# trouble w/ passenger half shaft removal



## GinG (Jun 8, 2020)

Hello, 14 Cruze LT manual. I didn’t know how long the passenger axle was and i doubt my slide hammer will fit back there. Has anyone had any luck removing their passenger half shaft? If so, how’d you remove it? Any recommendations or help is much appreciated!! Ive changed axles on a Deville w/ Northstar, so I’m sure I can do this if i can find a procedure to remove it.


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## Eddy Cruze (Jan 10, 2014)

I don't know why you are trying to remove it, I remember when CRUZE sales were stopped over this:

General Motors is recalling 174,046 2013 and 2014 model-year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine because their right front half shaft may fracture and separate, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.


The vehicles in the recall were all manufactured between Nov. 28, 2012, and March 7, 2014. The automaker halted delivery of the vehicles on March 28 and told dealers to stop selling the vehicles.

If the half shaft fractures and separates while the vehicle is in motion, it would lose power and coast to a stop. If a vehicle with a fractured half shaft is parked without the parking brake applied, the vehicle could move unexpectedly. These scenarios pose a safety risk, according to NHTSA


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## GinG (Jun 8, 2020)

Eddy Cruze said:


> I don't know why you are trying to remove it, I remember when CRUZE sales were stopped over this:
> 
> General Motors is recalling 174,046 2013 and 2014 model-year Chevrolet Cruze vehicles equipped with a 1.4L turbo engine because their right front half shaft may fracture and separate, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.
> 
> ...


The axle seal is leaking and i don’t know how long it’s been leaking. I know about that recall and i’ve called Chevy. They looked up my VIN and said there were no open recalls.


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

I removed mine and cleaned it up. Didn't remove the seal and reinstalled it. Leak free now 🤷‍♂️. I jacked up the passenger side and removed the wheel... loosened the axle nut. Put a small jack under the control arm and jacked it up enough to remove the sway bar end links (this removes the tension)... they are plastic and was replacing with moog brand. Lowered the control arm. Removed the steering tie rod(1 bolt). Removed the axle nut and used a small pipe on the end of the spline and tapped it in toward the transmission. It will slide in a little... then I removed the brake caliper mounting bolts (2 bolts) and unhooked the brake line (removed it from the bracket, this gives you the leeway to lean the hub assembly down to remove the axle from the hub without stretching or stressing the brake line)

At this point the hub/rotor/brakes are attached only by the control arm. You can then pull the top half down toward you and slide the axle spline out of the hub.

I used the end of what I use to take the lug nuts off that came with the car...it has a flat edge which looks like it's used to pop hub caps off, but my car doesn't have hub caps 🤷‍♂️. anyways, I slid that up between the transmission and that metal dust cover ring and popped it out.. you can use a crowbar or anything small enough to fit in and wedge

It's "locked" in by a ring at the end... it doesn't take much. As soon as I popped mine free and started to pull it out it started raining transmission fluid so beware 🤣.

You can swing the hub assembly back up and slide in the caliper bolt to hold it in place while you have the axle removed.


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

This worked for me on popping it out of the gearbox


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

Similar to this video, except he had both wheels off the ground and didn't have to remove the sway bar end links... mine went much smoother than this video, which I find quite funny with the camera falling 🤣🤣

There are 3 things I wouldn't follow in this video. 
1) always torque to manufacturer's specifications... this is a component you don't want to fail while driving. The axle nut has a 3 step tightening sequence...

2) he didn't pop the spline out of the hub assembly prior to pulling it down and over stretched the brake line (he didn't loosen it, where I took a small pipe to loosen it and slid it in)

3) he had the full weight of the assembly being supported by the brake line hanging there at the end.


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## GinG (Jun 8, 2020)

Shroomie said:


> I removed mine and cleaned it up. Didn't remove the seal and reinstalled it. Leak free now 🤷‍♂️. I jacked up the passenger side and removed the wheel... loosened the axle nut. Put a small jack under the control arm and jacked it up enough to remove the sway bar end links (this removes the tension)... they are plastic and was replacing with moog brand. Lowered the control arm. Removed the steering tie rod(1 bolt). Removed the axle nut and used a small pipe on the end of the spline and tapped it in toward the transmission. It will slide in a little... then I removed the brake caliper mounting bolts (2 bolts) and unhooked the brake line (removed it from the bracket, this gives you the leeway to lean the hub assembly down to remove the axle from the hub without stretching or stressing the brake line)
> 
> At this point the hub/rotor/brakes are attached only by the control arm. You can then pull the top half down toward you and slide the axle spline out of the hub.
> 
> ...


I was about to give up on doing it but you just changed my mind. Thanks so much! and i’ve watched that video like 500 times now. Thanks so much!


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## GinG (Jun 8, 2020)

Shroomie said:


> I removed mine and cleaned it up. Didn't remove the seal and reinstalled it. Leak free now 🤷‍♂️. I jacked up the passenger side and removed the wheel... loosened the axle nut. Put a small jack under the control arm and jacked it up enough to remove the sway bar end links (this removes the tension)... they are plastic and was replacing with moog brand. Lowered the control arm. Removed the steering tie rod(1 bolt). Removed the axle nut and used a small pipe on the end of the spline and tapped it in toward the transmission. It will slide in a little... then I removed the brake caliper mounting bolts (2 bolts) and unhooked the brake line (removed it from the bracket, this gives you the leeway to lean the hub assembly down to remove the axle from the hub without stretching or stressing the brake line)
> 
> At this point the hub/rotor/brakes are attached only by the control arm. You can then pull the top half down toward you and slide the axle spline out of the hub.
> 
> ...


Also, it looks like my bottom knuckle bolt is blocked from coming out by the brake house. Do i have to take off the brake caliper and caliper mount?? It’s the only thing i’m having trouble with now.


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## GinG (Jun 8, 2020)

GinG said:


> Also, it looks like my bottom knuckle bolt is blocked from coming out by the brake house. Do i have to take off the brake caliper and caliper mount?? It’s the only thing i’m having trouble with now.


Got it! Never mind!


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## Shroomie (Jan 16, 2017)

It's not as hard as it looks.. glad I have a backup vehicle because I had to run to the auto store and buy the right size socket for the axle nut lol. Glad ya got it


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