Re: 86 Spider: how to get the axle shaft out?

[bearbvd@domain.elided (Greg Hermann)]

>How difficult is it to take an axle shaft off a 1986 Spider Veloce?
>My shop manual says to unscrew and remove the four laminate lock nuts
>and associated nuts holding the shoe-holders and splash shield to the
>axle pipe.  After this, just "Slide off the complete axle-shaft - brake disc
>- shoe-holder -splash shield assembly."  Well, I found out that "Slide off"
>was quite an understatement last night.  I grabbed and pulled, with all my
>might, the round plate [*note*] to which we attach a wheel but failed to get
>the whole assembly out a single millimeter:(  Is this normal?  Could anybody
>suggest some way to get it out?
>
>Thanks a lot.
>
>Chisheng Huang
>L.A., CA, U.S.A.
>
>*note*: I already removed the brake disc by this time.

This reminds me of the old "Tilt conveniently and remove!" service manual
instruction for pulling the engine out of a 1600 GTV--said procedure
happened to include a need to remove the tie rod!!

What you need is a tool which is called an axle puller--or a slap hammer
puller. A flange  at one end of it bolts to two or three of the wheel
mounting studs with the lug nuts, and it has an eighteen inch (or so) long
shaft with a stop at the outer end, on which is mounted a six or eight
pound weight. Sliding the weight outward against the stop (rapidly) applies
hammer blows which will pull the axle out of the housing in short order.

Regards, Greg

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