CV boot replacement

[Ozark Lee]

What tool(s) did you use to remove the circlip?

It becomes a compression fit. I used a big screwdriver to get mine out. It will fight you mightily right up to the point where it just pops out. Others have used a cold chisel as a wedge and tapped at it from below.

I didn't realize that we do not have a writeup. I will be replacing mine (again ) on Wednesday since they are forecasting decent weather in the heartland. I'll snap a few pictures and throw together a writeup on the subject.

...Lee

[myspv]

I'll snap a few pictures and throw together a writeup on the subject.
...Lee

Thank you!

[myspv]

Spice indeed.
I had never done this job before, and now it's done. It was a bit of a pain, but I also wasn't feeling very confident about what I was doing.
I meant to take pictures, and I would have posted them here, but I forgot my camera at home and I was doing this for my mom at her house. I ended up getting the EMPI axle from FCP.
Ozark Lee's suggestion of using a large flat screw driver or chisel from below is spot on. The snap ring thing became much clearer once I had the new axe in-hand. Wedging it out from below worked enough to get the snap ring popped out of its groove, then I used a large crow bar against the transmission to get it the rest of the way out.
Be ready with a pan to catch transmission fluid - a lot more than I expected came out.
I goofed putting the new axle in. The snap ring popped out and got wedged in the splines of the axle. It got pretty mangled so I reused the snap ring from the old axle and filed down the edges so that it wouldn't get caught up again. Reinserting it there shouldn't be too much resistance, but a couple times I coaxed it in with some taps from a hammer. You'll know it when the snap ring snaps into place.
The only other hang-up was dealing with the ball joint spindle removal and refitting.

Question: I get the impression that the passenger side axle is much easier to get out. Is there no snap ring to deal with? Procedure basically the same?

Thanks as always.

[Ozark Lee]

Question: I get the impression that the passenger side axle is much easier to get out. Is there no snap ring to deal with? Procedure basically the same?

The passenger's side is pure cake, the carrier bearing holds the axle in place on its axis so there is no snap ring to pop out. After the axle is removed from the hub it is simply a matter of removing the cap from the carrier bearing and it just slides out.

...Lee

[myspv]

That's good news.
One more: would a new axle come with a new carrier bearing, or is that something that I would need to buy separately?

[tjts1]

Here is my axle story. I picked up a $67 passenger side axle for our 96 NA manual in the spring on 2008 (18 months ago). After about 6 months I noticed that a little bit of grease was already coming out of from where the boot meets the axle. I re tightened the metal straps holding down the boot and hoped for the best. Now after 18 months of use both the inner and outer boots are both cracked badly. There is not grease leaking out yet but its only a matter of time.
When the driver side axle boots started to go last winter I put it off and put it off until this summer when the whole inner fender well was well coated in axle grease. This is thick nasty green stuff. Seeing how poorly the chinese passenger side axle was made, I decided to replace the boots on the driver's side. The kit was $20. When I removed the axle though I found that the boot kit I bought which was specifically for the NA 5 speed didn't fit. The kit came with a small and larger boot. The axle though was large at both the inner and outer boot. I actually had to buy 2 kits and use the large boots from both, discarding the smaller boots. Actually, i have the 2 smaller axle boots hidden away somewhere in the garage if anybody needs one.
I checked the dealer, RPR in the east bay, FCP's online catalog, all had kids with small and large boots. Turns out the old axle was an EMPI axle which is some kind of heavy duty after market brand. Thats probably the reason why it survived for nearly 9 months without ANY boots or grease. All is well now.

I use FCP for most of my parts shopping but the Chinese axles they sell are garbage. I thought there were multiple Chinese brands. Some good, some bad, I was wrong. The one I received was branded WOHN.

Here is some pics of the chinese axle when it arrived.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/224 ... d2eb_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/224 ... 6305_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2120/224 ... ce43_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2214/224 ... 3fbf_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/224 ... df39_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2274/224 ... 4e39_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2056/224 ... 10f6_o.jpg

[Ozark Lee]

One more: would a new axle come with a new carrier bearing, or is that something that I would need to buy separately?

The carrier bearing is part of the axle assembly.

...Lee

[myspv]

Thanks for the response, Lee.

Thanks for the photos, tjts1.

This thread has been extremely helpful...

[Chriss]

I just got an new EMPI left axel shipped for $78
from RWI America http://www.rwiamerica.com/index.html from their EBAy listings..http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Drive-Ax ... 06.c0.m245 Axle was shipped direct from the EMPI warehouse in PA Bought on EBAY and received in 24 hours...

How is IPD $175

My axle LOOKS ok and is EMPI

[myspv]

I know what you mean.
I think the EMPI axle at FCP is $110. When I bought mine I also used a coupon code for 20% off and UPS ground shipping is free. Where I live it arrived the next day.
I like IPD for their reliability in products and customer service, but since they're on the opposite coast it's sometimes less convenient for me to wait. I bet IPD will try to match the prices of their competitors for the same products.