I have a 94 Geo Tracker and I need to replace one of the front axels. Can someone give me a step by step to do this? I don't care about how detailed it is i just don't want to do something wrong and mess something up bad. Im thinking its just pull and replace?

which side are you needing todo? One is much easier than the other (and neither is really that tough.

Passenger side.

(no location in your profile, but I'll assume your "passenger" sits on the RH side)

I'm sure others may have a different approach, but for me the easiest is to drop the front diff.

1) take off the hub
2) remove the clip from the RH axel stub
3) drain the diff fluid (good time to check the fluid too)
4) pull the rear bolt from the 3rd member mount
5) support the diff and remove the hanger bolts
6) lower snake the diff off the rear mount and to the ground (careful you dont trash the other CV)
7) axel stub should be free of the hub now, so yank it free from the diff.
reverse install.

Any more ideas? You said take off the hub, how exactly do i take that off?

Any more ideas? You said take off the hub, how exactly do i take that off?

There's six bolts holding it on. If you have auto hubs, they'll probably be allen head bolt (sorry don;t recall the size).

Any more ideas? You said take off the hub, how exactly do i take that off?

If you have automatic hubs (just a metal cap, no turning latch as found on manual hubs):

Use a large pair of vice-grips, an oil filter wrench or similar tool  to turn the metal cover counter-clockwise until the cap is loose.

Remove the cap and then remove the snap-ring that holds the halfshaft in place.

Manual hub:

Remove the 6 bolts that hold the locking knob in place.

Carefully remove the locking mechanism If memory serves, there is a small tensioning spring inside, so be careful and observe how the parts come out.

use a a spring clip removal tool (available at you local auto parts store - do not buy a cheap one!) to remove the spring clip.

My experience in taking the right halfshaft (or CV shaft) out is different than the one described above.

I did not touch the axle case mountings.  Here are my steps:

Disconnect the brakeline clip on the strut to give extra positioning options for the brake caliper

Remove and hang the brake caliper out of the way.

Use a pulling tool, remove the steering linkage from the steering arm on the hub assembly.

support the lower a-arm with a hydraulic jack.

loosen and REMOVE the three bolts that hold the ball joint to the end of the A-arm.  Be careful not to damage the outer boot in this part of the process (unless it is already damaged!)

Lower the A- arm to relieve pressure on the spring.

Support and unbolt the hub assembly from the strut.

Remove the hub assembly from the end of the halfshaft and set it aside.

Use a flat bladed screwdriver or a broad-bladed wood carving chisel to gently pry the end of halfshaft out of the end of the axle housing.

reassemble in reverse order.

You might be able to avoid caliper,steering linkage and strut disconnection by loosening the top mount on the strut enough to be able to push the hub far enough outboard to get the halfshaft out of the hub.

Good luck!  

LOL, I can't help it.

If you are going to have trouble removing
the hub, you need a friend that has done
this kind of work before.

The hub is on with 6x12mm bolts, the guts
of the hub come out with the hex head allen
screws, but you still have a strut, brakes, and
the lower balljoint in the way of the axle shaft
on that side.

I think a better question is Why are you removing
the axle shaft ?

Is it broken ? if it's the left hand side, or US drivers
side, you will probably need to drop the front
diff to get the broken piece of axle  out, and you
have to pull both sides to remove the diff

This needs to be much more throughly talked
about before you go digging into you front end

Wild

Hey I just had a thought on the term Axle
do you mean half shaft, the outside part
with the CVs ??  I bet you do, a much easier
fix than what I was thinking, carry on

Wild

My read is he's talking about replacing the "passenger side" axel (aka CV shaft).

I agree tho ... if you can't figure out how to get the outter hub off, can you drain the diff case?

wild,

if you had to *just* change the pass side cv, would you do the "a-arm drop" or the "diff drop"? I know both would get it done ....

I think this might be a "poll" ... to me dropping the diff is easier, but then again, I've now done that 2-3 times

I've changed both sides by removing the hub and circlip and unbolting the lower strut mount and lowering it down with a jack. Never occured to me to lower the diff, I don't think I will next time either, the diff casing is very badly balanced and a bit of a pig to manoever, especially when its steel.

I've changed both sides by removing the hub and circlip and unbolting the lower strut mount and lowering it down with a jack. Never occured to me to lower the diff, I don't think I will next time either, the diff casing is very badly balanced and a bit of a pig to manoever, especially when its steel.

I agree with that...  I am taking it all out in order to get enough room to remove unbolt the Torque Converter (automatic transmission) from the flexplate and remove the engine for a rebuild.   I was able to get my axle (note the spelling) assembly/third member out by myself, but because of it's bulkiness, it'll take two people and a spider monkey to get it back in.

Tearing down the hub assembly was a lot simpler than lowering everything by removing the axle.  Bonus:  you get to inspect and refurbish suspension steering components!  I am replacing my cracking inner and outer boots because I DON'T want to do this again!

The hub is on with 6x12mm bolts, the guts of the hub come out with the hex head allen screws, but you still have a strut, brakes, and the lower balljoint in the way of the axle shaft on that side.

Oops!  I forgot the outer bolts around the base of the locking hub unit!  Thanks wildgoody!

BTW:  The '96 FSM SPECIFICALLY says NOT to use any solvent while cleaning the CV joints if they have been exposed to dirt from a ripped boot.  I missed that fine point and ended up blowing grease out using my air compressor alternating with a thorough rinsing with brake parts cleaner until the brake parts cleaner ran clear from the outside joint.  The inside joint can be disassembled so it is much easier to clean using brake parts cleaner and compressed air.  

I don't drop the diff unless I have to,
it takes too much time and effort to do.

I take off the bolts on the strut spacer,
then angle the strut out (all this is without
the tire, wheel and brake assembly) I removed
the wire circlip in the CV cup that keeps the
whole thing together, Ohh undo the band that
keeps the CV boot on too, I don't have to even
pop the stub axle out, I also leave the clip under
the hub off, so I don't have to remove the hub
to slide the splines out of the spindle, tho getting
it to go back in somtimes requires you to remove
the hub.

Easy enough, but I've been tweeking and working
on the front end quite a bit, so I have learned lots
of things to make trail changes easier

Im trying to get the 12mm bolts on the hub off, they are on there fucking solid. Any comments on how to get them off? I'm blasting them with PB Blaster right now.