Hi All,

I want to strip the rear sub frame of a Granada (don't know the model but it's the last one and a V6 with disk brakes)

How do I remove the drive shafts, are they bolted into the diff? do I have to undo the MASSIVE nut at the wheel end or just the 4 smaller bolts in the hub as I did on my Sierra?

the drive shaft will come off each end (dif and hub) by 6 torx T40 bolts each end.

HOWEVER these are real gits to remove and you are highly likely to break at least 1 torx bit.

You may be better off removing the swing arm, grinding the tops off the bolts, and pulling the shaft free.

atb

steve

Thanks Steve,

I will tackle it tonight and buy a new torx spanner to replace my bent one on Monday.

you'll break a T40 - - - - - 'cos they're T45. Guess how I know that....
Bob C

The torx bit we used is a nice swirly shape now, it did the whole lot without breaking though
Plenty of WD40 and smooth application of a breaker bar seemed to do the trick.

Just grind 'em off (carefully!) and buy a new set of Allan bolts for a couple of quid!

Guy,
If you damage the weird double washer things then they can still be aquired from Ford but they're 76p each and you'll need 12!
I'm pretty sure some have just used regular washers to replace them.

HTH,
James

[Edited on 10/9/04 by James]

BobC

they may be the later bolts.

The earlier (certainly 1987) are deffo T40.

I broke (shattered) 2 quality T40 3/8 drive bits. They just cant take the torque.


atb

steve

Quite possible Gusto - but I did remove one side with a T40 before it stopped working - only then did I find what a snug fit a T45 was... plus it successfully removed th bolt I'd shagged with the T40!
Cheers
Bob

The T40 was the right fit. I bent a cheap tool, then used two hardened ones from Halfords that just shatttered. It didnt damage the bolt heads in the least..... jus that if you tried to apply a decent torque, the T40 bits would self destruct.

Someone posted on here a couple months back that snap-on wont replace T40 bits that have been used to remove ford axle parts.....


atb

steve

My last set of Torx drivers stated that all were guarantied except the T40 one ! Now I know why.

I've also got to get the hub off and the Haynes manual states that I have to remove the large nut, any experience with these?

If it's anything like the Sierra hub (which I believe it is) then it's done up to some insane torque.
Some people have success with breaker bars but we just took our sierra bits to a local garage and they used their air impact wrench on them. It took a good few seconds of air wrenching to get them off though.
Good luck!

Hub nut:

Pain in the ass!

I had to buy an impact socket of the right size (41mm) and then take it round to a couple of garages to find one that had an air gun powerful enough to take it off. 650lb/ft it took in the end!

Good luck,

James

EDIT:
Guy, if you're using Granada stuff then presumably you're using the front uprights too? Just pointing out the Grandad is 5-stud- just in case!

Atb,
James

[Edited on 10/9/04 by James]

The hub nuts on my Sierra axle came off fairly easily once I managed to jam the hub so it didn't turn - the back axle was still attached to the car at the time though! Still got to tackle the drive shaft removal job.

Remember that one of them is usually left hand thread. Supposed to be on the left hand side of the vehicle

wasnt hard for me. just cost 20+ quid. You will need a big socket - 41 mm or so - halfords sell em specifically as sierra hub nut sockets.

Then you need a decent 2 foot or so breaker bar. mines worth its weight in gold. stubborn nuts dont resist this thing, and it was easy to get the hub nuts off with. Just remember the handing thing


atb

steve


[Edited on 10/9/04 by stephen_gusterson]

Nearside hub nut is left hand thread.

Halfords don't sell the socket anymore. They apparently sold them off cheap ( 2 or 3 quid) a month or two ago - just before I went in to buy one

wouldnt mind betting that any independent car parts place would have one.

This is i think a sign that sierras are getting to be extinct....

How often do you see mk3 granadas now?

atb

steve

quote:

---

Originally posted by andyps
Nearside hub nut is left hand thread.

Halfords don't sell the socket anymore. They apparently sold them off cheap ( 2 or 3 quid) a month or two ago - just before I went in to buy one

---

Right then, the centre Torx bolts were loose anyway, one was finger tight! then I came to the outside ones, okay not so easy and I bent the T40 bit.

So I've got some new disks for the grinder and I'll buy a 41mm socket.

Yes I am going to use the Granada uprights and they do have 5 studs but the Granada came with free wheels that I can't afford to replace, I doubt I could find wire spoked wheels to fit anyway .


[Edited on 13/9/04 by GuyA]

Sounds like you are about sorted, I'll just give my view here, having pulled apart and put back together a lot of these driveshafts/hubs!

Forget undoing the Torx bolts, (as it sounds like you have done anyway now) just grind them off. I have broken Snap-On and Britool Torx bits trying in the past, I don't even bother now! If you damage the curved washers, don't worry, chuck them in the bin and just use 12.9 grade hex capheads with no washers (whatever you do DON'T use spring washers!!). I have done this several times on competition vehicles and not had one come loose yet (not even need retightening after offroad racing with a locked diff)

If you have the suspension apart already and need to get the hub nut loose, and you have a really sturdy workbench mounted vice, clamp the hub flange in this, drop a bolt through one of the access holes in the flange so it sticks out to either side and so that as the hub tries to pull up out of the vice, the bolt hooks into the "overhang" of the vice jaws, it is then immobile and unless the vice tears off the bench, you will be able to undo the nut. (you might need to knock out a couple of the wheel studs to get the hub set up nicely in the vice but they just knock out and pull back in with a wheelnut and stack of 12mm washers.)

Thanks for that advice, all good stuff.