help with half shafts

[Blip Bavarian]

I need to replace my half shafts, but cannot get them out of the hubs for the life of me. Ive tried heating up the hubs and banging the shit out of them.

Also tried a gear puller, and ended up messing up the threads on the puller.

I cant get them to even budge.

Any tips?

[10Toes]

Are they still connected to the diff?

[Blip Bavarian]

Are they still connected to the diff?

No, they are hanging free

[gtarwiz]

I had the same problem with one when I replaced mine. I got it out with a gear puller but a few of the splines were flattened (not sure how) and was preventing me to push them out effectively. Ended up needing a new hub.

As an FYI, it took me about an hour to do the non messed up one and about 3 days to do the messed up. Most of the 3 days though was cursing and breaking tools. And it did require 2 people to get it removed. SO I wish you the best of luck and hopefully you wont need a new hub like i did.

Edit: if you look at my one image in my profile, you'll see what the hub looked like when I pulled it.

[nando]

you need a hub puller, a cheap gear puller isn't going to work.

[DRTSRFR]

I've found an impact hamer best suited to get even the toughest shafts out.

[Elysian]

I've found an impact hamer best suited to get even the toughest shafts out.

This.

[Blip Bavarian]

you need a hub puller, a cheap gear puller isn't going to work.

tried a hub puller. It just started to bore into the threaded end of the shaft.

I guess Ill have to try and get my hands on an impact hammer.

[nando]

how big of a hub puller? the one I have has a 1" diameter threaded shaft.

[Blip Bavarian]

how big of a hub puller? the one I have has a 1" diameter threaded shaft.

prob about 3/4", but it has a sharp end to keep it centered. Instead it just bored into the shaft.

[tcheb]

I just had the exact same problem about a month ago. If I had to do it again, I'd just bring it to a BMW shop.

One thing you need to know is that putting them back in is gonna be twice as hard. I ended up ordering a 400$ tool specially made for BMWs which broke in half.

What finally worked for me is a combination of banging on it with a mallet, pulling it with the BMW tool and pulling it the rest of the way with a high torque impact wrench on the nut.

[DRTSRFR]

Put your bearings in the freezer before install.

[dude8383]

Put your bearings in the freezer before install.

Thats a good tip! I'm going to tackle mine Friday. Fucking things lasted 30,000 miles :(

This time I'm installing the bloody bearings myself because I just can't trust someone else to do them again.

[kway]

There's actually a tool that bolts to the hub and pushes it out. Then another one that threads on to the end of the axle to pull it back in.

It's stupid. An air hammer *might* get it, but if not you'll need to find someone with the tools. We even had a customer pull his trailing arms and bring them to us to pull the axles.

[Mossman]

If its so hard to pull them out you need to do some serious spline inspection, and where needed clean all rust and possibly mangled metal with a small sharp file and/or wire brush for the rust. Then a liberal dose of anti seize. Or else you're gonna have a hell of a time pulling them back in, and the same problem removing again if need be.

The only time a half shalf has foiled me was a 95 parts m3. I didn't NEED it out just wanted it as a spare, and both sides were so friggen stuck in there it was unbelievable. IR air hammer didn't touch it, huge sledge and my rippling muscles didn't do a thing, I even threaded the nut on a few turns and hit it directly on there with absolutely no regard for the hub or the threads or anything just to get the most direct impact and nothing made it budge. Thank god that wasn't a car I needed to actually put back together.