How To Replace Your Axle On 94 Surf 15 Steps

September 11, 2014

Owing to the issues I have been experiencing recently I had to replace my axles. now either I could do it for $125.00 per side or pay my mechanic $1500.00. I am no mechanic and it took me around 1.5 hours per side to accomplish. I will be up loading photos soon.

Note: this entire process it easier if you do some prep work. pre clean the threads on the bolts you are going to undo with a wire brush etc. use a good quality penetrating oil/lubricant and let it soak it. when your nuts and bolt have been removed clean them and lube them before putting the back on.

1. jack up vehicle and make safe.

2. if you do not own a rattle gun, leave your wheel touching the ground and use it as leverage for loosening the six nuts which fix the axle to the diff. if you do have a gun, remove wheel and the six nuts.

3. remove the tie rod nut which joins sway bar to the lower suspension arm.

4. remove the 4 bolts holding the sway bay to the chassis and allow the sway bar to rest on the ground. doing this enables you to lift the tie rod up and out of the lower suspension arm.

5. remove the cotter pin and loosen castle nut(almost removing it but protecting the thread) from where the steering arm attaches to the knuckle. this is a tapered joint and getting the bolt from the hole takes force. hit the knuckle portion with a hammer until the bolt pops up and it will. I smacked mine about two dozen times before it let go.

6. remove the nut, bushes and washer from the top of your shock, this allows you to push the lower arm downward to remove the knuckle.

7. using a screw driver loosen and remove the dome shaped dust cap off the very centre of the hub.

8. remove the small retaining bolt from the end of the hub.

9. unbolt the six small nuts off the splined cap, then the six washers, under the washers you will see some retaining sleeves in each of the six holes. hit the cap with a hammer directly above each hole, BEWARE when you do this these sleeves will shoot out and if you do not place you hand or a cloth over them they will fly away never to be seen again.

10. remove the end cap/plate, under there is a C clip, take that off. now your axle should be able to slide freely.

11. unbolt the 4 nuts which fix the top of the knuckle to the upper suspension arm.

12. remove the 4 bolts which fix the bottom of the knuckle to the lower suspension arm.

13. either side of the joint you have just undone is a slot for a screw drive, use the slot to separate the two plates. It is around this time you will need a helper - once the plates are separated push the lower suspension arm downward, slide the bottom of the knuckle out ward allowing the top of the knuckle to be freed from the upper arm. the knuckle is around 20kg DON'T DROP IT.

14. whilst one person is holding the knuckle, the other should be able to remove the outer end of the axle from the main bearing which will then allow you to pull the inner end of the axle off the diff.

15. you are half way there, reverse everything you have just done.