I have a 2004 GTP comp G with 174,000 miles that was diagnosed as needing replaced front wheel bearings by a local shop during state inspection. Eventually it started throwing Service ABS/Service Traction Control/Service Stability Control on the DIC and after searching around found that this was also a symptom of bad wheel sensor/bearing. OK, time to replace them.

I have everything disassembled but the wheel hub assembly will not come off the axle. Everything I've read says hit it with your hand, put the axle nut back on and hit it with a hammer, use the hub assembly puller for front wheel drive vehicles available at local car parts stores. I've tried all these techniques. I have the hub assembly loose from the mount and can get it and the axle out about 1 inch from the mount, it is all loose. No matter how much pressure I put on it with the hub puller or the extra large gear puller i cannot get the hub to move at all on the axle. At one time I had the hub puller on and under a great deal of pressure (I was letting it sit and taking a break) and one of the lug nuts I had holding the puller on shot off like a gun and stripped the threads off the inside of the lug nut. Luckily I wasn't in front of it or I'd have a hole in me the size of a lug nut.

I've tried heating the hub with a Bernzo-matic torch, soaking it with PB Blaster (there is rust inside the splines of the axle/wheel hub), banging on the axle (with the old axle nut on the end of the axle to protect the end of the axle - I purchased and intend to replace the axle nuts), about everything i can think of and there has been no perceptible movement in the hub/axle. I tried getting the drive shaft off the transaxle to see if the whole assembly (hub with drive shaft) could be pulled out of the mount so I could take it to a shop and have it pulled but the CV joint assembly behind the mounting is too large to fit through the hole that the hub assembly fits in.

Can anyone help me get this loose? I do not have access to a torch to cut the old hub/bearing assembly off. Even if I did I'd be afraid of messing up the axle. I took the clamp off the back of the CV boot to see if I could get inside there to disassemble the U joint in the CV joint to get it apart that way but can't seem to get inside enough to find out so in the process messed up the clamp that holds the CV boot in place so that will need to be replaced but that is the least of my worries right now.

HELP!!!

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

You *could* try pressing on the brake pedal [brakes assembled] and shifting between drive and reverse [with the nuts loose or off].
The shock may loosen it up.

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2005 GT owner [Non S/C] with a "big DIC".
Two years later and I still love the car.
Thanks Pontiac...Bleen is keen!

The splines on the axle are pretty close together. I don't think this will make a difference but at this point I'll try anything. I'll let you know the results, thanks!

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

Use an air hammer with a pointed tip. It will push the axle backwards, and right on out. When I did it I had the other two bolts connected at the bottom of the hub.

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Now here's an idea! I just so happen to have an air hammer as well. I wish it wasn't so late at night and I hadn't already cleaned up or I'd try this right away!!! Air Hammers are a bit noisy.

THANKS for the tip! sounds like you dealt with this same thing...

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

I had to remove the axle actually when I blew my differential. But it's basically the same thing, had to remove the shaft and replace it with a new one.. and the hub was just hanging there.. I must have been on the opposite end of where you are now

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You could also try putting the nut on,backing it off 2 turns from tight and capping it with the socket.
Then hammer it with a big hammer.

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2005 GT owner [Non S/C] with a "big DIC".
Two years later and I still love the car.
Thanks Pontiac...Bleen is keen!

^ I wouldn't want to chance stripping a thread tho... Just a thought.

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I forced mine so much that I pulled the axle out . Lol

Asemble everything together again and take it for a drive and disassemble it and hope u can remove it

Or you could try looking for a axle puller, I've failed to find one

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Why have more money than brains? Cuz RACE CAR

Already tried that, didn't use the socket but put the axle nut on the end of the shaft and hit the nut directly. Used a 3 pound hand sledge and when that didn't work got out the 8 pound pitching maul with the full length handle. No joy.

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

sounds like you let the bearing go to far and it has now fused both the axle and hub together. It happened to me.

Ended up taking it to a shop and they had to replace the axle, they basically ended up cutting the axle to get it all out.

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04 American Supercharged and 01 Turbo Swede
Why drive a car, when you can pilot a Saab

Pinx; a slice of sudz

Yeah, that's the point I'm at. I dropped it off at a shop this afternoon. This is the first time in over 35 years I've had to have someone else work on my car for me not counting machine shop work.

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

^ You could have just pulled the axle out, and taken the hub/axle assembly to the shop. Or replaced the axle and hub assembly. The axle is only like $65 ?

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LOL, You'd have to take the spindle too because the axle won't go through the hole that the hub sits in. That's not an option haha

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Mods include-
Pulley boys 3.2 pulley, 20* timing, HPTuned, pacesetters, SSIC, modded 1.9's, F/R STBs on Don Rome brackets, 255lph pump, ZZP billet rails, GXP catback
Best of 13.4 at 103.... 12's this year

Oh4compG is right, the axle won't fit thru the support assembly. the shop did have to cut it off and the new axle was $50. the other side was stuck also but they were able to get it off without having to cut the axle. All together it cost me $344 at the shop, I had already bought the bearings so they didn't have to charge me for them. I should have started off just taking it there instead of spending all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday evening fighting it. It should have been an easy job but 179,000 miles of Missouri roads and the rust they bring fused the bearing to the axle.

At least I found a good shop the next time things get out of hand. They were very friendly and the service was extremely fast not to mention reasonable. Shop rates were $95 an hour and they gave me a discount for being a new customer. They also had a very cool '68 Firebird convertible in the garage that was the owners they were restoring. That made me feel better that they were Pontiac people.

Lesson learned: if you are replacing your axle bearings and they don't come off easily, don't kill yourself trying to pull them - get a torch!

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'58 Cushman
'66 GTO Hardtop 428HO Auto
'69 GTO Convertible 4sp 400
'75 Honda CB550
'95 Grand Am - gone to the boneyard
'04 GTP Comp G

I'm afraid to move away from Michigan. Shop rates here are CHEAP! $95 an hour seems like a lot to me. The place I go to is $65.00 an hour. I also think a different garage I went to was only $55.00 an hour. Do shops in your area's charge you more if you bring your own parts into them. I know around here they can charge you more labor as a way of saying that you should buy through us because it'll be cheaper. I think its bogus. Am I right?

Thanks! =)

They're charging more because they lost the ability to make profit on the parts if you supply them yourself.

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2005 GT owner [Non S/C] with a "big DIC".
Two years later and I still love the car.
Thanks Pontiac...Bleen is keen!

mlasnoski - right across the border here in WI, they are charging around $90 an hour, which I consider reasonable, compared to some of the Green Bay area shops.. and no, they don't charge more if you bring your own parts around here, they just won't warranty them (of course)

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where I live in michigan they will not install any parts that you bring to them. so time to become your own mechanic am I right??