[04bostonsound]

I did a search and didnt find what I was looking for.

My passenger side axle broke today. I heard some clanking and it snapped off before I had a chance to pull over. I was just wondering what tools/sizes I need to put BMR axles on. Are there any DIY threads? Any tips?

Thanks
Jon

 

[DiffTechnics]

Are you sure it wasn't the bolts?

 

[TrakDay]

I have stock axles here if you are interested. I would sell them for 125

 

[MikeZ28]

Some (all?) '04s have a tendency for the axle bolts to come loose...is that what happened? I think it's kind of rediculous that I have to worry about my axles coming off.

 

[wrp]

Some (all?) '04s have a tendency for the axle bolts to come loose...is that what happened? I think it's kind of ridiculous that I have to worry about my axles coming off.

High torque cam eh? If I don't own the trophy for abusing the chit out of the stock 04 then nobody does. I watched Jason put my axles on after the 3.91 installs. It was pretty straightforward, I'll have to check on the size socket, torquex or allen head you need to use. I've seen some meticulous descriptions of the methodology and the proper gunk, red or blue, to use on the threads.

If you can give me a few hours I will look in my Helms manual and send you a step by step. Basically my guy just jammed the things into the differential, pounded them down over the wheel hub with a huge sledgehammer and crunched them with the air gun until the compressor blew a fuse. He looked at me and shrugged, torque? what's that? Of course he is an artist and has done hundreds of them and can tell if they are torqued right just by the feel.

I'll also check to see if the bolts are one time use as well. Jason if you are out there weigh on in.

I worry more about the metalurgy in the front suspension and struts than the rear axles. Maybe I got the only one ever built with really solid ass axles and that is why I keep shredding clutches.

 

[GTO_Scott]

Early to mid 2004 GTOs IIRC - toward the end of the 2004 run they started using thread locker or at least followed a different torque/stretch proceedure on the bolts. My Oct 2004 04 had threardlock on them.

 

[04bostonsound]

I pulled of the wheel last night, Sure enough all the bolts FELL out. I saw the 2 bolts sitting in the middle of the rear passenger side spring. Axle is all dinged up but I got one on ebay last night for pretty cheap. Id love to know the torq specs, and bolt sizes

 

[Swampgoat]

The bolts are TTY. The allen head socket to fit them is sold at Autozone. Use blue locktite if ya want to get them off again.
I re used mine when I swapped diffs because the dealer was out of them, and didnt want to wait.
44 ft pounds.
serious M6 abuse at the wrp level here, with not a trouble in the last 13000 miles since I touched them last.
I do give a random check now and then, but no loosening.
I had one loose outta all the bolts when I pulled the stock diff.

 

[matt021126]

hmm, i've had some odd squeeking coming from my rear on an early build 04. just hit 25k miles, maybe i should check out my axles...

 

[LiqTenExp]

ok this is what you will need.

8mm hex for the half shaft/axle bolts, tq spec was bumped up to 60 ft/lbs. Make sure to clean them up on a wire brush grinder and then apply red loctite at the base portion of the threads, dont waste your time up towards the uppper 1/2 of the threads cause it just gooks up getting them back out again.

The axles will simple pop out if you use a very large screw driver or a small crowbar. Just slide it inbetween the back of the axle stubs and the case of the rear and pry them out. They have a little c clip that you just take of and reuse on the new ones.

Hope this helps.

PS tq down the other side because I am willing to bet you will find some loose ones over there. Personally I would take them all out and clean them up and reloctite them. This way you know you are good to go. It sucks working on the drivers side if you don't want to take down the exhaust but it is totally do-able in a couple hours.

 

[jamesbiz]

come loose? when i took my car from the dealership after they "fixed" it. i went to a muffler shop. and as i'm looking around the rear of the car. all i see is my right axle shaft has all the screws except one a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch loosened. thats after a day so i know it didn't just get loose. how can a dealership do something like that. that seriously sucks. i'm talking about where the axle meets the hub . so i could have had my entire hub rotor and wheel just fall off at any time.

 

[04bostonsound]

Thanks for all the good info guys. Does anyone know the GM Part number or the sizes of the bolts I need? I only have 2 of them left.

 

[OldER Goat]

recommend you look into the high-yield replacement bolts that Hellhammer offers in the For Sale section. They have several benefiits including:
- they are higher - yield than the oe (duhh)
- they are not tty so you can reuse
- they are drilled for safety wire.
- the internal hex socket is not prone to rounding like the oe stuff
- angle meter not required - just torque em up and go.

I used these bolts on all four ends - but you might get by with only the inside flanges (either side of the center section).

 

[Tinman]

There is a bulleten out on this, Here
60 FT LBS and Blue #243 Loctite. They did away with other torque methods.
PIP3080D for those who want to look it up. Or click the link above...

 

[hellhammer]

Switching to the safety wired bolts is getting popular. There is another issue they address... After the bolts loosen then the axle cap loosens and allows grease into the bolt hole. This will easily void loctite's effectiveness. My bolt kits now include the safety wire, plus an instruction including the updated torque procedures.

 

[GTO1_OHIO]

Anyone have a picture of what bolts to go look at?

 

[Swampgoat]

Switching to the safety wired bolts is getting popular. There is another issue they address... After the bolts loosen then the axle cap loosens and allows grease into the bolt hole. This will easily void loctite's effectiveness. My bolt kits now include the safety wire, plus an instruction including the updated torque procedures.

Thanks for the updated info on the bolts. I did my swap over a year ago and the new info will result in changes for my car.
Thanks again.
Hmm, where the hell are those lockwire pliers I brought home from the Navy after being a turbine mechanic....
remember guys using lockwire, go right bias so you are tintening at all times. Sucks to do a 8 bolt string all pretty and perfect, just to realize you went the wrong direction...
d'OH...did that in the Nav ONCE!

 

[hellhammer]

Yep, I learned safety wire techniques as an Airframer on Navy E-2's. Never did get a set of pliers and I even worked in the tool room for a little while.