it's been in there for 12years so I guess it's just corroded in place.

If I can't get it sorted then I guess I'll just have to find another MY95 UK driveshaft and upright from somewhere and replace the whole lot.

Matthew

A small 10 ton hydraulic puller should sort it, even with heat if necessary.
Could have left it on the car, but no matter.

Halfords will sell em I would have thought.


Andy

Which sort of puller would you recommend - I've seen 2 types:

A 2/3 legged puller:
Clarke - CHT227 Hydraulic Puller Set - Automotive Tools - Machine Mart

One that bolts to the studs:
Sealey PS993 - Hydraulic Hub Puller Set --- Sealey & Draper Tools - Classic-Car-World Tool Shop

The one that bolts to the studs looks stronger, but I'm a bit worried it will fit over the wheel center and whether the studs will cope.

Matthew

The one I have is the clark one but it's fiddly with too many pivots in the legs and no mechanical leverage.

The best one I've used is a Sykes pickavant one, it is only 8 TON but as you tighten the puller it also mechanically locks the jaws around the pulley / sprocket/hub.
This is the main down fall of pullers like this... the legs spring out from underneath..
The sykes one doesn't.

Typically the SP online tool catalogue is down at the mo.
you can still download it from here > http://www.sptools.co.uk/assets/catalogue.pdf

Starts page 83..
I'll see if I cant link to somewhere that has the exact model as there is a few to choose from there and it'll be quite confusing.

Here it is...
First place I found it, should be able to find it cheaper than that though I would have thought.

Sykes-Pickavant 1500 Hydraulic Puller Kit

If you gotta keep it cheap then outta the two you have looked at I'd go with the Clark one, it's more "universal".
I can't emphasise enough though if you are going to be "spannering" a lot, to buy good quality tools from the outset..
Some jobs are hard enough without having to spend time "getting round" a problem because of having inappropriate tools.
As you have found out. :D


Andy

Agree with you totally about the quality, there's nothing quite as annoying as either not having the correct tool for the job, or one that fails when you need it.

Still I did have some fun putting together a puller even if it didn't work in the end. All the messages here seemed to suggest it wouldn't be too much of a problem either.

Assuming the Sykes one works for me then the price doesn't look too unreasonable - I'm only going to buy it once and I do have a birthday coming up :-)

Thanks again for the advice
Matthew

It's amazing what you can find when you start looking:

SGS Engineering UK Ltd

I hate to think what it would cost though - looking at the weight of the thing the postage alone is going to come to a fair bit.

Maybe a bit over the top for an Impreza drivshaft.

Matthew