CV joints

[Mas1]

How hard is it to install and can you do it yourself.

 

[pauleyman]

How hard is it to install and can you do it yourself.

Very loaded question. What is your skill level? For most of us it's a pretty basic job.

 

[chrysler kid]

Basic questions first to determine if it's an easy job

Have you ever seperated a ball joint from a control arm? Do you own a ball joint separator tool?
If the answer is no, then it may be above your skill level

To most of us, we already have a 36mm axle socket, and impact, and a ball joint removal tool. So its a 1-2 hour job if were being thorough.

If its your first time, plan out a 3-6 hour time frame and expect a hard time removing a ball joint or popping the axles in and out of the trans

 

[steve]

I'll add, depends on what car you have (year and model), which end, how long it's sat outside, if you are changing just the CV (and if so which, inner or outer) or the whole axle.

There are sadly many examples of people discovering that the front axle has rusted into the nut and inner bearing race. Kentucky is usually considered part of the rust belt but it's close.

 

[Mas1]

Very loaded question. What is your skill level? For most of us it's a pretty basic job.

I'm good with the little stuff never tried a job like this before

 

[CKOPOCT]

It is not technically difficult - really just unbolting stuff, removing stuff, replacing stuff, and bolting it all back together. It may seem daunting, but tackling anything big when you have no experience usually is.

Watch a youtube video or three about it. Make sure you have, or have access to, the tools you'll need. Also make sure you have a back-up plan in case you find yourself in a spot you can't get out of (axle nut is rusted solid to the hub, you break a necessary bolt, you can't seem to get the suspension lined back up, etc.). This plan might be knowing which buddy you can have come over, or which shop you can tow the car to... Grab a Chilton's manual if you'd like. Then - get busy! Give yourself several hours to fight with stubborn bolts, stuff not wanting to line up nicely, and rust.

Feel free to post questions and concerns on here. You've got this.

 

[Mech Addict]

Big question: Do you need this car back on the road as daily driver, or can you tolerate having it out of service for a bit if you hit a snag and need more help/tools/parts? I think nearly everyone on this site considers this factor before tearing into things.
Based on your phrasing of the question, your vagueness about "good with the little stuff", and that you haven't set up a vehicle profile so that we can all give more specific guidance, I'd lean toward taking it into a shop. I don't mean any disrespect, honestly, as most DSM enthusiasts like to do their own work, and I would encourage you to develop your skill set to tackle moderate maintenance items like this. If your car is AWD, then there is appreciably more to it (particularly for pass. side) then a FWD. You definitely need jackstands, since it is mandatory to crawl up under the engine bay, and that's not something you risk your life with by using only a scissor-jack.
You may also want to consider replacing the axle seals in the trans, and possibly the wheel seals in the hubs, since getting the axles out is the first step with those tasks (and they have a lifespan of roughly the same as the cv joints). If they are already showing signs of leakage, then definitely do it now.

 

[99dsmer4g63]

As someone who owns both an AWD and FWD car the process of changing a passenger side axle is pretty much the same. Also the people on here suggesting you need to take apart the ball joints are making things too difficult and you are risking damaging the ball joints when trying to separate them. I will make this simple.

If you have a 2g (95-99):

Step 1: Remove cotter pin and axle nut. If you don’t have an impact just buy one if you plan on working on your own car. If not, you can remove the center cap and put the wheel on the ground and use a long breaker bar. Spray lubricant on the front and back of the axle splines in the hub area.

Step 2: Remove the lower trailing arm from under the car. It is the one closest to the rear. It’s two bolts and one is longer then the other. Leave the other side hang at the bottom of the wheel hub.

Step 3: Remove the bolt and nut on the lower control arm. The one that goes through the subframe and the one that the lower shock fork bolts through. Leave the ball joint hang from the bottom for the hub area.

Step 4: Go back to the axle nut and screw the nut on backwards but not the whole way. Smack it with a dead blow hammer and see how stuck it is. If you are just replacing the entire axle, which I recommend, you can destroy it as long as it comes out. This may take a little force depending on the age and rust. A bigger hammer may be needed but damage will occur to the axle. Just break it loose and make sure it slides and then we will come back to it.

Step 5: Use two small pry bars and pop the axle out of the transmission. This will take a little force if it’s your first time there is a small c-clip that retains the axle to the transmission. I like to be on opposite sides of the axle and use a sudden popping motion.

Step 6: While pulling on the wheel hub slide the axle out of the transmission and then slide it above the transmission. Then slide the axle out of the wheel hub and you’ll be able to snake it out from the bottom.

Install is reverse of steps 1-6.

If you own an AWD the driver side has a half shaft (intermediate shaft). It’s bolted to the AC compressor bracket. It’s two bolts. It will slide out of the transmission with no problem. The axle and half shaft are clipped together with a c-clip. I will pull it as one unit and then separate it on the work bench. The FWD passenger and driver are the same as steps 1-6 as well as AWD passenger.

Also if you need me to tell you to jack up the car and use a jack stand and take the wheel off disregard everything I just said.
- Good Luck

 

[Mas1]

Thanks ill give it a try..

 

[Justin DuBois]

Also if you need me to tell you to jack up the car and use a jack stand and take the wheel off disregard everything I just said.
- Good Luck

Nice! True that.