Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
9/11/23 12:46 p.m.

As some of y'all may know, I bought the 06 Baja from doll Raves. Going to pick it up Saturday with my tow dolly. Since it's an automatic and I need to tow dolly at home I'll need to pull the rear drive shaft out. It's been a long time since I've been under a Subaru and I have never had to pull the drive shaft from one. What tools am I going to need to pull the drive shaft out of this one? Anything special?

Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos)
Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/11/23 1:10 p.m.

Uhhh.... Maybe heat shield, center bearing, four bolts on the differential and possibly something else?

10, 12 and 14mm sockets, breaker bar, ratchet, torch (knowing the rust) gloves, curse words. Towels to catch slpilled fluid, plastic bags or something to stuff in the back of the transmission to keep all of the fluid from going into the environment.

I could be way off base, it's been a while since I've done it, too, and it was on a Forester, not a Legacy.  Depending on how things are, you might just be able to unbolt it from the differential, push it forward enough  and then tie it off so it doesn't beat itself silly on the differentia, but removing it completely would probably be better. 

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
9/11/23 2:10 p.m.

That sounds like way too much work.

Ill bring a trailer or spare driver. 

stafford1500
stafford1500 GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/11/23 2:17 p.m.

Trailer... Let me know when and where you want to hitch it up.

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/11/23 5:31 p.m.

... if it does not have a center diff, it should be dolly towable indefinitely.  Worth looking into.

 

Not sure if that vehicle has a center diff or not.  All turbo Subarus do, many non turbo do not.

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
9/11/23 5:38 p.m.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Its an 2006 baja turbo automatic 

So, center diff apparently. 

 

 

Steve: ill let you know when brother dallas gets back to me tomorrow on what his Saturday looks like. I appreciate the trailer offer!

porschenut
porschenut HalfDork
9/12/23 8:11 a.m.

I would not dolly it, I do not think the center diff will like that.  You might want to ask a dealer.

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
9/12/23 8:27 a.m.

Well, brother dallas is going with me, so it looks like a drive and drive!

fornetti14
fornetti14 GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/12/23 5:03 p.m.

I have done this alot with the Subaru's I've bought over the years.  And my buddy has a tow dolly that I can borrow on a monents notice.

Four 12 mm nuts/bolts hold the back of the drive shaft to the rear end.  That's it, nothing else is needed.  I usually keep a bungie cord that I hook to the end of the drive shaft so it doesn't rub on the diff flange, but it's not necessary if you are running around locally in town.  Over 20 miles, you should pull it back a bit.

It cannot fall out because there is a center support bearing, so it can only move forward and backward so much (doesn't fall out of the tail of the trans).

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