Removing Donuts

[wobblyweb]

:blink: Just reading the tread about fitting new drive shafts got me thinking!!!

I have just changed the do nuts and hate the job, I guess with a ramp or pit it may be better. Just a rough idea, how difficult would it be to remove the full corner and do this on the bench. something like drop the wishbone, drop the suspension from the lotocone and pull the drive shaft out of the dif.
Sounds easy but I would think the driveshaft from the diff would be the killer.
Any thoughts?

Rae

<a href='http://www.mmcars.info/Lotuspage.htm' target='_blank'>Merrymeet Model Cars Lotus Page</a>

[1964 S1]

Hello, one suggestion I added to a previous discussion was the use of vise grips around the bolt head, running parallel to the bolt. You can "steer" the bolt in a bit, using the torque of the "lever" to twist the donut. I backed the car up ramps, then supported the rear suspension on one side, removed that wheel so things could turn but the axle shaft was straight out, no load.
Are you meaning halfshaft, from the diff out as opposed to the center driveshaft? Removing the axle stubs from the rear end?

[Matt7c]

I did the job while my S2 was up on trestles. Still had to crawl underneath, but there was a whole lot of room. But, after taking the donuts off, I decided never to do it again and have put TTR drive shafts on instead. Almost fit and forget.

[wobblyweb]

I just wondered if it would be possible to remove the hub, inter drive shaft, 2 dobuts and inner driveshaft as 1 assembly to work on, on the bench.
It would mean pulling the inner drive shaft out of the diff.

I have removed these before but the diff was out at the time.

Rae

[builder618]

If you use large hose clamps and tighten down the donuts, the bolts come right out.
That said, if you have the $ the new cv's seem the way to go. Has anyone seen a better deal than Susan Miller. Has anyone had trouble with her shafts?

[pereirac]

If you don't have a large hose clip, connect three smaller ones together. It does the same job and when you get the diameter adjusted correctly the bolts come out without too much trouble.
I always use a small amount of copperslip on the bolts when I assemble them as it stops the bolts from rusting into the holes in the doughnuts and makes life easier next time you want to disassemble the joints. It's hard enought getting the bolts out without them being rusted in as well.