How do you separate the RH drive shaft from the hub?

[Mr Lazy]

As per the title, I just cannot separate the RH drive shaft from the hub. I have removed the nut from the shaft and also removed the two lower bolts from the strut and disconnected one of the suspension arms, allowing the axle some free play at the gearbox end. At this point, the service manual that I have says to tap the end of the shaft with a plastic hammer. I have done this and it just won't budge. I have even resorted to hitting it so hard with a metal lump hammer that it has deformed the old nut that I screwed on the end to protect it. Does anyone have any tips please? @8thumpers I see that you did this four years ago (a V8 conversion, incredible!). How did you manage?

[Dev]

 You can use a gear puller.
 Light tapping with a hammer is ok if its a little sized using penetrating oil but beating it out can and will ruin the threads and if you miss you can ruin the studs.

[mr2garageswindon]

They can really stick in there, I have had to remove the hub and shaft before and put on a hydraulic press to get them out before.
I'm guessing RH you mean drivers side?
Have you undone the support bearing too?
Why do you need to remove the drive shaft? CV boot replace?
When doing clutches on these I leave the drive shafts in the hubs and just pull from the gearbox as lots I have done have been a pig to remove.
When you do get it out don't forget to grease it for next time!
Best of luck.

[Mr Lazy]

Thank you both. @mr2garageswindon an explanation: Originally I just wanted to replace the corroded disc guards. Being inexperienced with this kind of thing, I thought the rear hubs would just slide out from the hub carriers/bearings once the nut was removed, allowing access to the disc guards. After removing the nuts, I realised how naive I'd been, and that the hub/bearing would need to be pressed out. Since I'd got that far, I thought I'd replace the wheel bearings too, but time is moving on and I now just want to get it all back together. However, the threads on the drive shafts are slightly damaged (as discussed on a different thread). To overcome this, I bought a die to recut the threads. It worked on one side, but on the right hand side (driver's side) I need to recut the thread along its entire length, including the inaccessible part. I therefore need to remove the whole half shaft to get to it.

When you ask if I have undone the support bearing, do you mean removing the circlip? No, I haven't done this because I was hoping the axle would come out leaving the bearing in place. Is this wrong?

[Mr Lazy]

By the way @mr2garageswindon I've just tried looking you up for future reference as I am down that way sometimes. Are you Castle Eaton Vehicle Services? I can't see any other MR2 specialists in the Google search.

[Call the midlife!]

Thank you both. @mr2garageswindon an explanation: Originally I just wanted to replace the corroded disc guards. Being inexperienced with this kind of thing, I thought the rear hubs would just slide out from the hub carriers/bearings once the nut was removed, allowing access to the disc guards. After removing the nuts, I realised how naive I'd been, and that the hub/bearing would need to be pressed out. Since I'd got that far, I thought I'd replace the wheel bearings too, but time is moving on and I now just want to get it all back together. However, the threads on the drive shafts are slightly damaged (as discussed on a different thread). To overcome this, I bought a die to recut the threads. It worked on one side, but on the right hand side (driver's side) I need to recut the thread along its entire length, including the inaccessible part. I therefore need to remove the whole half shaft to get to it.

When you ask if I have undone the support bearing, do you mean removing the circlip? No, I haven't done this because I was hoping the axle would come out leaving the bearing in place. Is this wrong?

The support bearing is about halfway along the driver's side shaft and mounted to the engine block.

[Chilli Girl]

By the way @mr2garageswindon I've just tried looking you up for future reference as I am down that way sometimes. Are you Castle Eaton Vehicle Services? I can't see any other MR2 specialists in the Google search.

Yes he is.

[Mr Lazy]

The support bearing is about halfway along the driver's side shaft and mounted to the engine block.

Thank you. I haven't removed this, but I was hoping to keep the shaft in place and just move the hub/hub carrier out of the way to get to the thread. As ever though, it probably won't be so simple.

[Call the midlife!]

The support bearing is about halfway along the driver's side shaft and mounted to the engine block.

Thank you. I haven't removed this, but I was hoping to keep the shaft in place and just move the hub/hub carrier out of the way to get to the thread. As ever though, it probably won't be so simple.
If you DO remove it just take note of how difficult it can be to get to the screws if you don't put it back in the right sequence.👍🏻

[Dev]

I have had a big issue in the past with removing a rusted axle from the hub and my gear puller on loan. I destroyed the hub on a previous car I owned trying to hammer it out with a lot of penetrating oil and force so I wanted to see if there was a better way. After a looking at a number of YouTube videos even the gear puller might not work if its badly sized. I did find something that does work for next time that is better than a lot of solutions including a hydraulic press.

[Joesson]

@Dev
I do hope that I never need to resort to that but thank you in anticipation that I might and now I know of something that looks like it should work.

@Mr Lazy,
Let us know please.

[Dev]

@Dev
I do hope that I never need to resort to that but thank you in anticipation that I might and now I know of something that looks like it should work.

@Mr Lazy,
Let us know please.

  There is always an easier way to do things with the right tool and I know that I will encounter something like this again so it peaked my interest for next time. I found Youtube videos to be very helpful with some solutions and Amazon for having these hard to find tools. 
 Last year when I did the brake work on my Lexus I searched for a tool to remove rusted rotors from the hub.  The tool was two bolt with a turn buckle handle that you insert into the face of the rotor. Turn the handles by  the palm of your hand and it pops off easy. Prior to that I would use a hammer to beat it out by rotating the rotor giving it blows until it would come out.

[Joesson]

@Dev
I do hope that I never need to resort to that but thank you in anticipation that I might and now I know of something that looks like it should work.

@Mr Lazy,
Let us know please.

  There is always an easier way to do things with the right tool and I know that I will encounter something like this again so it peaked my interest for next time. I found Youtube videos to be very helpful with some solutions and Amazon for having these hard to find tools. 
 Last year when I did the brake work on my Lexus I searched for a tool to remove rusted rotors from the hub.  The tool was two bolt with a turn buckle handle that you insert into the face of the rotor. Turn the handles by  the palm of your hand and it pops off easy. Prior to that I would use a hammer to beat it out by rotating the rotor giving it blows until it would come out.

At one time there was a tapped hole towards the centre of a rotor/ brake disc to allow a screw to be turned against the back plate to help with the rotor/ brake disc removal. The last rotors I changed were a few years back on my daily and I can't recall if the tapped hole was a feature then.

[Dev]

@Dev
I do hope that I never need to resort to that but thank you in anticipation that I might and now I know of something that looks like it should work.

@Mr Lazy,
Let us know please.

  There is always an easier way to do things with the right tool and I know that I will encounter something like this again so it peaked my interest for next time. I found Youtube videos to be very helpful with some solutions and Amazon for having these hard to find tools. 
 Last year when I did the brake work on my Lexus I searched for a tool to remove rusted rotors from the hub.  The tool was two bolt with a turn buckle handle that you insert into the face of the rotor. Turn the handles by  the palm of your hand and it pops off easy. Prior to that I would use a hammer to beat it out by rotating the rotor giving it blows until it would come out.

At one time there was a tapped hole towards the centre of a rotor/ brake disc to allow a screw to be turned against the back plate to help with the rotor/ brake disc removal. The last rotors I changed were a few years back on my daily and I can't recall if the tapped hole was a feature then.

Yes those are the holes, most modern rotors have two on opposite sides.  Some people try to find two bolts that fit the threads of that tapered holes to pop off the rotor. I tried it long ago and was not successful because one of the bolts heads snapped off so I never tried again but wish I had as it would have saved me so much aggravation.
 
The tool I bought was this.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009VI9IG4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 Once the rotor pops off you can use the handles to carry the rotor where you need to in one go.

[Mr Lazy]

That was a great suggestion @Dev . I do search Youtube myself but I didn't see that one. I have just tried it with my own SDS drill. At 780W, it isn't the most powerful on the market, but it still drills through things like butter that my normal drill would give up on. I fitted a bit like the one in the video and obviously set it to hammer only. Unfortunately, the axle still didn't shift at all. Very disappointing. This is despite the hardened bit seeming to have deformed slightly in the process. I just can't believe how troublesome this is. All I can think of now is to either hire a more powerful drill, or to disconnect the shaft at the other end (I have no idea how to do that yet, but hopefully it will be easier) and take the whole thing in to some place with a press.

[Dev]

That was a great suggestion @Dev . I do search Youtube myself but I didn't see that one. I have just tried it with my own SDS drill. At 780W, it isn't the most powerful on the market, but it still drills through things like butter that my normal drill would give up on. I fitted a bit like the one in the video and obviously set it to hammer only. Unfortunately, the axle still didn't shift at all. Very disappointing. This is despite the hardened bit seeming to have deformed slightly in the process. I just can't believe how troublesome this is. All I can think of now is to either hire a more powerful drill, or to disconnect the shaft at the other end (I have no idea how to do that yet, but hopefully it will be easier) and take the whole thing in to some place with a press.

Sorry to hear. I dread having to do this kind of job as it was painful last time. Maybe try penetrating oil and let it sit for a day and make another attempt. I have notice that if I let the penetrating oil soak with time it usually helps.

If you have to remove the hub its not that bad for what would be your drivers side. Just the control arm attachments and for the axle to follow with it you need to remove the bolts the hold the bearing carrier and the whole assembly should slide out.

If it is for your passenger side its a little more tricky as the axle has a clip that holds it on the transmission side of the splines. It needs a slide hammer to wack it free. 

[Carolyn]

I'd add to Dev's advice:  Drain the gearbox if you're pulling the drive shaft out, as it will dribble smelly gearbox oil all over the place!  If you haven't ever changed your gearbox oil, it's a good opportunity do so do.  I know Dev had favourite one in the states, but over here the preferred one that's easy to get is Redline MT90

I'd be tempted to contact Jspec (our approved breaker) and get a hub and a driveshaft and start again.

[mr2garageswindon]

By the way @mr2garageswindon I've just tried looking you up for future reference as I am down that way sometimes. Are you Castle Eaton Vehicle Services? I can't see any other MR2 specialists in the Google search.

Yep thats me!

[Mr Lazy]

Sorry to hear. I dread having to do this kind of job as it was painful last time. Maybe try penetrating oil and let it sit for a day and make another attempt. I have notice that if I let the penetrating oil soak with time it usually helps.

If you have to remove the hub its not that bad for what would be your drivers side. Just the control arm attachments and for the axle to follow with it you need to remove the bolts the hold the bearing carrier and the whole assembly should slide out.

If it is for your passenger side its a little more tricky as the axle has a clip that holds it on the transmission side of the splines. It needs a slide hammer to wack it free. 

@Dev what kind of penetrating oil do you suggest? I have used Plus Gas on other areas. Where can I spray it? Maybe that's a silly question, but surely it's the splined part of the shaft that is seized, which isn't really accessible.

[Dev]

Sorry to hear. I dread having to do this kind of job as it was painful last time. Maybe try penetrating oil and let it sit for a day and make another attempt. I have notice that if I let the penetrating oil soak with time it usually helps.

If you have to remove the hub its not that bad for what would be your drivers side. Just the control arm attachments and for the axle to follow with it you need to remove the bolts the hold the bearing carrier and the whole assembly should slide out.

If it is for your passenger side its a little more tricky as the axle has a clip that holds it on the transmission side of the splines. It needs a slide hammer to wack it free. 

@Dev what kind of penetrating oil do you suggest? I have used Plus Gas on other areas. Where can I spray it? Maybe that's a silly question, but surely it's the splined part of the shaft that is seized, which isn't really accessible.

I don't know what kind of penetrating oils are available in your country. We have a few good ones in the US. I would spray in the front where the splines are and if anything is accessible from the rear I would spray that also. With the penetrating oil soaking and some reapplication in between what will happen is a bit of capillary action over time to make a difference on subsequent attempts.