Solved: Axle removal help!

My axle tri-lobe joint broke. Is there a trick to pulling the shaft out of the outer cv joint at the hub? I removed the boot but can't get it to budge with the wheel on, going to jack it up and try with the wheel off. I am kind of stranded until I figure this out so I hiked up a hill to ask the internet.




Edit: SOLVED -- you can smash the CV cage with a hammer to allow removal as an emergency trail repair.

 

You've got to remove the wheel assembly and take the nut off the end of the CV axle.

 

But the axle holds the wheel bearing together so you can't drive it any distance without it.

 

as @JAGCanada said. You have to remove the wheel, remove the dust cover, remove the axle nut to get the axle out.

 

Axle is now out of the hub. I can't get the shaft out of the ball cv joint. I'm going to try hammering the fuck out of it. I need to reinstall the outer part to hold the hub together, hopefully I can get it apart.

 

I might be wrong but in 4x4 2nd gens the outer portion of the CV axle still needs to be going through the wheel bearing and bolted up or it will fall apart while driving

 

Someone correct if I’m wrong. The bearing hub assembly on the 4wd and prerunner are the same. So the hub should not come apart with the axle out.

 

That’s what I thought. But I believe the Prerunner bearing/hub assembly are the same and on my prerunner it doesn’t come apart. Correction they’re different. My bad.

 

I don't know if the outboard CV comes apart or not, some do and some do not.
Doesn't look like it does.

The Pre-Runner uses the same bearing but a different hub, the hub on the Pre-Runner has a nut on the backside that holds the assembly together.

 

I finally found a video on it. The outer piece is pressed on. It requires a special puller to remove. So OP it doesn’t appear you’ll get off by beating on unfortunately.

 

Even when doing the conversion to LT, you are fighting a c clip holding the outer on. Ive read 50T presses and their operators struggle with that.

Sorry OP, probably not getting it off by hammering

 

I'm moving again in 3 wheel drive, wish me luck down to the bottom of this mountain!

Thanks!

 

I'm confused.

If the inner joint tripod broke,
-drive off in rwd/2wd/2hi normal operation
-carry a spare $50 axle. I have 2 for sale if you want. Swap it in.
-take an axle apart. So if you drive without a total axle, you still have the outer joint bolted in to retain pressure on both sides of the wheel hub bearing so it can function

If you are trying to do the latter on the fly, tearing down a CV outside in the field

not always, but usually, a joint is held in position on a shaft with a circlip in a groove.
And, also pressed on connected by male and female splines that mate and are machined tight fit, maybe press-fit.
for example, assembled or disassembled using a press.

on Audi, the manual says put sideways in a vice and hammer off with mini sledge and brass punch. Repair is flat rate. That takes time.
Most people hold an axle over a trash can and smack the old bad joint off with 1 good wack from a mini sledge.

If there is a circlip, that can be removed with circlip pliers. Might be smart to add 1 to the emergency tools.
If not, there's other jury rig ways to do it, that are more difficult, take longer, and require some ingenuity.

Axle can be carried in the vehicle. As can CV.

 

I think the prerunner ones are different I saw some hubs for a prerunner and they looked way different.

 

I'm back to pavement airing up... I'll post more pictures but for now here's my new Bluetooth axle:

 

Okay, here is how to separate the outer CV joint for an emergency trail repair, using a hammer:



Set the joint on a sturdy rock, bent so as to expose the cage over one of the balls. A stout blow with a hammer will shatter the cage... actually quite easily. Wear safety glasses, it is violent. Do this six times... keep smashing until you can pry out all six balls. Now the axle shaft can be removed from the hub shaft, and you can reinstall it to hold your hub together for the drive home.



Thanks everyone for the suggestions and discussion. It was a fun trip despite the setback!

 

doesn't look like a bad place to be stranded, as long as you have food. I usually take a traveling companion to ensure I have emergency food.