Dropped the subframe, forgot to...

[george graves]

Well I dropped the subframe, but forgot to loosen the allans for the half-shafts while it was up in the car. How can I remove the allan bolts with the diff/subframe on the ground *without* buying a impact gun? I can't find a safe way to hold the axels to turn the bolt.

Or should I just pull off the trailing arms, and let the output flanges slide out with them, and put the half shafts in a vice?

Thanks for the help - usually do all of this in the car - but I forgot...

[nando]

they shouldn't be that tight. I took mine apart with the subframe out of the car.

[Mike325]

If you have an lsd, just put maybe 4 small, long bolts threw the holes that the drive shaft bolts to on the diff. Then have someone with a medium prybar hold the bolts diaganally (sp)? while you loosen the axel bolts. They are not tight, so you should not have too much trouble with it.

[2002maniac]

Use a screwdriver wedged between 2 of the bolt heads as a lever. Kind of hard to explain, but you should be able to hold it from turning.

[fporro]

get a second Allen and socket wrench, install it to opposite side and use that as a stopper, sit atop Diff as a counter weight.

[euroshark]

Haha, all good ideas... Pipe wrench on the shaft FTW!

[george graves]

Kinda what I guessed...Thanks all.

They are kinda tight, and I don't care to strip an allan.

Think I'll try the lug nut idea, not harm if I ding them up.

They are currently soaking in liquid wrench(aka my new best friend)

...

EDIT: Yep, lug nuts and a crow bar worked like a charm (btw, no friend to help me, so I arange the lug bolts so that the prybar gets wedged in them and wants to head toward the floor...)

[rs4pro3]

take a short chain, slide a bolt threw one loop and thread it into one of the holes for the lugs, then hook the other end of the chain to some other bolted spot, and ratchet away

[george graves]

Subframe was already dropped....

But chain trick FTW!!! I like that. Hell next time I'm at the hearware store I'm buying 10 feet of chain - what's that tool going to cost? a whopping 5 bucks?

Thanks!