2002 se axle shafts

[wilks]

ok gurus I am about to take on this task got one spitting grease out and it vibrates like a MF!!! how hard of a job is this? and will removing the strut from the Knuckle give me enough room to remove the shafts or do I need to do more??

thanks
wilks

[dougtoth]

That is how we did mine.
Loosen the nuts on the bolts but do not take them off.
Leave the nut on the end of the bolt and get a heavy sludge hammer and pound them out.
When you reinstall the bolts remember that they are spline so line them up before you hammer them back in.
We used an impact wrench to run them down.
We did not touch the ball joints.
It took us about one hour to do the job.
I got my shafts from Detroit Axle.
Good price and good quality.

[MKMike]

..and generously spray those bolts/nuts with PBBlaster or Kroil a day or at least an hour or so beforehand.
You can spray where the strut and knuckle meet, too for added oil penetration.
The bolts are splined so they do not turn.
Thread the nuts back onto the bolts until the end of the bolt is just at the level of protruding from the nut.
This way, you can safely whack them with a small sledge hammer or a larger ball peen type hammer without damaging any threads.

[J Wikoff]

You may want to unbolt the tie-rod from the knuckle.