So yeah, since its a pretty specific question nothing came up in the search. On my car, there are 2 phillips head screws holding on the front disks. Questions:

Is this stock?

How the hell do you guys get these off, and why would Honda put such a soft fastener (whoever did a brake job last stripped one on the driver side trying to get it off) on such a critical component?

Removal is going to be a challange. I'm going to go buy one of those stripped screw remover things to try and get the stripped one out, but any other ideas?

The whole reason for removing it is because I'm doing a swap, and I need to remove the axles. I'm assuming their going to be a bitch to get out of the hubs, so I went and bought a gear puller to remove it. Alas, by putting it on the brake disk I fear I'll warp it. Yeah, sorry for the long post.

 

Yes they are stock, to take them off you will need and "Impact Driver". I bought a kit at Sears for $20 shipped.

 

you don't have to remove the rotors to get the axles out...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kulangot &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you don't have to remove the rotors to get the axles out...</TD></TR></TABLE>

The reason why I would like to is because I dont want the gear puller to bend the disks - it can put up to 1 ton of force in the center, or roughly 650 lbs of force on each claw.

 

thread the nut slightly on the end of the axle and hit it one good time with a hammer and it'll start to come out of the hub, then just pull it out.

 

Why do you need a gear puller to get the axles out.

Just get teh axle nuts off then seperate the lower control arm from the ball joint. The axles will come out pretty easy

 

I'm not sure I like the idea of hitting part of my drivetrain with a hammer

I love Northern Hydrolics, 10 minutes away and good cheap tools
http://www.northerntool.com/we...36882

 

Use a block of wood and hit the hammer on the wood sted of the bare axle lol...crazy people..but ya the axle should come out fairly ez.

 

Didnt see that last post. I read on fourthgenhatch.com that his axles were a bitch to get out, so I figured I needed a gear puller as well. I plan on reusing the axles and thier in pretty shaky condition, I dont have the money to replace them right now. But its not being driven so it dosnt matter.

I originally wanted to remove the LCA too, but then I saw that thead on the wratchet method of removing the ball joint . Any more advice for teh n00b?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Voodooboy520 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm not sure I like the idea of hitting part of my drivetrain with a hammer ]</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's what rubber mallet is for..

 

I still dont understand how your are gonna get the axles out of the tranny if you dont remove the lower control arm from the knuckle


Unless you are gonna remove the hub and it can come out some way like that

 

you dont have to take the rotor off to get the axles out. your axles should slide right out of the hub once you get the axle nut off. as far as your original question about the screws. you dont need them if they are striped drill them out and the ones that you can get out with a screw driver throw them away so you will not have the stuck screw problem again. the only reason they are there is to hold them inplace durring assembly so the will not fall off and hit somebody in the head before the brake caliper gets bolted on. your rotor is held on by the wheel not those little screws.

 

Dude, you dont need them.

Take a drill bit and a drill and drill the head off, Then just leave the stud piece in there.

There to speed up time on the assembly line.

-Eric

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Voodooboy520 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I originally wanted to remove the LCA too, but then I saw that thead on the wratchet method of removing the ball joint . Any more advice for teh n00b?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry guys I was in a bit of a flurry, I thought my paypal account got hacked.

Majick - I meant remove the whole LCA, leaving the ball joint intact but freeing the hub.

The LCA and hub are going to be seperated with the wratchet method. I'll use a rubber mallet to remove the axle from the hub. From there the engine is outtt.

Thanks for the help as always, I really appreciate it. I was expecting this to be harder than it will.

 

Heck, I just used a normal P3 screwdriver, smacked it w/ my Dead shot, and that freed it up.

And yeah, No gear puller for the Axle...
The Helm's says to use a prybar/screwdriver to remove from the transmission.

 

if the screw is stripped use a pointed punch and drive it in than just tap it loose..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Custom Rex &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if the screw is stripped use a pointed punch and drive it in than just tap it loose..</TD></TR></TABLE>

easist way...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by b18ccivics &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your axles should slide right out of the hub once you get the axle nut off.</TD></TR></TABLE>


I'd soo love to see you take that nut off and watch your mom just slide it out The axles were froze up hardcore on my civic (drive in snow/salt), I used a big center punch in the axle's dimple and a 8lbs sledge - took out a LOT of aggression that day! My 90 ed3's axles weren't as bad, but still needed a sledge and the centerpunch.

To get the axle more than 80% out of the trans, you MUST remove the spindle, or either end(s) of the LCA. Trying it w/o that step will just waste lots of time. As for the actual

 

jesus you guys suck ***... I live in michigan... snow and salt all winter. I have never needed a gear puller or anything of the sort to change axles. Just pop the hub out of the lower control arm, after removing the axle nut, and hit the end of the axle with a metal... thats right, metal, hammer. It will come right out. I have done this more times than I care to remember. It is more of a pita taking everything apart to get the axle out, than it is to get it in.

Stop being a little girl, beat it with a hammer and take it out. Why is it that everyone makes things out to be so god damned hard when it isn't.

 

back to the original question... I drilled the screws untill the head of the screw broke free. Then I used vise grips to get the rest of the screws out. Have not put new screws in. I used to work on brakes all day long at a tire/oil/brake shop, and most of the time, this is how I got them off. I put them back on there so people wouldn't bitch about it, but they are not necessary unless you are really OCD or something.

I have been driving like this for about 5 years now.... no problems.

ohh... and since you think you need a gear puller, you should go return that and ask for a ball joint tool or pitman tool for removing ball joints.... I just wacked the **** out of mine with a hammer and they came out, but you probably should just get a ball joint "popper". autozone/pepboys/etc shoudl have them for about 10$. That will get the hub out of the lower control arm. You will need a 32mm socket for the axle nuts too with a breaker bar. You HAVE to remove the hub from the lower control arm to get the axle out of the hub. I have looked at this before... and no other way to do get the tranny out of the car. Maybe if you pulled the tranny/engine together... you might get away with it, but more than likely you will tear the axle boots.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thumbtack &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">back to the original question... I drilled the screws untill the head of the screw broke free. Then I used vise grips to get the rest of the screws out. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have a few left hand drill bits, they make jobs like this real easy if the screw head is strip'd and a punch won't get them out first. Start drilling and once the drill gets a good "bite"..... out comes the screw, haven't had one yet where I've had to drill all the way out.

 

Wow, you people work way too hard. Just get a screw remover from Sears that would fit a power drill. I got mine for $5.00, and I just replaced the screw ($.10 from Autozone) with a new one when I was done so it would resemble the OEM setup. As thumbtack so eloquently put it they are not necessary for the operation of the system, just for piece of mind. This is better for rotor upgrades rather than axle removal as stated earlier (as the axles can be removed without screwing with the brake system at all).

Nothin like a repair with good tools on the cheap done the right way

note: EL Vap133's solution will work as well considering that those are the approved tools for that particular removal. I like to work as inexpensive as possible so the tools I used might not be the reccomended items but they work just as well!