How to repair and replace the axle shaft VAZ 2107 with your own hands

The rear axle is one of the main components of the vehicle's transmission. Not only the driving performance of the car, but also the safety of the driver and passengers depend on the serviceability of its elements. In this article, we will talk about the axle shafts of the VAZ 2107 rear axle, consider the purpose of these parts, the design, possible malfunctions and how to fix them on our own.

What are half-shafts, why are they needed and how are they arranged

In rear-wheel drive cars, which, in fact, refers to the "seven", the rear wheels are leading. It is they who, rotating, make the car move. The torque is transmitted to them from the gearbox through the drive (cardan) shaft, gearbox and axle shafts. There are only two half-axles: one for each rear wheel. Their role is to transfer torque from the corresponding gear of the reducer to the rim.

Axle design

The axle shaft is an all-metal shaft made of steel. At one end of it there is a flange for attaching the wheel disc, and at the other there are slots for engaging with the gear wheel of the reducer. If we consider the semi-axle assembly, then in addition to the shaft, its design also includes:

• oil deflector;
• sealing gasket;
• oil seal (cuff);
• bearing.
  

  In addition to the shaft, the axle shaft also includes an oil deflector, gasket, oil seal and bearing

Each of the axle shafts is installed in the corresponding (left or right) rear axle casing. An oil baffle with a gasket and an oil seal is used to prevent grease from leaking out of the casing. The bearing is designed to ensure uniform rotation of the axle shaft and the distribution of shock loads coming from the wheel to the rear axle of the vehicle.

1 - oil deflector; 2 - gasket; 3 - sealant; 4 - stuffing box; 5 - semiaxis; 6 - casing; 7 - bearing mounting plate; 8 - brake shield; 9 - bearing; 10 - fixing sleeve

The main technical characteristics of the VAZ 2107 axle shafts and their elements

Semi-axles for the "seven" in Russia are produced under catalog number 21030-2403069-00. The right and left parts, unlike some other rear-wheel drive cars, are absolutely identical in the VAZ 2107. They have a diameter of 30 mm (for bearing) and 22 splines. On sale you can also find the so-called reinforced axle shafts with 24 splines, but to install them, you will need to change the design of the gearbox.

Axle bearing

The bearing is exactly the element that accounts for most of the loads. And although its declared resource is about 150 thousand kilometers, it can become unusable much earlier. It all depends on the operating conditions of the car, the serviceability of other transmission parts, as well as the quality of its manufacture. The most reliable, today, are the bearings of the Vologda Bearing Plant, manufactured under the articles 2101–2403080 and 180306. Imported analogues have a catalog number 6306 2RS.

Table: bearing dimensions and specifications 2101–2403080

Position	Index
A type	Ball
Number of rows	1
Direction of loads	Two-sided
Outer/inner diameter, mm	72/30
Width	19
Load capacity dynamic / static, N	28100/14600
Mass, g	350

Stuffing box

The semiaxis collar has a much shorter resource than the bearing, since its main working material is rubber. You need to change it every 50 thousand kilometers. Axle oil seals are available under catalog number 2101–2401034.

Table: dimensions and technical characteristics of the axle shaft seal VAZ 2107

Position	Index
frame type	Rubberized
Type of rubber according to GOST	8752 – 79 Feet
Internal diameter, mm	30
Outer diameter, mm	45
Height, mm	8
temperature range, 0С	-45 - +100

VAZ 2107 semi-axle malfunctions, their causes and symptoms

The main failures of the axle shafts include:

• shaft deformation;
• fracture;
• wear or shearing of splines;
• damage to the thread of the wheel disk.

Deformation

The axle shaft, although made of high-strength steel, can be deformed under high loads. Such a malfunction is often the result of a gearbox jamming, problems in the operation of the bearing, and also getting the corresponding wheel into a deep pothole. A sign of deformation of the axle shaft is a strong vibration of the rim, sometimes accompanied by a rumble, knock, crack.

Fracture

The result of a wheel hitting a pothole, or a strong impact on a bump, may be a fracture of the axle shaft. In this case, the car loses control, as one of the driving wheels stops rotating. If the axle shaft is broken, the gears of the reducer can also fail, so if such a malfunction occurs, it must be checked.

Worn or cut splines

Natural wear of the axle shaft splines can appear after 200-300 thousand kilometers. Their cutting is more common, which occurs when one of the wheels is jammed and the gearbox malfunctions. Also, the splines are cut due to wear on the half-shaft gear teeth, which mesh with them.

A sign of damage to the splines is a crunching sound from the side of the gearbox.

A sign of wear or shearing of the splines is a crunch (crackle) on the side of the axle shaft, which usually occurs when starting or driving downhill. A crunch indicates that the gear teeth are slipping between the half-shaft splines.

Damaged wheel mounting threads

It is quite difficult to damage the threads on the flange, but still such troubles do happen. The reason for this may be non-observance of the tightening torque of the wheel bolts, incorrectly set direction of the bolts when tightening, violation of the threaded pitch on the bolts. A sign of damage to the threads is vertical wheel play, runout in the rear of the machine while driving.

If the listed malfunctions are found, the axle shaft (one or both) must be replaced. It is extremely dangerous to continue driving a car with faulty axle shafts.

Replacing the axle shaft

Consider the process of replacing the semiaxis, its bearing and oil seal in detail. Of the tools you will need:

• balloon wrench;
• a jack and a safety stand (in extreme cases, a stump or a few bricks);
• wheel stops;
• reverse hammer;
• wrenches 8 mm, 17 mm;
• slotted screwdriver;
• Bulgarian;
• round pliers;
• a hammer;
• chisel;
• workbench with a vice;
• blowtorch or gas torch;
• spacer made of wood or soft metal;
• a piece of steel pipe with a wall diameter of 33–35 mm;
• Litol type grease;
• dry clean cloth.

Removing the axle shaft

To dismantle the axle shaft, you should:

1. Park the car on a level surface, place stops under the front wheels.
2. Loosen the wheel bolts with a wheel wrench.
3. Jack up the vehicle body.
4. Unscrew wheel bolts, remove wheel.
5. Using an 8 wrench, unscrew the drum pin guides.
6. Dismantle the drum. If it does not come off the pads, carefully knock it down using a spacer and a hammer.
   

   If the drum does not lend itself, it must be knocked down with a hammer and a spacer
7. Using a 17 wrench (preferably a socket wrench), unscrew the nuts (4 pcs) securing the axle shaft. They are located behind the flange, but they can be accessed through specially provided holes by scrolling the axle shaft.
   

   The bolts are unscrewed with a socket wrench 17
8. Use round-nose pliers to remove the spring washers, which are located under the axle shaft nuts.
   

   Washers are best removed with round-nose pliers or pliers
9. Disconnect the axle shaft from the rear axle by pulling it towards you. If it does not give in, use a reverse hammer. To do this, the tool flange must be screwed to the axle shaft flange with wheel bolts. Sharply moving the weight of the hammer forward, knock out the axle shaft. If a reverse hammer is not in your arsenal of tools, you can use a removed wheel instead. It must be screwed with the reverse side to the axle shaft flange and hit with a hammer on the tire from the inside until the axle shaft comes out of the casing.
   

   If you don't have a hammer, you can use a removed wheel instead.
10. Remove the axle shaft assembly with the bearing and its fixing ring.
    

    The axle shaft is removed assembled with an oil deflector and a bearing
11. Remove the gasket located between the brake shield and the axle shaft flange.
    

    The gasket is installed between the axle shaft flange and the brake shield
12. Using round-nose pliers or pliers, remove the oil seal from its seat.
    

    The gland is removed using round-nose pliers

How to remove a broken axle shaft

If the semiaxis is broken, it will not work to dismantle it in the usual way. But there are other methods as well. If the shaft breaks immediately in front of the flange and its broken end sticks out of the bridge casing, you can weld a piece of reinforcement to it, and then use it to pull out the remainder of the half-shaft.

If the axle shaft breaks inside the casing, you can try to knock it out with a piece of reinforcement inserted from the back of the bridge, after removing the opposite axle shaft. In an extreme case, in order to remove a piece of the shaft, you will have to disassemble the gearbox.

Dismantling and installing the bearing on the axle shaft

When replacing the axle shaft with a new one, it is recommended to replace the bearing, but if the old one is still quite working, you can install it. That's just to remove it, you need to dismantle the retaining ring. For this you need:

1. Fix the axle shaft securely in a vice.
2. Using a grinder, saw through the outside of the ring.
   

   To remove the ring, you need to saw it, and then break it with a hammer and chisel
3. Split the ring body with a chisel and hammer.
4. Remove the remnants of the ring from the shaft.
5. Carefully knock the bearing off the axle shaft using the same tools. Apply blows only to the inner race of the bearing. Otherwise, you will damage it and will not be able to use it further.
6. Inspect the new axle shaft and bearing for factory defects.
   

   Before installing a new bearing, you need to make sure that it is working
7. Remove the rubber boot from the bearing housing.
8. Apply grease between the bearing races.
9. Install the boot in place.
10. Put the bearing on the axle shaft. Be careful: the bearing is installed so that the anther "looks" at the oil deflector.
11. Support a piece of steel pipe against the bearing so that its walls rest against the end of the inner race.
12. By applying light blows with a hammer to the opposite end of the pipe, seat the bearing in its place.
13. Using a blowtorch or gas burner (you can use the burner of a conventional kitchen gas stove), heat the fixing ring. Do not overdo it: you need to heat it not red-hot, but to a white coating on the surfaces.
    

    The ring must be heated until a white coating appears.
14. Using pliers, put the ring on the axle shaft.
15. Shrink the ring by striking it lightly with the back of the hammer. To make it cool faster, pour engine oil over it.
    

    To cool the ring, it can be poured with engine oil.

Oil seal installation

To install a new oil seal, you should:

1. Wipe the seat with a clean, dry cloth.
2. Lubricate the seating surfaces with grease.
3. Lubricate the oil seal itself.
4. Install the part into the seat.
   

   Before installing the oil seal, it must be lubricated with grease.
5. Using a hammer and a piece of pipe, carefully press in the gland.

Installation of a semiaxis

When the bearing and oil seal are installed, the axle shaft can also be installed. Installation is carried out in the following order:

1. We put a sealing gasket.
2. We insert the axle shaft into the casing until it stops. Check how the splines mesh with the gear teeth by turning the axle shaft in different directions.
3. Apply a few light hammer blows to the axle shaft flange to make sure it is seated correctly.
4. Install the spring washers on the axle shaft studs. Install and tighten the axle shaft fastening nuts with a 17 socket wrench.
5. Put the drum on the pads and fix it with the guide pins.
6. Mount the wheel.
7. Check if there is any play in the axle shaft or bearing by trying to wobble the wheel along the vertical and horizontal axes.
8. Lower the body, remove the stops from under the front wheels.
9. Tighten the wheel bolts.
10. Check if the signs of a semi-axle malfunction have disappeared by driving on a flat section of the road.

Video: replacing the half-axle on the VAZ 2107

Replacing the rear axle shaft with VAZ 2101, 2103, 2104, 2105, 2106 and 2107

As you can see, troubleshooting the axle shaft is not so difficult. And for this it is not at all necessary to contact a service station.