How do I remove the rear axles and hubs? The FSM wasnt much help. Anyone have a writeup on this?

 

axles - remove the large nut with the wheel center cap off but wheel still on the car and on the ground, it's a royal bitch to break loose and it's staked in place, you need to undo the stake on the nut before breaking it loose. Use a pipe on a 1/2" rachet or a impact gun.

If you try do it with the wheels off the car or even just in the air, it will be alot more difficult as the suspension will absorb some of the force and it can be difficult to get the hub to stay still (I've broken prybars doing this in the past)

after the large nut is off, you get under the car and loosen the 4 bolts @ the differential end of teh axle, thats it, drop the axle down off the diff then go push it in from the wheel end with a rubber mallot or a puller. Repeat process for the other side.


hubs -
if you are referring to the 4/5 lug hubs, the part that spins and holds the wheel studs, removing this piece by itself is usually a destructive process, put a slide hammer on the studs and pull it out of the bearing, it will destroy the sealed bearing on the way out, and you should have the axle removed before doing this. You will have to install a new bearing when the hub is installed, which means you have to get the old bearing out too, this is a pretty difficult task actually, unless you have a decent press.

 

Im talking about taking off the entire hub assembly. to replace it with a 5 lug hub assembly

 

if you are talking about replacing just the hub and not the whole knucle you have to have it pressed out of the knuckle. and if you are doing that you might as well replace the rear bearing while you are at it.

 

if you are removing the entire toe control hub, which carries the bearing and hub, you just have a few bolts to remove after taking the axles out. There are small bushings on two of the attachment points on each toe control hub that you have to push out expanding the gap so they can slide off the trailing arm easily and without damaging stuff. I usually do it with a C clamp and a small deep socket. A nut driver and a hammer works too, you've just gotta push it out a few mm.

 

You'd be wise to invest in toe eliminator bushings while you're at it - they're always in pretty bad shape. Worth every penny.

 

the odds state that the dtss Bushing will get destroyed.. so i would order some toe eliminatoors.. also the hub is prressy simple there are like 3 bolts and the bussing bolt. just removed them then the mittle nut in the shafts and they should yank rite off

 

so if i just wanted to remove the hubs off my car all i need to do is take off the center bolt and the 3 others around the hub? then get the bushings changed before putting them back on? do i have it right?

 

Pretty well it there Joe.the 21mm TOE Bolt was a bit Tough for My Swap.it was on good.The Bushing were a bit Tough too,but you can get them Pressed out or try it yourself with Pengafaroo's method.I used basically the same method(Ball joint press and assorted Sockets)the other Two 17mm bolt/nuts were easy.you will have to Change brake calipers,because you are Going to 5 lug,from 4.Now you can just Undo the Lines from the Calipers,At the Calipers and use them,with New crush Washers.The E-Brake assembly: take the Bracket Right off the Old Caliper and Put it ON the New caliper.That way you Don't have to Adjust the EBrake...I know I missed something But that should give you a Good start.Good luck...Oh just to add..www.mazdatrix.com LOOK there.It has a Pictorial on the Toe Bushing (DTSS) removal and installation.It is handy..

 

Check the archives.. there's a great write-up on this in there.... well. on the hubs/brakes anyways.. the axles are like.. 4-bolts from there.. so.. yeah. check it.

 

yea...i saw that one too. it just kinda skipped over the part i really wanted to see but i think i got the right idea now. the hub should slide off a bit easy after the bolt is off or is it hard to get off?

 

The cars are old... everything will be hard to get off.... PB Blast all of the bolts a couple days before if you can.

 

how big is that axle nut? 30mm?

 

I want to say 32 or 36mm

 

32mm

 

w00t!! See, I almost, kinda remembered it.. and last time I did that was 5 years ago!!! w00t.

 

I literally looked that up an hour ago for my own use lol.

 

32mm but i know its old and would be hard but other than because its old and rusty...just in general it should slide off or is that bushing really holding it in there?

 

Quit yappin and go do it!