Preventative Maintenance: Inner CV boot

[Yodadex]

I noticed when I was rotating the tires the driver Inner CV boot was broken. The outer one looks okay The bearings are not making any noise so I am guessing it's still good.

My question is do I need any special tools to take the axle out? Like a rod end separator or arm puller?

I have air 3/4" and 1/2" impact wrench so that should take out the nut that holds the hub and axle in place.

I am wondering how easy the hub will detach from the lower cross member without damaging anything.

[speedy25]

Heres my take- Removal is easy. Remove the axle nut and separate the ball joint from the control arm. That will let you get the shaft out of the hub. The inner usually comes out easily with a quick pry. DONT try to yank it out. Sometimes they can be buggers though and it takes a LOT of prying on both sides to remove it without damage. Dont forget trans lube WILL leak out.

With the exception of ONE OEM boot, I have had dreadful experiences with "universal" CV boots. They dont fit. They suck! Period. Usually after all the aggravation, you'll just go buy another axle.

-SP

[ganda1f]

If you do not want to take out the joint from the transmission, it is possible to separate the inner joint under the car. New grease is pretty solid so it will not flow out from the cup when you pack it there during reassembly. You won't have to worry about transmission oil leaking out, only the grease from the CV joint.

There is quite a bit of crawling under the car to be done, but it may be worth it compared to risking seals on the transmission. I did it this way when I replaced the boots on the shorter axle. You might consider replacing the outer boot as well, while you have the axle out anyway.

Surely no seals will be damaged if the joint is taken out properly, all I am saying is that there is an alternative. It may be difficult to know how much force is safe to apply, so I chose to separate the joint under the car.

[pdq]

You don't need any special tools, other than your air tools to remove the axle nut. I recommend using a hammer and striking very hard on the knuckle to dislodge the tie rod end. You only need to unbolt 3 bolts from the bottom of the ball joint (leave the ball joint connected to the hub).

If you're willing to spend a bit extra, you may want to just buy a brand new CV axle instead of buying a new boot, clamp, and grease. O'Reilly sells a new (not remanufactured) axle for about $70, and it's the same as the Cardone Select CV (crossbranded). Also, do not buy a remaned axle, as they are notorious for clicking noises.

[Yodadex]

thank you Sirs Ill replace the inner CV without removing the other end out of the transmission.

Ill video the job with my go pro hd camera..... cheers

[ganda1f]

Come to think of it, you will need circlip pliers to remove the tripod from the axle once you separate the joint. Otherwise you cannot slide on the new boot. Surely, the circlip can be removed without special pliers, but it saves a whole lot of aggravation
The axle has splines which the tripod sits on. Wrap those splines with something so that you don't damage the boot when you slide it onto the axle. Then put back the tripod, remember the circlip. Pack the cup that was left in the transmission with grease. Manouver the axle into the cup, while seating the boot on the cup. This is done easiest with help of an assistant that can hold the axle straight while you crawl under the car and put the boot on.
Depending on how much you can move the steering knuckle, you need to consider whether or not to put the outer joint into the hub *first* and then manouver the transmission side into place.
I did not have to disconnect the tie rod, only unbolted the ball joint from lower control arm.