Today I was trying to swap my good drive shaft shop axles, from my broken mini into my jcw. The OEM axle popped out fine. My drive shaft shop axle is stuck good. Last time I got a stuck axle I welded a slide hammer to the cup. Well that was because the axle was bad. This time I want the axles. If I pull the passenger axle out first can I put a shaft thru the differential and drive it out? I was trying to use a 2' prybar. I put so much force it started deforming the transmission case. Damn. I really want those axles before I get rid of the car. They only have like 10k on them.

 

There's something wrong there. The longer pass side axle has that carrier bearing attached to the subframe, so it doesn't even need the spring clip that the driver side has to hold it in. Once the bearing is unbolted, the axle just slides right out of the trans. I've read that sometimes the driver's side needs some coaxing with a prybar, but it's just a spring clip and should pop right out. This concerns me because I'm doing my axles this week. Subscribed...

 

It is the drivers side that is stuck. This has happened before when using the spring clip that comes with the axle. They are not the same as oem. I want to know if I can pull the pass side long axle and drive out the drivers side with a rod passing thru the differential. I don't know if there is something in the way that would prevent that from happening. When this happened to me before. I welded a slide hammer to the cup. I destroyed the axle. But that was ok because I was replacing them. This time I want to take it out of the car and put it into the jcw I am keeping. Worst case. I can disassemble and weld something to the cup again. To connect my slide hammer to. Then carefully grind off the welds. Easily worth the time for practically new high end axles. But it would be a lot easier to drive it out.

 

Filmy's right about how they're removed.

Just pulled mine (minus passenger side half-axle part with the carrier that bolts to the subframe) this weekend, I'll respond after work with how I got my axles out.

It was actually really easy once I popped the outer ball joints & tie rod ends out and was able to move the strut around a little, do u have a ball joint seperator?

 

It sounds to me like gpwpat knows all of this (and what I wrote above). But since he has aftermarket (performance?) axles, they don't just pop out like OEM. Maybe the spring clip has moved around and is preventing being compressed. He's asking if he can drive it out from the other (open hole) side in the diff, which I don't know. Sounds like he could, though.

 

Yes,


I know these cars in and out. The aftermarket axle had a really strong spring clip. I had to widen and deepen the groove in the axle to get it to slide all the way in. But now it has expanded on the other side. I bought a really big pry bar. It was starting to damage the Transmission case. I stopped as a cracked case doesn't do me any good. I was trying to do a quick swap. But it will not be a quick swap. I have to do a slow dissection. This is fine. as I can do this another day. I am trying to swap all of my good, aftermarket and newer parts into my new car, before I get rid of my old one.


My old car is worth only maybe $1500. Great axles, or any aftermarket parts does not increase that value. Hence many many weekends under 2 Mini's swapping parts.

 

Wasn't trying to insult anyone's knowledge, I didn't know they were different. Sorry..

 

No offence ever taken. I just want to make sure when we have an answer I document it here for the next guy that has this problem.

 

Any news on how this worked out? I too have a drivers side CV axle where the inner part of the axle wont release from the diff.
I have a 2005 MCS with limited slip diff and when I pulled the passenger side axles it didn't look like it was clear to the drivers side.

Thanks
Bruce