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NEED TO KNOW THE SIZE SOCKET I WILL NEED FOR THE BIG NUT ON THE END OF AXLE SHAFT TO CHANGE A FRT HUB ? ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHAT SIZE WRENCH FOR THE CALIPER BOLTS. THANKS
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36mm is the consensus of opinion, but in reality, it is the socket that 'FITS'! Most socket sets come in metric and imperial, you use that one that is the best fit.
If you have a bad CV joint, it is usually easier and cheaper to replace the axle half-shaft.
loosen lug nuts
Jack up car
insert jack stand
remove wheel.
pry off wheel hub cover or tap it out by rotating brake disk and tapping outward with a punch (or even a screw driver).
This will expose a large axle nut which will usually have a crimp lock.
Look in the center for a part of the nut bent into a groove in the axle.
tap it out so the nut can turn with a punch and hammer.
The nut is on with a lot of torque. It can be removed by having a friend step on the brakes while you loosen it with a breaker bar and socket, or you can use an air-wrench to spin it off.
loosen thew nut until it extends past the end of the axle threads and tap it with a mallot. (this will result in the axle coming loose and moving freely back and forth in the hub)
remove the nut and the washer(s) taking notice of how they go back on.
Now you have to determine if the axle can be compressed enough to come out of the hub without disassembling any of the suspension. Some can - most can't.
Likely next step is to remove the safety cotter pin, and nut from the outer tie-rod end, then loosen it with a "pickle fork" and hammer or air-tool. (this will let the strut assembly swing out far enough to free the axle. On some cars the lower ball joint may have to be removed (this is usually a plate with three bolt/nuts. to get the axle shaft out of the hub.
At this point you have an axle half-shaft loose from the hub, but still firmly attached to the transmission near the inner CV joint.
Look carefully at the inner CV joint. Is there any sign of transmission oil/fluid around it? If so, plan on replacing the inner CV joint seal before you re-assemble. They are cheap, so it does not hurt to replace it anyway.
You have to get something behind the inner CV joint housing and pop the half shaft out of the transmission. There is a spring-clip around the inner half-shaft splines. When you pop the shaft out, it compresses the spring clip and lets it pop out of the retaining groove it rides in.
I usually try to get something like a piece of steel plumbing pipe against the back of the inner CV housing and them pop it good with a heavy hammer. One or two pops usually gets it to slide out, and then be prepared for a mess as transmission oil runs out the axle hole.
Now you have removed the axle half-shaft. You can go further and remove/replace the CV joints on the axle, but it is seldom worth it. A new half-shaft with both CV joints and new boots already installed is usually about the same price as one CV joint and new boots, and they are a real pain and will take a lot of time and patience to replace.
Reverse for installation.
Pop new shaft into transmission (you can usually do this by hand with a good push.
Re-insert into hub and leave loose.
re-attach any suspension parts, torque to proper setting, and re-install new cotter pins (never reuse the old ones).
Replace the washers over the axle
Install the axle nut.
**** Torque to specification - DO NOT GUESS. ***
Use punch to lock nut into axle groove (new axle should come with new axle nut)
Tap hub cover back on (a very thin coat of grease helps)
re-install wheel and loosely tighten lug nuts.
jack up car - remove jack stand and lower car.
Torque lug nuts (this is also important - improper lug nut torque can lead to a warped disk brake hub or worse)
Install hub cap if so equipped.
Done.
The axle half-shaft is held on one side by a large axle-nut and on the transmission side by a spring-clip that rides in a groove (it just pops in and out).
The whole job can be done in an hour or so if you have the proper tools, but do not attempt this if you don't have a big socket for the axle nut and a breaker bar. A torqu wrench capable of reading up to 200 ft lbs and one that can accurately set the torque on any suspension pieces you need to loosen.
If you don't need to loosen or remove any suspension you need not worry about alignment afterwards, and if you only need to loosen a tie rod end, you should still be fine as long as you don't change any of the "length adjusting" threads.
If you do need to separate a tie-rod end you will need the tool for that (pickle fork and heavy hammer).
If you have to remove or loosen any of the things that keep your wheels aligned you will need an alignment after you finish, but the job can usually be done while avoiding this.
Autozone will loan you most of the tools you need if you don't have them.
If you have never done this, I highly recommend you search You Tube for some videos and watch them first. This really is not hard.
you could off the hub cap and measure the nut, with a metric rule.
the external torx same. with a caliper measure the head.
then use the e-torx table to mach it.
bet the first ever to post that. its rare to ask.
most folks just have the 2 sets. ( a life time investment if ever there was)
here is the table i uses, if ever http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx
TO REMOVE FRONT WHEEL BEARING.YOU NEED TO SAFELY RAISE SUPPORT VECHICLE ON JACK STANDS.MAKE SURE SITTING ON LEVEL SOLID GROUND.BEFORE RAISING VECHICLE OFF GROUND YOU NEED TO LOOSEN HALF SHAFT AXLE NUT JUST A LITTLE BECAUSE WHEEL IN THE AIR HARD TO LOOSEN AXLE NUT WHEN YOU HAVE HOLD THE WHEEL WHILE LOOSEN THE AXLE NUT WHICH IS TORQUE ON ABOUT 200 FT LBS.USING A SIX POINT AXLE SOCKET SOCKET SIZE COULD BE 34 OR 35 METRIC 1/2 INCH SOCKET.YOU NEED 1/2 INCH BREAKER BAR.ONCE YOU LOOSEN AXLE NUT A LITTLE THEN RAISE VECHICLE THEN REMOVE WHEEL.THEN FINISHING REMOVING AXLE NUT AND WASHER.THEN REMOVE THE CALIPER FROM THE STEERING KNUCKLE AND SUPPORT IT ASIDE USING A PIECE OF WIRE.REMOVE BRAKE ROTOR.THEN REMOVE THE 3 HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY BOLTS. USE A SWIVEL SOCKET GOING TO BE HARD TO REACH SPOT WITH A REGULAR SOCKET. REMOVE THE HALF SHAFT FROM THE HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY.REMOVE HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLY. PUT EVERY THING BACK VISA VERSA. TORQUE HUB BEARING BOLTS TO 70 FT LBS. TORQUE AXLE NUT 284 FT LBS IF YOUR CAR IS 1998 MODEL AND TORQUE AXLE NUT 100 FT LBS FOR THE 1999 TO 2001 MODELS.THE WHEEL HAS TO BE ON THE GROUND JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM TURNING.DONT LET ALL THE CAR WEIGHT DOWN UNTIL YOU HAVE TORQUE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TORQUE.LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS.
The front wheel bearings on this car come as a sealed unit inside the wheel hub. things you will need to replace them -torque specs for your cars axle nut, hub retaining bolts, brake caliper mounting bracket bolts, and wheel lug nuts. -a socket set -a breaker bar -a axle nut socket -a c-clamp -a jack -two jack stands
To complete the job follow these steps 1) remove the hub cap/wheel center cap 2) remove the axle nut cap (use the tip of a small flat screwdriver to pry up one edge, pull it off) 3) remove the cotter pin from the end of the axle shaft 4) using a breaker bar style wrench (non-ratcheting socket wrench) with a helper pipe slid over the end to increase leverage use an axle nut socket to loosen the axle nut without removing it.(these are torqued pretty tight and can be stubborn, don't be afraid to use a generous amount of penetrating fluid). 5) once the nut is loose, loosen the wheel lug nuts tip: doing steps 4 and 5 is made easier with the weight of the car on the ground to keep the wheel from spinning while you loosen the nuts. 6) jack up one corner of the car, and support it with a jack stand. lower the jack to rest the weight of the car on the jack stand, then lift the jack back up to contact the cars jacking point, without taking the weight off the jack stand. leave the jack in place as added support. 7) remove the wheel 8) remove the brake caliper from the hub (if you remove the caliper mounting bracket with the caliper still attached as a unit it's only two bolts to remove it together) hang it from the strut spring with some heavy wire or a metal clothes hanger being sure not to pinch or kink the brake line in the process. 9) remove the brake disc/rotor 10) locate the wheel speed sensor (a small electronic box located on the back side of the wheel hub) a small bolt secures it to the hub, remove the bolt and move the sensor to the side out of your way. 11) locate and remove the three hub retaining bolts (reachable from the rear of the hub) 12) remove the axle nut and use a jack stand to support the axle shaft 13) use a "soft blow" hammer (if possible) to tap on the back side at the outer edges of the hub working your way around in a circle so as to drive the hub out of its housing/steering knuckle evenly. As the hub comes out of the housing/steering knuckle the axle will want to slide with it, in turn pulling the axle out of the transmission. try not to let this happen. if necessary tap lightly on the end of the axle shaft to free it from the hub, once the hub comes loose remove it. this is where supporting the axle with a jack stand comes in handy. try not to allow the axle to scratch the hub mating surface. 14)clean the cavity that the hub came out of, remove the axle shaft support jack stand as you slide the new hub into place lining up the axle and the holes where the hub retaining bolts go (if you just shove it in, it can be impossible to turn it to line up the bolt holes) be sure that it is seated tightly against the steering knuckle, and that the axle is all the way into place. put the axle nut on but do not tighten it yet 14) replace the hub retaining bolts and torque to specs 15) replace the wheel speed sensor 16) replace the rotor/brake disc 17) replace the brake caliper and mounting bracket unit, this may require you to spread the brake pad pistons (this is easiest with a c-clamp slowly squeezing the piston open so as to not create too much pressure in the brake line or master cylinder). if a c-clamp is not available a large pair of channel lock pliers can do the job. once its in place, torque the caliper bracket mounting bolt to specs 18) raise the car off the jack stand, tighten the axle nut to snug and replace the wheel, remove the jack stand and lower the car to the ground. 19) torque the axle nut to specs 20) replace the axle shaft cotter pin and axle nut cap 21) torque the wheel lug nuts to specs this should complete one side so switch your tools and equipment to the other side of the car and repeat the process. i hope this helps
TOOLS YOU NEED IS 35 METRIC SOCKET FOR AXLE NUT.USE 6 POINT SOCKET.DONT USE 12 POINT SOCKET.COULD DAMAGE AXLE BOLT EDGES.MAKING IT HARD TO GET OFF.YOU NEED A TORQUE WRENCH WITH THE RANGE OF 200 FT LBS TORQUE.YOU NEED 1/2 BREAK BAR.AND A HUB PULLER.NOW TO LOOSEN AXLE NUT.BEST TO LEAVE TIRE ON WITH CAR WEIGHT ON GROUND TO LOOSEN THE AXLE.BECAUSE ITS GOT 192 FT LBS TORQUE.HARD TO LOOSEN WITH TIRE OFF.192 FT LBS TORQUE IS WHAT YOU TORQUE IT AT.BESURE TO READ INSTRUCTIONS TO NEW HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY. YOUR AXLE NUT TORQUE WILL BE DIFFERENT IF YOU GET A NEW GREY NUT.BECAUSE NUT STRENGHT WILL BE DIFFERENT.IF YOU GET A BLACK NUT WHICH IS HARDER STEEL TORQUE WILL BE 192 FT LBS.YOU NEED A 13 METRIC SWIVEL SOCKET TO GET HUB BEARING BOLTS OFF THEY WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH WITH OUT IT.HUB BEARING BOLTS TORQUE IS 62 FT LBS
BEST TO GET A HAYNES REPAIR MANUAL IT HAS PHOTOS AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO REMOVE HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY.YOU WILL NEED A 1/2 SIZE TORQUE WRENCH FOR HUB RETAINING NUT.ITS TORQUE IS 170 - 202 FT LBS.MAKE SURE YOUR TORQUE WRENCH MAXIMUM RANGE IS AT LEAST OVER 200 FT LBS TORQUE.YOU WILL ALSO NEED A AXLE NUT SOCKET.ITS A BLACK SOCKET LIKE IMPACT SOCKET.ITS GRADE 8 STEEL.YOU HAVE TO USE THIS TYPE.A REGULAR SOCKET WILL BREAK.WHEN REMOVING AXLE NUT.ITS ON TIGHT.YOU WILL ALSO NEED A 1/2 BREAK BAR TO BREAK IT A LOOSE.ALSO REMOVE WHEEL COVER.WITH CAR WEIGHT ON WHEEL YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN AXLE NUT A LITTLE.NOT ALL THE WAY UNTIL YOU GET CAR OFF GROUND.WORK SAFE BECAREFUL.
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