I have a 1999 Legacy sedan 2.2 (auto trans). I have never done half
shafts on any car (I always had rear wheel drive cars until 1999).

Can someone tell me the steps to remove & replace the half shafts?
I have the correct socket for the axle nut. After I remove the
caliper, rotor & axle nut, does the splined shaft just slide out?
Do I need any special tools, or do I need to separate the lower ball
joint? Can I re-use the axle nut? Does anyone know the axle nut torque
value?

I have 30+ years of automotive skills & all the ordinary tools,
pullers, acetylene etc, but I have never done half shafts before, so
any pointers will be greatly appreciated.

Find a copy of the Haynes repair manual. Well written and illustrated.
The slpines need to be pressed out.

newbie2@aohell.com wrote:
> I have a 1999 Legacy sedan 2.2 (auto trans). I have never done half
> shafts on any car (I always had rear wheel drive cars until 1999).
>
> Can someone tell me the steps to remove & replace the half shafts?
> I have the correct socket for the axle nut. After I remove the
> caliper, rotor & axle nut, does the splined shaft just slide out?
> Do I need any special tools, or do I need to separate the lower ball
> joint? Can I re-use the axle nut? Does anyone know the axle nut torque
> value?
>
> I have 30+ years of automotive skills & all the ordinary tools,
> pullers, acetylene etc, but I have never done half shafts before, so
> any pointers will be greatly appreciated.

Don't know if there are any basic changes from 99 to 00
models. Had to pull the shafts on my 00 to replaces the
inner boots several yrs back. Didn't have any instructions
so did what looked like was the easiest way.

I disconnect the upper control arm from the chassis so I
could pull the upper arm/strut outward far enough to give
room for outer haft shaft to be pulled free from spindle.
One side took a little more effort pulling to get adequate
room for shaft pull free. Once the outer half was free it
didn't take much force to pull the inner half out from the
trans. If done this way one need to pay attention that one
of the bolts that holds the control arm in place is used to
control the camber adj. Need to make sure that bolt is
returned to same hole and rotated to same place as it was
initially.

Job took about an hr for each side including cleaning up all
the grease from the joints, replace with new grease and
install new boot.

Mickey

Thanks to all who responded. With this knowledge I should be able to
do this job. Hopefully I can do it this weekend in under two hours
with lifetime warranty from Pep Boys. It sounds a lot like removing
the rear half shafts from the back of my Corvette, but with a lot less
time & trouble, and without having a trannny in the middle. (of course
it's my wife who drives the Subie)

================================================
On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 20:54:13 -0500, "newbie2@aohell.com" <aaa@bbb.com>
wrote:

>I have a 1999 Legacy sedan 2.2 (auto trans). I have never done half
>shafts on any car (I always had rear wheel drive cars until 1999).
>
>Can someone tell me the steps to remove & replace the half shafts?
>I have the correct socket for the axle nut. After I remove the
>caliper, rotor & axle nut, does the splined shaft just slide out?
>Do I need any special tools, or do I need to separate the lower ball
>joint? Can I re-use the axle nut? Does anyone know the axle nut torque
>value?
>
>I have 30+ years of automotive skills & all the ordinary tools,
>pullers, acetylene etc, but I have never done half shafts before, so
>any pointers will be greatly appreciated.