01silvapathy Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) Okay so I changed out my cv shaft last week and I find that this is the easiest and quickest way to change it out. There has been alot of debate on how to take it out and what not but this is what works. My myself with hand tools with the exception of an impact for the lca bolts I did the change in 32 minutes. Before anything put on the parking brake and jack up the front end placing it on jack stands! First off put the truck in 4wd with the hubs locked, and go under the truck and use a 12mm wrench to loosen all the 6 bolts that attach the cv to the front diff. Do this now so as to help stop the axle from turning when you are breaking loose the bolts Next up unlock the hub and take the 6 allen head screws off the hub and remove the cap, careful not to rip the gasket that lies underneath. Remove the snap ring thats inside the hub that holds the cv in and keeps it from slipping out Undo the lower control arm bolts, the one front one and two back bolts Front bolt Rear bolts, crappy pic but there is another bolt on the other side that needs to be removed to let the control arm drop Removing those bolts will allow the control arm to drop Then slide the cv on the diff side downwards while pulling back and out, the cv should slide out with ease What a screwed up cv shows Then re install the cv back into the hub, and sliding back up towards the diff, bolting back into location. Replace the snap ring in the hub and replace the 6 bolts that hold the manual hub cover in. Bolt the lower control arm back into location. and torque everything to spec. New Cv Installed Total time was 32 minutes to complete. Questions or comments leave them, or if you think you have a better way then please share! Edited December 13, 2010 by 01silvapathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddfildvaynes Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) good write up... I need to start taking pics when I do work.... and like you said there are many ways to change them... I found that if you turn your tires all the way to the left for the passenger cv and the right for the drivers; that the cvs come out without having to drop the control arm.... anyways great write up and hopefully it helps out other members Edited December 13, 2010 by muddfildvaynes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 good write up... I need to start taking pics when I do work.... and like you said there are many ways to change them... I found that if you turn your tires all the way to the left for the passenger cv and the right for the drivers; that the cvs come out without having to drop the control arm.... anyways great write up and hopefully it helps out other members Thats an interesting idea right there! Next time I have a busted cv I will be trying that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) Hey, thanks for that awesome write-up! I need to do that soon because I have a torn inner boot on the passenger side. Did you replace the whole axle or just a boot? Also, when you installed your Warn hubs, you replaced the snap ring on the drive axle? I thought you could leave it off, but it seems like a much better idea to put it back on. --Howie Edited December 13, 2010 by Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 Yes, its alot easier to replace the entire axle. I get mine from Orilleys cause they come with a lifetime warranty. Its good cause its basically paying for one axle then you just get another when it breaks. As far as the snap ring with the manual locking hubs. You MUST replace the snap ring. It keeps the cv in the hub thus driving your wheel. If its not there the end of the cv can move back and forth and even come out which could break things and cause alot of damage I could imagine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Yes, its alot easier to replace the entire axle. I get mine from Orilleys cause they come with a lifetime warranty. Its good cause its basically paying for one axle then you just get another when it breaks. As far as the snap ring with the manual locking hubs. You MUST replace the snap ring. It keeps the cv in the hub thus driving your wheel. If its not there the end of the cv can move back and forth and even come out which could break things and cause alot of damage I could imagine. I was going to replace just the boot because I like to have stock parts on the car. However, if O'Reilly's has a lifetime warranty, I'll just do that. Then I can keep the old axle, replace the boot on that one, and have a spare ready to go! I replaced the snap rings this morning. I figured that they were fitted to the drive flanges and wouldn't work with the Warn hubs, but after reading your post I looked at it again and saw the grooves in the axle were still exposed, so I just put the snap rings back on. Good thing I hadn't driven it yet! I gotta call O'Reilly's now to order my new axle! Thanks again for all your help. I love this forum! --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Great writeup. That's exactly how I do it. One thing to check with o'reilly is the fine print , if there is any. In my neighborhood, I also found a place where the half-shaft are guaranteed for life, but talking with them about the specifics, they told me they do not replace it if the boot is damaged or teared. So basically I can bring them a shaft snapped in two as long as the boots are ok .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 I was going to replace just the boot because I like to have stock parts on the car. However, if O'Reilly's has a lifetime warranty, I'll just do that. Then I can keep the old axle, replace the boot on that one, and have a spare ready to go! I replaced the snap rings this morning. I figured that they were fitted to the drive flanges and wouldn't work with the Warn hubs, but after reading your post I looked at it again and saw the grooves in the axle were still exposed, so I just put the snap rings back on. Good thing I hadn't driven it yet! I gotta call O'Reilly's now to order my new axle! Thanks again for all your help. I love this forum! --Howie That is the one downside to the lifetime warranty, you have to bring them back your old cv. When you go purchase your cv its like a little over 100 bucks, then when you bring back your old one half that is refunded bringing the cost down to 50 bucks. Just have to keep that one in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 You don't have to replace the snap rings. I've removed/installed mine many times and they are still fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Great writeup. That's exactly how I do it. One thing to check with o'reilly is the fine print , if there is any. In my neighborhood, I also found a place where the half-shaft are guaranteed for life, but talking with them about the specifics, they told me they do not replace it if the boot is damaged or teared. So basically I can bring them a shaft snapped in two as long as the boots are ok .... You can get a new boot for $8, put that on the old CV, and then get a new one. Total cost: $8 plus time to replace the boot. Most people wouldn't do that, but I would... --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) Okay, so my local O'Reilly has the half-shaft in stock for $70, but the replacement boot is just $10.50. My plan is to attempt to replace the boot. If I can't do it (which will depend on whether I can get that tripod joint/spider assembly apart), then I will just go get the whole axle and be done with it. The core charge is for a remanufactured shaft. If you get a new one, then you don't have to bring back your old one. At this store, the remanufactured one is $60 after core charge, and new one is $70, so I'd rather pay the extra $10 and keep my old axle, especially if I can put a new boot on it. If you guys are interested in pictures of the half-shaft disassembly let me know and I'll take some. --Howie Edited December 13, 2010 by Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Okay, so my local O'Reilly has the half-shaft in stock for $70, but the replacement boot is just $10.50. My plan is to attempt to replace the boot. If I can't do it (which will depend on whether I can get that tripod joint/spider assembly apart), then I will just go get the whole axle and be done with it. The core charge is for a remanufactured shaft. If you get a new one, then you don't have to bring back your old one. At this store, the remanufactured one is $60 after core charge, and new one is $70, so I'd rather pay the extra $10 and keep my old axle, especially if I can put a new boot on it. If you guys are interested in pictures of the half-shaft disassembly let me know and I'll take some. --Howie Get a lot of towels, this is messy. Also hope that your boot was not ripped too long ago or else you`ll be doing all this for nothing if sand/dirt got in the balls and race of the cv... Good luck. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 good write up... I need to start taking pics when I do work.... and like you said there are many ways to change them... I found that if you turn your tires all the way to the left for the passenger cv and the right for the drivers; that the cvs come out without having to drop the control arm.... anyways great write up and hopefully it helps out other members This is also what I do. No need to drop the arm for me! But great to see more write ups being done. Maybe a bunch of people could do write ups on common and uncommon jobs, start a sticky, and just post them in there. Have the job title at the start to make the search easier, you know? Or maybe not? Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Get a lot of towels, this is messy. Also hope that your boot was not ripped too long ago or else you`ll be doing all this for nothing if sand/dirt got in the balls and race of the cv... Good luck. S. That's a really good point. You just helped me make up my mind to replace the entire shaft, because I have no idea how long that boot was ripped. I'll replace the shaft, then when I have time I'll open up the old one and clean it out as best I can, then replace the boot on it and keep it as a spare. --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zibi Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Get a lot of towels, this is messy. Also hope that your boot was not ripped too long ago or else you`ll be doing all this for nothing if sand/dirt got in the balls and race of the cv... Good luck. S. Short version is the chances of the CV shaft breaking due to running for an extended period are slim to none unless you've been doing lots of stupid stuff with it or doing a lot of offroad driving. My brother worked for a local Nissan dealership for a few years and through him I've gotten to know the service manager there. He's been the service manager for a couple years, and prior to that was a tech for 25 or so years. Anyhow, in the Spring of 2008 I had a mechanic point out that my CV boot was torn. I was doing 60+ hour weeks so didn't have the time (or energy) to do anything about it. Fast forward about 6 months, I took it in to get replaced. I told my friend that I'm now a poor student and would like to avoid replacing the shaft, and would just like to replace the boot. He told me that Nissan policy is to always replace the entire shaft, but that in his entire career he'd never actually seen a CV shaft broken. If they get fskced up enough they'll start to make an audible clicking sound when you turn, but he's had clients who have been driving like that for extended periods and still never had an actual failure. Anyway I just replaced the boot and over two years later still no problems, and I drove across province and all around the rural interior during spring thaw and did some mild wheeling with the boot torn. Of course it's different if you abuse it or are hard on it, but if you're just doing mostly road driving torn boot doesn't mean much, they're stout little joints and will give fair warning before they actually go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Great thread. Good job, Andrew. good write up... I need to start taking pics when I do work.... and like you said there are many ways to change them... I found that if you turn your tires all the way to the left for the passenger cv and the right for the drivers; that the cvs come out without having to drop the control arm.... anyways great write up and hopefully it helps out other members This is what I did when I replaced mine. Worked like a charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Turning the wheels all the way to the left did NOT work for me. I still had to drop the lower control arm, and it was a bitch because those bolts are torqued on tight! Not to mention they've been on there for 10 years. Anyway, I finally got them off and was able to remove the axle. The spider joint was in really good shape. Even though the boot was torn, enough grease stayed in there to coat everything really well, so it was smooth as silk. Unfortunately, I did not have a press to remove the spider joint from the shaft, which meant I couldn't remove the slide joint housing, and hence couldn't change out the boot. I need to find a shop with a press so I can finish the job. Meanwhile, I just installed a new CV shaft from O'Reilly's. Does anyone know if the right and left axles are interchangeable? Also, has anyone removed that spider joint without using a press? I banged away at it (carefully), but couldn't get it to budge. --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 21, 2010 Author Share Posted December 21, 2010 I dont see why they wouldnt be interchangable....I am wondering now cause I have a spare with a torn boot that came off the drivers side...god forbid I break one on the trail and its the passenger one...I wonder if it will work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 You should totally replace the boot and carry it as a spare. But do you really want to be changing that out on the trail? Easier to unlock your hubs and limp home. --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 21, 2010 Author Share Posted December 21, 2010 You should totally replace the boot and carry it as a spare. But do you really want to be changing that out on the trail? Easier to unlock your hubs and limp home. --Howie Yeah true, im saying if I was in the middle of a trail for which I needed 4wd and a cv happens to break or snap id be able to take it off and replace it...leaving the trail under my own power atleast. I dont see how it would be any more difficult to replace a cv on the trail vs the driveway...just get a tad bit more dirty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Meanwhile, I just installed a new CV shaft from O'Reilly's. Does anyone know if the right and left axles are interchangeable? Also, has anyone removed that spider joint without using a press? I banged away at it (carefully), but couldn't get it to budge. --Howie yes they are interchangeable.. same part number both sides. The spider joint was easily removed by 1 or 2 hit well placed on it... you did remove the snap ring ? I used a vise to hold it and frankly it came right off... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 (edited) Sweet! Now I'm glad that I replaced it and kept a spare. I need a vise. I'm sure I could've gotten it off if I'd had one. The picture in the FSM shows putting it in a press where it hangs down from the spider joint, and then you press the axle out of it. How did you use the vise? Did you grip it by the axle with the spider joint facing down, and then hit the spider joint off? I think that's what I would do. And yes, I did remove the snap ring. I saw that in the FSM. How did you get everything so clean? Mine had retained most of the (white) grease, and it was all over everything. Wiping it down only seemed to spread it around. You must have a parts washer. --Howie Edited December 21, 2010 by Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleurys Posted December 21, 2010 Share Posted December 21, 2010 Sweet! Now I'm glad that I replaced it and kept a spare. I need a vise. I'm sure I could've gotten it off if I'd had one. The picture in the FSM shows putting it in a press where it hangs down from the spider joint, and then you press the axle out of it. How did you use the vise? Did you grip it by the axle with the spider joint facing down, and then hit the spider joint off? I think that's what I would do. And yes, I did remove the snap ring. I saw that in the FSM. How did you get everything so clean? Mine had retained most of the (white) grease, and it was all over everything. Wiping it down only seemed to spread it around. You must have a parts washer. --Howie I used it exactly like it is on the picture and hit the spider witha rubber hammer (whatever you call this)... and for the cleanliness, you can see on the second picture a white bucket... I filled this with paint thinner I think or acetone... Get yourself a good pair of rubber glove that can resist acetone and you'll be able to clean this out in no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
180sx Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 Quick question. Is there any special kind of grease to use? I have a spare shaft and boots, and am about to do this, but wasn't sure if there was a recommended grease. Jose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howie Posted December 22, 2010 Share Posted December 22, 2010 I used it exactly like it is on the picture and hit the spider witha rubber hammer (whatever you call this)... and for the cleanliness, you can see on the second picture a white bucket... I filled this with paint thinner I think or acetone... Get yourself a good pair of rubber glove that can resist acetone and you'll be able to clean this out in no time. So if it was like in the picture, then you had to hit UPWARDS with the rubber mallet? Because the spider would have come off the top end, right? --Howie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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