i used the search to the best of my ability...recently i was under my car and i'm noticing a bunch of grease and goo on my passenger side...this is a sign of the cv boot going bad right? if so, is changing the boot a DIY and is there a link or site i can use...every auto store i go to does not have a chilton's manual!!

 

Yup thats usually a sign of a bad cv boot chavge it soon before dirt gets in or it will need a new joint as well. Dont know of any sites but its usually straight forward

 

Yes...its a DIY job...what you really need is to take off the wheel on the side, take apart the brake assembly (rotor, calipers...etc.) Then, get a hammer and hammer out the axle from the hub, but if its the right side...there are three screws that bolt the axle to something(I forget what it is)...after this the axle slides right out...I'm gonna warn ya like Matt93se, and DanNY did me....either drain your tranny before starting or get a nice size bucket or bowl to collect the tranny fluid that is going to spew from the tranny when you pull the axle out. You will need a 36mm Hub socket..(pep boys...about $13-$15 dollars) before you hammer out the axle...hope that helps...do everything in reverse to put back

**disclaimer**
although I have done this, I can not accept any responsibilty for any damage that might occur to your car when YOU do the same.

 

depending on how many miles are on that joint, u might wanna consider replacing the whole axle, as its not much more expensive (considering u pay to get a new boot to get put on) and once a mechanic told me that once the boot is gone and u drive on it for one day that u might as well get a new axle because so much of the life of the joint has been lost...

 

Hey and for a chilton's Try ebay, i got mine from there.... Amazon probably has one too....

 

I just found my left inner CV boot is broken and I want to replace it as well. I talked to the inspection place (that failed me) yesterday and they quote 1.5 hrs +$95 (parts) for an axel replacement. I want to do it myself. Do I need some special tools? I have watched someone do it and it took the mechanic some time to get the lower arm off so he can take the hub bearing out then yank the axel (on my Honda). I wonder if this is the same for my Max. Will the axel slide out or I need to get a special pry tool? Do I need to puller to get the steering nuckle off?

Also, after taking it off, what do I do to clean the joint? What grease do I need to put it back on?

Thanks.
- AC

 

IMO...only if you have done a CV boot swap and is experienced on doing so should you do the CV boot swap yourself.
otherwise i HIGHLY recommend getting a rebuilt/remanufactured axle from your local parts store (if you want to do it yourself).

one grain of sand will basically mess up the CV boot rebuilt. parts alone will cost 1/2 the cost of a rebuilt unit and it's 10 times messier replacing the boot. but if you feel the need to be elbow deep in grease and want to take a chance..go for it.

pass side is harder to do than the driver side due to carrier bearing.

special tools? 36mm socket...impact wrench makes life easier..or else you'll just end up jumping on the breaker bar to get the axle nut off.

 

Thanks.

One thing I have to confess that is I try to search for previous post but to no avail. When I type in the "CV boot" to search and it says the search requires a 3 letter mininum.

I digged more and found that Matt93SE has posted a detail instruction under the post titled - 11 second Maxima (who will think this is a CV boot replacement?) I also found pics of replacing the CV boots -

http://www.ee.utulsa.edu/~mblehm/pic.../car/cv_boots/

One special tool I need for sure is beer.

-AC

 

i'm pretty sure if u ask matt if he would do it again..he'll tell u no.

 

i did the cv boot w/no experience. it was a challenge...finished in 3hr. Here's some tips:
you're gonna need a huge socket to bust off the axle nut. It's like 27mm I think. Check first. Also, have an impact wrench or huge rachet to go with it.
The rear arm that controls steering can be popped off if you take the bottom nut off, then bang horizontally on the pivot w/a hammer. Don't whack the bolt upwards...hit the joint from the side.
Drain some tranny fluid or the fluid will dump out when you remove the axle. Removing the axle is a 2person job...you can do it with 1, but I'm not strong enuf to hold while pulling.
Remove the old boot by cutting. To pop the joint out, hold the opposite end and dangle the joint. Whack the outter rim of the joint downwards. It helps to have 1 person hold the axle and the other whacks.
To install the bands, you're supposed to use a CV boot tool. It really gets the band tight. However, I've never seen it sold in consumer auto parts store. My dad's a mechanic so he had one.
Good luck!

what happens when a joint fails? how often have you heard of a joint failing? I wouldn't replace an axle unless it's making noise.

Jae

 

YOu are wrong on certain things....one the axle nut is a 36mm, which makes me question what car you did this on...couldn't have been a max. ALso pulling the axle out is a one man Job. It took me about 5.5hrs. but I had to run to the store 4 times until I got the right size axle nut, a 45 minute drive both ways...which is 2.5 hrs...this makes work time 3 hrs for the first time by myself.

If the joint fails...your car becomes undrivable..ask your dad...I thought he was a mechanic..??

 

36....it was huge, i remember that part, but i don't remember the size
I have my reasons for not replacing the axle and I've heard my dad's reasons. I was wondering what members thought about replacing the axle.
I was thinking, the axle's held in by a ring. Maybe your ring's not fitted correctly and that's why you didnt' have a problem pulling it out?
Jae

 

I was at the dealership last week and looking around. I saw the correct "joint separator". It's a crescent shaped (this part goes over the part you whack) and a rod that's perpendicular to the crescent (so it'll be parallel to the axle). I didn't have a chance to ask the parts guy how much the tool was. I thought it was kinda cool cuz the fsm just says something like "use proper tool".
Jae

 

I replaced my halfshafts this weekend. They wouldn't have been too bad had someone not messed with the brakes and... well anyways...

Front Left:

1. Remove Master Cylinder lid and watch to make sure no brake fluid leaks out.
2. Get a large clamp and compress caliper slowly, watching master cylinder. When compressed, remove caliper.
3. Remove caliper bridge bolts (the two with boots on them.)
4. Remove bigass nut and kotter pin.
**If you leave the bolts on the control arm you won't need an alignment. If you remove them, be sure to mark/score their position and maybe you'll get lucky, but chances are your camber will be out of whack.PS, you can do this w/out removing the tie rod too.**
5. Remove three bolts in bottom of assembly, but not the control arm bolts.
6. Remove the axle/cv shaft from the wheel assembly and tie the assembly back out of the way (you want a straight shot in and out w/the shaft)
7. Yank the shaft out. Be sure to have drained your tranny fluid. Also, make sure the little gasket in the tranny side is in good shape or just buy a new one anyway.
8. Reverse process.

I have to tell you, the driver side only took me and my mechanic dad (with impact and all tools available) about 25 minutes from jack up to the end, including a brake job. It is nice to have an extra hand in pulling the assembly out of the way, but not necessary. The Pass. side was a pain, and took hours.

Did I miss anything? Please update if I did. This forum is great and I have been lurking a while since I bought my 91 GXE a couple weeks ago. Maybe I can add something from time to time.

I have to go use the search function some more before someone beats me up.

Pete

 

Front Right:

I don't want to talk about it.


Pete

 

i appreciate the feedback, but i think i might just ahead and let the dealership do it since it sounds like its a pretty detail job to do and since i'm not a mechanic, but slightly mechanically inclined, i'm not goin to tackle the job...i have a friend who works at nissan and i think he can get me a deal on doing the boot!! thanks once again!!

 

or take it to your fav mechanic.
Jae

 

I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, AND WITHIN A WEEK MY AXLE STARTED TO CLICK WHEN I TURNED TO THE RIGHT. IT'S GETTING FIXED AS I WRITE THIS, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT.

 

boot costs $14. axle costs over $85. I don't see how cost isn't a factor when choosing to replace or not to replace.
if you're jsut getting the boot done, make sure they clean out the old grease really good. a crappy/shady mechanic won't cuz he knows the old stuff's dirty and will screw up your joint, forcing you to go back and get the whole axle replaced.
do the boot yourself so you know it's done right. you can also personally inspect the joint to see if the bearings are pitting, which is an indication of joint failure.
Jae

 

Well I have spent 2 days getting quotes from various independant shops and even the local dealership. My passenger outer boot is torn, and since they say this side is the toughest, I will NOT attempt to do it on my own. Here are the ranges of prices I got:

Dealership = Boot ($177) Axle ($553)

Independants = Boot ($69-$150) Axle ($150-310)

I made an appointment for the $69 boot change. I trust this guy since he was the one who did my timing belt 15K ago, and I have had no problems since then.

But.......what should be the average price for a boot swap as well as the halfshaft???

 

Just replace the whole joint, it's going to die within a year anyway... When the boot goes, it's generally a sign that the CV joint is following behind... Don't do it at a dealership, my mechanic charged me $215 for the whole deal... $215.13 to be exact... For the passenger side, no less.

 

depends. superdesi, did you just notice the grease yesterday? Was it lotsa grease coming out? If it's minor, you can just get the boot changed. If you've got $ to do the whole axle, that's even better.
Jae

 

It's exactly what happened to mine, and if you go talk to mechanics or just try to get a general concensus, they'll all say the same thing... It's going to die within a year anyway.
Mine died almost exactly a year from when the boot disintegrated, it was off by like, 3 days... And yes, I did get the boot fixed...

 

You J - did you eventually get this fixed or what?

My INNER Driver side CV boot has been popped since few months now...I can get an axle from autozone for about $60 bucks.

Im thinking about replacing the axle myself, let me know if u did it and how bad the install is!

PJ

 

Axle install is relatively easy. I used to love doing them when I worked in a shop...took about half the charged time to do it. Get a manual and go for it man!

 

I have both a Haynes and a Nissan FSM - I def. want to do it myself - just need time,tools and a lil motivation

 

you need a 36mm socket....some elbow grease...some jack stands...and a lift would be nice but not necessary...most of all you'll need some time....like a whole saturday..

 

pj, naw playa, i haven't did the job or gotten it done....had to put that strut boot on today and once i saw tha grease, i was quickly reminded..lmao!!! like you, i want to do it myself, but they say the passenger side is pretty hard to do...........i do however know a crackhead mechanic (they do good work to my surprise) that i need to talk to and see what he can do/say..

 

never underestimate the power to good crack

We should do another install party - ill bring the left axle u bring your right. I also have the FSM which should cover all steps in detail if the haynes does not.

Unless someone can do it for less than $50, id rather do it myself and know its done right

 

I did it myself in about 3 hours and that included all the beating it took to get the joint off of the axle in order to put the new boot on. I am lucky to have a parts washer so it was easy for me to clean the joint REALLY WELL. The only thing i had to do to get the axle out was take the 3 bolts on the bottom arm off and i took 2 nuts off of the strut and only loosened the 3rd nut (front outside nut). and then i could swing the strut and brake assembly outward and back and slide the axle out after i had removed the "hugeass nut". I pulled it out of the tranny and... rebuilt and reversed the prosses... i think it was quite easy. The bood was only 10$ from the partsbin.com. go for it, its easy and even if it does go bad in a year or two, you still learned something. is that so bad

 

When my cv joints went I had the them done by a shop where i live. They took my car right in and took the old shaft off and put on a new one in about 30 min and it only cost me 135.00 per side. thast really cheap around here because we called around first and some place wanted 300 per side, what a rip.