Snapped a CV axle on the Rubicon trail, trail fix saved the weekend

Two months ago I was out near Loon Lake on the Rubicon and about 15 miles in, my front passenger CV let go with a pop that sounded like a tree branch cracking. I was climbing a granite shelf and the boot had split earlier, so all that grit got in there and chewed the joint apart. I had a spare axle but no proper press or puller, just a socket set, a hammer, and a ratchet strap. My buddy held the hub while I beat on the spindle with a 3 pound sledge, and after about 45 minutes of cursing we got the old one out and the new one seated. The strap trick for holding the axle in place while you thread the nut is the only reason we finished before dark. Has anyone else done a trail-side axle swap without a press, and what did you use to keep the bearing from shifting on you?

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williams9017d ago

Yeah I did the same thing on the Dusy and my "tool" was a spare tire jack and a piece of 2x4 to hold the bearing in place. Worked fine until I dropped the hub on my thumb and spent the next hour wondering why trail fixes always cost more pain than parts.