Removing the Renegade axles THE EASY WAY!!!

[Rubberdown]

Well, as some of you may know, I'm building a small 2" bracket lift for hampster Ranchers 09 Rene X machine. I asked a lot of questions about how to remove the rear axles and got a lot of answers, so thanks for that to the guys that ofered up advice. I even called a buddy at a local Can Am dealership and asked him for his advice, he told me I needed the tool to remove the trailing arm from at least 1 side in order to remove the axles. I really didnt see the advantage of cutting the metal clamp and pulling the rubber cover off of the pivot point so figured what the hell, just pull both rear shocks and try and jerk the trailing arm down to pull the axles out. That wasnt working with some gentle "jerking" LOL and I was actually afraid I was going to pull a CV joint apart rather than pull it out. Soooo, I cracked a beer opened and started thinking.......theres really not a lot of room to grab these inner cups and jerk them out....I did try for a few minutes just to say I gave it a shot. Then I tried this method that no one mentioned that just popped into my head and it worked like a charm. I was very happy with the results, which is why I am posting my results here to maybe help some of you fellas out.

Tools required,

-1 Tie down strap (a 1" wide one seemed to be just right, any wider and it might not have worked so well)
-1 heavy object, I used my extra large persuader that was sitting close by LOL

Heres the pics....


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j158/rubberdown/Renegade%20X/P1232351.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j158/rubberdown/Renegade%20X/P1232352.jpg

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j158/rubberdown/Renegade%20X/P1232353.jpg

As you can see, I looped the strap around the inner cup making sure to loop the end through the material loop at the hook, not the hook itself, this gave me a nice tight cinch around the cup. I then wrapped the free end of the strap around the handle of the persuader right up near the head of it till it was about 2 feet away from the CV. I left some slack in the strap and gave it 1 slight jerking tug on 1 axle and 2 tugs on the other axle, thats all it took to get them out. Then with a little manouvering, I was able to drop both sides together.

I'll leave the reast for Hammy, he aint getting all the work done by me, ask him for the video of me fixing his 700 when we first met, I was the one covered in sweat, almost broke my arm and got the job done...he did keep me well hydrated that day though

[silverz98]

very nice man, what ya going to charge me for some them brakets for the back of my outlander lol, you think the new axles will go back end that easy?

[Rubberdown]

I am hoping they go in that easy LOL, I dont think they are longer, just a longer plunge joint on them for more downward movement.

Wont have a price till I get it all figured out but it wont be too high LOL, and you will need gorilla, turner, or rhino axles, Chad is testing out a set of the rhinos on his machine.

[89lxstanger]

good idea paul nice work

["Bankrupt"]

Why does that sissy boy still have stock exhaust on that bike?

[silverz98]

thats fine i just want the true 2in on back and the brakets for when i get axles

[00Boss]

Just a question....Seeing as the trailing arms are remaining the same length wouldnt lifting it cause a shorter wheel base, and therefore less tire clearance at the floor board plastic? Sure it will have more GC, but i wonder how big of a tire will fit...anyways good method for removing the axels!

00

["Bankrupt"]

Just a question....Seeing as the trailing arms are remaining the same length wouldnt lifting it cause a shorter wheel base, and therefore less tire clearance at the floor board plastic? Sure it will have more GC, but i wonder how big of a tire will fit...anyways good method for removing the axels!

00


You are correct. That's why everybody who does a big lift on these bikes stretches/rakes the rears at the same time. If you don't they turn into a wheelie monster. They will clear 30's at the factory location so I think they should still clear 30's with the lift. All you need is a 1/16" clearance with the bike sitting there because anything you do from there creates more clearance. Jumping, doing wheelies or even sitting on the bike moves the tires away from the fenders.

[hampster_rancher]

Eric, its purely a cash flow thing. David, I won't be running floorboards any way....Its not like I stat clean on that thing anyway. LOL

[00Boss]

David, I won't be running floorboards any way....Its not like I stat clean on that thing anyway. LOL

I see. So i guess the gade will become a pure race bike. After riding with you up in St. Williams i was under the impresion that the gade was going to just be a trail bike.

00

["Bankrupt"]

He can't stop himself. The race bug has bit him and there is no cure.. Well, once you run out of money, that's a treatment, but it's not a cure. That bug had eaten me up something bad for several years.

Young whipper snapper will learn lol.

["Bankrupt"]

Eric, its purely a cash flow thing.

Do I need to talk to your dad and see if he will float you some moolah so you can get the bike done?

Paul!!! Give the kid some cash. Just one of the mason jars you have burried out in the back yard.

[hampster_rancher]

I see. So i guess the gade will become a pure race bike. After riding with you up in St. Williams i was under the impresion that the gade was going to just be a trail bike.

00

St Williams is only ONE of the trails I ride.....and it IS the dry one. LOL I will still be riding it on all of the trail rides.....whether under water or dry sand.

[Rubberdown]

Added tip, it would be a good ide to at least crack the axle nuts loose before you pull them from the diff, I managed to get them loose without an impact (no power yet in the new man cave) with a 1-1/16" box end wrench and a big hammer. Might need a new wrench, its pretty beat up on one end now and my hand hurts from holding the hub from spinning....

[00Boss]

Still working without airtools??? That would drive me nutz!! I guess im spoiled........did you atleast get the heat in yet?

00

["Bankrupt"]

Any guy should know to bust your nuts loose before pulling it out.....

[mac102004]

Hopefully tire clearance with the rear lift wont be a major issue. I think I have enough to clear the 29.5's with it but only time will tell.

[Rubberdown]

no heat yet Dave....ground was too hard to dig I guess :(

[mac102004]

Tried this today on my Outlander while installing my Gorilla Axles. Worked like a charm!

[Rubberdown]

you owe me 25 cents then, thats my fee for coming up with the idea, just ask Hammy, he said I'd be rich one day from this idea :D

Glad it worked out well for you ;)

[Leethal21]

Soooo, I cracked a beer opened and started thinking.......




So many people under estimate the true value of beer!!!

See what it did here boys?

Makes me want to crack one right now!!!

[SGTCap]

I had to do this on my Outlander without the proper tool as well. What I did was put the rear end on jackstands with the wheels off. I then loosed the axle nut, but left it hand tight. The I stomped the ever lovin hell out of the trailing arm with my boot heel. Popped the exles right out and I could still get the axle nut off without much trouble. Getting it all back together was actually a little harder. I imagine it would be harder still with the brackt lift in place.

[Rubberdown]

I had to do this on my Outlander without the proper tool as well. What I did was put the rear end on jackstands with the wheels off. I then loosed the axle nut, but left it hand tight. The I stomped the ever lovin hell out of the trailing arm with my boot heel. Popped the exles right out and I could still get the axle nut off without much trouble. Getting it all back together was actually a little harder. I imagine it would be harder still with the brackt lift in place.

I tried something like your method a little bit first but it felt like the inner cup would come apart before they pulled out so I had that beer and thought up the other method with the tie strap and sledge happer for weight.

As for putting them back in, it was a breeze actually, just had to angle the CV's just right to get them in, then install the shocks afterwards.

[SGTCap]

My shocks were an SOB to get back on, hopefully the bracket lift doesn't make that even more difficult. There is so much red loctite on my trailing arms that I have no desire to take them off.

[Rubberdown]

Ya, hammy had mentioned reading that Can Am uses a lot of that, but non of his bolts where hard to get un-done....

[SGTCap]

Mines drowned in the stuff. I tried a heat gun to get it off but the locktite just laughed at it. I woulda hit it with a torch but I was outta fuel. Fortunately a big boot and a swift kick in the trailing arm solved the problem.

[mac102004]

I couldn't imagine trying to put the stock axles back in after taking them out like this. The Gorilla's plunged on the outer joint and the compressed shorter than the stockers. That made it easier but the damn joints were stiff as hell too, so it was hard to get the right angle.

[hampster_rancher]

Paul, you should make this a sticky before it gets lost.

[SGTCap]

My new axles came in last night. I will be trying this out when I begin the install tomorrow. Hopefully my lift will be in tomorrow evening as well. Cant wait