replaced front CV boots

[mbtoloczko]

It wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected, but it was way more messy than I expected. To make enough clearance to pull the axle stub out of the steering knuckle, I removed the upper strut-to-knuckle bolt, loosened the lower one, and then tilted the knuckle outward. To get the half-shaft out of the car, I had to disconnect the swaybar from the endlinks (on both sides of the car) and rotate the sway bar up and out of the way. Then I could draw the halfshaft out. The messy part was dealing with all the grease. I went through half a roll of paper towels cleaning up the grease on the inner and outer CV joints. Rather than using the new CV boot clamps, I reused the older ones. They looked to be much easier to tighten down than the new ones.

[Chiketkd]

That's essentially the same process the Svxfiles and I went through last winter when installing some rebuilt front axles into my car.

The grease is definitely a real pain!

-Chike

[Earthworm]

So would you do it again?

[mbtoloczko]

Originally Posted by Earthworm

So would you do it again?

Yep. It was relatively easy. I was lucky too though. I didn't have to throughly clean the outer CV joint that had the ripped boot. I noticed the ripped boot on the day it happened. Saved me the trouble of dissassembling and cleaning the outer CV joint which more complicated than the inner one. The inner one is super easy to disassemble and reassemble.

[pavanbabut]

Originally Posted by mbtoloczko

Yep. It was relatively easy. I was lucky too though. I didn't have to throughly clean the outer CV joint that had the ripped boot. I noticed the ripped boot on the day it happened. Saved me the trouble of dissassembling and cleaning the outer CV joint which more complicated than the inner one. The inner one is super easy to disassemble and reassemble.

Hi,
I am also looking at performing the same kind of job. I have to change my outer CV boot on front passenger side. Thinking of replacing whole with a reman one, but it costs like $89 + $80-core. If changing the boot itself is preffered, can you make a write-up on how you performed the job.

thanks,
-Pavan

[mbtoloczko]

Originally Posted by pavanbabut

Hi,
I am also looking at performing the same kind of job. I have to change my outer CV boot on front passenger side. Thinking of replacing whole with a reman one, but it costs like $89 + $80-core. If changing the boot itself is preffered, can you make a write-up on how you performed the job.

thanks,
-Pavan

Hope its not too detailed...

1) Jack up front end and put front of car on jackstands.
2) Remove both front wheels.
3) Disconnect endlinks from front swaybar (14 mm).
4) Rotate swaybar up.

Now referring to the side of the car where you want to remove the half-shaft.

5) Slide under the car and drive the rollpin out of the inner CV joint where it slides onto the tranny spline. You'll need a 3/16" straight punch.
6) Now back to the axle nut... Pop the metal dust cover off the hub.
7) Pry up bent part of the axle nut. I had to grind off the bent part with a dremel tool.
8) Loosen the axle nut. Its a 32 mm nut. You'll need a breaker bar with an extension. Have someone step on the brakes while you lean on the breaker bar. I broke my breaker bar loosening the nut, but it was a Craftsman, so I got a new one for free the next day. :-)
9) Loosen the lower strut-to-knuckle nut (19 mm). It might be a bit corroded use some PB blaster or Liquid Wrench.
10) Match-mark the upper strut-to-knuckle *bolt head* to the strut flange, and then remove the upper strut-to-knuckle nut and bolt. The suspension knuckle can now be leaned outward.
11) Getting back under the car... Slide the inner CV joint off the tranny output spline and position it further towards the back of the tranny.
12) Remove the axle nut and pull the axle out of the hub and bring it forward. Then the half-shaft can be drawn out in front of the hub. Be careful not to damage the wheel bearing seal and be careful not to contaminate the grease in the wheel bearing area with crud.

With the half-shaft on a clean benchtop...

13) Remove clamps on inner CV boot and slide the boot down the shaft. Do not destroy the clamps. You'll want to reuse those clamps rather than use the new ones that come with the boot.
14) Pry out the retaining ring on the inside of the inner CV body.
15) Separate the inner CV body from the CV guts. I kept track of the orientation of the CV innards with the CV body.
16) Wipe off all the grease.
17) Remove the circlip on the end of the half-shaft and slide the CV innard off the half-shaft.
18) Remove the clamps on the outer CV boot and slide the boot off the shaft.
19) Wipe off the excess grease from the outer CV innards.
20) Degrease and clean the half-shaft. Get it very clean so that you do not contaminate the CV grease with crud when you slide the new boots on.
21) Slide the new outer CV boot onto the shaft.
22) Apply grease to the outer CV boot innards.
23) Slide the boot on and reinstall the clamps.
24) Slide inner CV boot clamp and CV boot on shaft.
25) Reassemble the inner CV joint.
26) Grease the CV joint, put boot on, and clamp it.
27) Reinstall half-shaft into car. Again be careful not to contaminate the wheel bearing grease.
28) Torque specs: strut-to-knuckle nut = 110 ft-lbs. Axle nut = 137 ft-lbs.

[pavanbabut]

Originally Posted by mbtoloczko

Hope its not too detailed...

1) Jack up front end and put front of car on jackstands.
2) Remove both front wheels.
3) Disconnect endlinks from front swaybar (14 mm).
4) Rotate swaybar up.

Now referring to the side of the car where you want to remove the half-shaft.

5) Slide under the car and drive the rollpin out of the inner CV joint where it slides onto the tranny spline. You'll need a 3/16" straight punch.
6) Now back to the axle nut... Pop the metal dust cover off the hub.
7) Pry up bent part of the axle nut. I had to grind off the bent part with a dremel tool.
8) Loosen the axle nut. Its a 32 mm nut. You'll need a breaker bar with an extension. Have someone step on the brakes while you lean on the breaker bar. I broke my breaker bar loosening the nut, but it was a Craftsman, so I got a new one for free the next day. :-)
9) Loosen the lower strut-to-knuckle nut (19 mm). It might be a bit corroded use some PB blaster or Liquid Wrench.
10) Match-mark the upper strut-to-knuckle *bolt head* to the strut flange, and then remove the upper strut-to-knuckle nut and bolt. The suspension knuckle can now be leaned outward.
11) Getting back under the car... Slide the inner CV joint off the tranny output spline and position it further towards the back of the tranny.
12) Remove the axle nut and pull the axle out of the hub and bring it forward. Then the half-shaft can be drawn out in front of the hub. Be careful not to damage the wheel bearing seal and be careful not to contaminate the grease in the wheel bearing area with crud.

With the half-shaft on a clean benchtop...

13) Remove clamps on inner CV boot and slide the boot down the shaft. Do not destroy the clamps. You'll want to reuse those clamps rather than use the new ones that come with the boot.
14) Pry out the retaining ring on the inside of the inner CV body.
15) Separate the inner CV body from the CV guts. I kept track of the orientation of the CV innards with the CV body.
16) Wipe off all the grease.
17) Remove the circlip on the end of the half-shaft and slide the CV innard off the half-shaft.
18) Remove the clamps on the outer CV boot and slide the boot off the shaft.
19) Wipe off the excess grease from the outer CV innards.
20) Degrease and clean the half-shaft. Get it very clean so that you do not contaminate the CV grease with crud when you slide the new boots on.
21) Slide the new outer CV boot onto the shaft.
22) Apply grease to the outer CV boot innards.
23) Slide the boot on and reinstall the clamps.
24) Slide inner CV boot clamp and CV boot on shaft.
25) Reassemble the inner CV joint.
26) Grease the CV joint, put boot on, and clamp it.
27) Reinstall half-shaft into car. Again be careful not to contaminate the wheel bearing grease.
28) Torque specs: strut-to-knuckle nut = 110 ft-lbs. Axle nut = 137 ft-lbs.

Great write-up thanks for ur time. In any case, do you have some pics? Can you let me know how much it cost for you?

thanks,
-Pavan.

[mbtoloczko]

Sorry, no pics. My hands were completely covered in grease. Both boots + clamps + grease (comes in a kit) cost about $25 from 1stsubaruparts.com (866 528 5282, ask for Jason in parts). Get an axle nut too. Those are about $3.