axil replace

[mikemrq]

Have a 2001 Cavalier 2.2 engine, what is the proper steps on replacing the passenger side axil? Don't want to figure it out along the way. CV boot is torn open. Would rather just replace the axil.

[colinlesser]

riiiiiiiiiggggttt

[airwave_assassin]

dude i got the same problem....
is there anyway you can just replace that boot?

[colinlesser]

yes

[Classicrocjunkie]

To replace the boot, you have to remove the axle anyways. When i did mine i did them on a lift so it was a pice of cake for me. With the car on the ground loosen the lug nuts, remove wheel and you need a 30mm drive shaft nut socket to remove the big nut. Then get a punch and place it on the shaft and wack it untill it moves freely. Remove the nuts and bolts holding your strut assembly to your control arm. Carfully maneuver the end of the drive shaft out of the hole which was a pain to get it to come out but it does. Then the next step will be to get the drive shaft to pop out of the tranny housing. You have to be extremly careful while doing this so you don't tear the seal or you'll have to replace that as well. Best bet is to get a pry bar and go around the outter edge because they are held in with a retaining clip. Then also have a pan near because you are going to loose some tranny fluid when you remove the passenger side cv shaft. The drive side is sealed. Depending on where you get your new shaft from and if its an auto/manual will depend on wheather or not you will need to transfer a part from the old shaft to the new one. All in all it took me 2 hrs to get all mine swapped out.

[airwave_assassin]

thanks, so since i have to already take it all off you think i should just replace the axle?

[colinlesser]

if you have the money go for it

[03cavPA]

It's a lot of work to replace the boot if you want to do it properly. You have to take the halfshaft out of the car anyway. You can put a split boot on it, but those split boots are junk, never used them.

If you want to replace just the boot, you have to get the one piece boot, take the joint apart, put the new boot on, repack the joint, and put the clamps on the new boot. Lotta work for a CV shaft that has many miles on it, IMO.

I've never bothered to replace boots, since a rebuilt CV shaft with a lifetime warranty is only about 60 bucks. Just replace the shaft once, and be done with it.

That's my $.02. Just follow the steps CRJ gave ya.

[airwave_assassin]

thanks for the advice, i'll get started on that prolly monday, after the dealership fixes my rack and pinion.