Right side axel removal for a 98 escort

[sandman65]

I have not been able to get the axel to disengage from the tranny....no way, no how...what am I missing? "Carefully prying with a large screwdriver or prybar" does not work. Thanks for any ideas

[mightymoose_22]

try kicking it.


There is nothing but a small retaining clip holding it in there... I suggest using the prybar if you can get a good grip with it... just be less gentle. I have always found it easier to remove them from underneath, but that depends on your ability to get the car high enough to get under there to work well.

[denisond3]

By 'right' side, is that the curbside? I had both sides of the front of the car raised on cement blocks with a 4 by 4 on top. I had room to get underneath and use a 'tire spoon', which is a tire-iron used for changing tires on truck wheels. It is about 30" long, heavy duty, with a flattened end. I may have even banged on the thing with a 30 oz. soft faced hammer. A full sized carpenters crow bar would also be about the right size.
I was not able to get the drivers side axle out of the tranny, the lower crossmember was in the way. But since I was removing the tranny anyway, I waited till it was on my bench, and 'accessible'. Thats how I know the crow bar works.

[12Ounce]

These axles are terribly difficult to withdraw sometimes. I don't know if the retaining circlip groove is mis-machined or not.

I also had to remove a tranny on a '97 before I could get the axle out ... and even then, it was a "beast" while using a 3-foot crowbar!

This is certainly a problem waiting for an ingenious solution ... I was not up to the task.

[SgtRauksauff]

The manual is wrong when it says "gently pry". it needs sharp, quick movements to make the spring circlip compress and slide through.


--sarge

[bblanchard]

when i did the cv shafts on my 97 i used a come along and wrapped it around the peice that goes into the trans. then connected it to the lower control arm, put some tension on it hit it with a hammer 3 times popped right out.

all after 3 days of prying with anything i could find for leverage.

[12Ounce]

I gonna try that come-along trick some day. Thanks!