Hi all;
Original member here with original 95 Maxima 5 speed SE bought new and still in near-mint condition

Boots on both axles have split. The bad news is OEM axles are long gone and Value Advantage axle is only available for one side (Although I was never convinced VA axles were good in the first place as the counter fellow insists they are remanufactured - and in China to boot!). The good news is we have CVJ axle here in Colorado that will rebuild our OEM axles. I have read tons of posts here and the instructions on the sticky but had some specific questions for those that have done this job:
1. Do both sides have the circlip retaining ring at the end of the axle that inserts into the transaxle?
2. Can this job really be done if you don't disconnect the tie rod end or the struts?
3. Regarding the circlip, I understand it is best that the opening in the circlip be oriented down such that the assembly slides in easier into the transaxle. Some folks on youtube and the like suggest a dab of wheel bearing grease or even what one youtube fellow called transmission grease (although I have no idea what that is) to hold the circlip in place. But... is this really necessary? Do these clips like to spin around such that the open end rotates around to the top and therefore the closed end droops below the axis of the axle and makes insertion difficult? I really don't like the idea of grease on the end as won't that contaminate w the transaxle fluid? I'm using Redline btw. I would put some Redline on the end of the shaft for sure, but was concerned about these warnings about the circlip apparently spinning if you don't use grease.
4. To remove the grease seals (I figure I should do these), is it best to use a seal puller like made by Lisle or other? I definitely don't want to risk damaging the aluminum transaxle seal area.

TIA for any tips on these questions.

 

The FSM has all the details.
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-man...F1995%2Fmt.pdf
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-man...F1995%2Ffa.pdf

1: Only the left (short) driveshaft has the clip. The right (long) driveshaft has the center bearing support which also holds the shaft in place.
2: You have to remove the struts. No need to touch the tie rods.
3: Use grease or petroleum jelly. Don't over think it. Heck it might not need anything since it is the original.
4: No need to buy a puller. I never had an issue prying them out with a screwdriver or pry bar. Maybe use a non metal tool to be safe. I have a piece of pipe to install the new seal.

 

Thanks! I actually have the hardcopy FSM I bought in 1995 but appreciate those links. I have studied those sections quite a bit. They don't indicate having to remove the strut and most of the youtube videos show leaving it intact so I surmise it just makes the job easier.

Question - what was your experience with the dust covers/shields? My Nissan parts fellow indicates there are four of them altogether, but only two are still available. I'm wondering if Murphy's Law will come into play here and the two that aren't available will crumble into dust during the R&R. And is the grease or petroleum jelly just supposed to keep the circlip oriented with the open end down for easy insertion into the transaxle (I have manual)? The FSM shows a special tool that I figured either does this, OR actually temporarily compresses the ring during insertion. The parts fellow tells me those special tools come from TechMate and only dealers can buy the tools and not resell them.

 

Yes, you're right the FSM says to remove the 2 strut to knuckle bolts and leave the strut in place. I've always removed the strut to get more room.

You should ask the shop doing the rebuild about the shields. They are providing the parts for the rebuild, right?

The grease helps keep the clip centered around the groove so it is easier to insert back into the trans. I don't think orientation of the clip matters. The special tool in the FSM is to protect the seals from tearing/damage.

 

Thanks JSutter.
Yes, the shop is going to completely rebuild the axle including any necessary part, but I don't think that includes any "exterior" parts like dust shields and the like but I will check. That is why I was studying the FSM and talking with my parts fellow about any dust shields I may encounter during the R&R so that if they are damaged or worn, I can have those on hand to replace them. The parts fellow had a difficult time figuring out what dust shield went where on the axle and some were discontinued so I'm hoping any I encounter will be able to be reused or aren't critically necessary. Would an auto parts store have something minor like this?

 

I assume the dust shields it's referring to are the little caps at the inner ends of the axles where they meet the transmission to cover up the axle seals. Those may still be available from Nissan. But if your axles still have them in place I don't think they will need to be replaced unless they're all bent out of shape. I doubt parts stores would carry ones specifically for our cars, but you may get lucky with a generic one if you dig around long enough.

I've never put much thought into the retaining clip on the DS axle or greased it with anything, although I did replace it with a new one a while back to make sure it's nice and tight.