I'm doing a clutch on my 98 proetge, and I got the passenger side axle out like a normal car. The driver's side axle, however, won't come out. The genius that designed the tranny put a sweeping aluminum brace around the axle end. Is there a trick to getting that axle out or is it just brute force?

 

HEY! I did that project too. It's tricky, but you have to find a place to pry other than at the base of the axle, and you just have to keep trying. I wouldn't recommend just yanking, but I've been able to pop it out with a prybar on two occasions that I needed to (one time for clutch and the next time when the boot split open on that axle). Sorry to say but it just takes some creativity. Crazy as it sounds, you'll have likely an easier time doing it from the bottom (despite how they put the trans. casing in the way) than from up top (or from the back, if you've got it off the ground enough to be under it like that). All you need to do is catch a solid part of it just enough to bang-pry (as opposed to steady pressure) on it to pop it out. Look for some sort of notch on the base. If you're keeping the same axle, obviously don't pry on the edge of the boot. However if you're replacing the axle, the boot edge might afford you adequate leverage.

Another tipIf you haven't already planned to do so, go ahead and replace all the clutch related stuff. Not the fork or slave cylinder, but rather in addition to the clutch disc, go ahead and replace the pressure plate, the throwout bearing, and the pilot bearing. When I replaced my clutch at ~180,000, I did so mainly because the throwout bearing was making plenty of noise. But when I examined the pilot bearing (pressed into the center of the flywheeleasily changed with softblowing toolsblock of wood, etc, or back of a similar/same diameter socket), the original one was entirely seized up, and had actually worn into the end of the input shaft on the transmission. And if this is your first time doing a clutch (if you're a veteran at this, ignore me lol), don't forget to use the plastic line-up tool that should've come with your kit when you're putting the disc and pressure plate back on. It'll make your life easier.