Ok,

Here's something to keep you busy in between all the "What size tire can I use" posts. hehe

I am installing new drive-axles on my Maxima. This transmission is the VLSD from an Infiniti I-30 Touring. I installed it in my car about a year and a half ago. I have about 105,000 miles on this car and have never changed the axles (or CV's). CV's are known to go bad on cars as soon as 50,000. I'm really surprised they have lasted as long as they have.

I started looking at new axles about 3 months ago, when I started to hear the "CV clicking" noise, commonly identified with CV joints going bad. Click is heard when going around corners, or backing in or out when the wheels are turning. I figured if I was going to do it....I would go ahead and do both. Since I am in the "driveline performance arena" I decided to look for someone who could manufacturer CV's that would be stronger than stock. I found someone who built these prototypes for me, with the agreement that if they were the right balance and could hold up to abuse I could give it, I would exclusively be offering these axles to you guys. Don't ask me where I got them built, cause I ain't gonna tell you.

This series of posts will deal with the removal and installation of BOTH axles. Sit back and enjoy the show.

This is a tell-tale sign of a bad CV. Just the sight of that heavy grease on a $600 wheel is enough to make you throw-up.


Here is the view of the grease that came from the CV boot that just happened to rip 3 days after I got my new axles. I wasn't really ready to do the installation, but this tear in the CV boot got me off my ***.



To remove the axles, all you need to do is unbolt the two bolts that hold the spindle to the strut assembly, and the big nut in the center of the axle. When you do that, you can tap out the axle from the wheel hub.


This is the passenger side axle out of the car. There is a bracket that holds the axle at the half-way point because of the length. This is held to the engine by three bolts. This axle was out of the car in 20 minutes.


This is the drivers-side of the car with the axle removed. You will have to "tap" the other side the the axle to push the "c" pin out and release the axle from the transmission. I did it with a long punch and a hammer.


This is the drivers-side axle out of the car.


These are the NEW axles. I am waiting on a few parts (new seals, new end-link bushings, pins, etc). I will go into more detail on some of these things when I finish up the installation on Thursday.


STAY TUNED.............

 

Excellent photographs!

 

Yeah, it a Sony Mavica FD 88. Its a little big, but I like the fact it uses the floppy discs. I can post very fast.

Stay tuned.

Me

 

Don,

Missed you by about 3 months on this post. I had to replace my pass side CV's this summer the week after I bought new wheels and the boot blew grease all over the inside of the RF. I sure could have used your pics and instructions to get through it. Without a manual (and me never having done a CV before), it took me about 4 hours total to replace the boot (if I'd replaced axle, it would have been half as long, but it took forever to get the new stupid boot on...).

Thanks for the pics and keep us posted on how those axles perform. I'm sure my driver side inner boot (replaced outer under warrty at 90k miles) is not long for this world...

-kev

 

costing you?

Matt P.

 

I look forward to your posts the most on this BBS. Very pertanent info and useful to young car enthusiasts such as myself. Thanks for the great research.....press on and enjoy the ride!

 

I'm doing all the labor myself of course, and the axles aren't cheap, but hopefully they will be stronger. There really isn't a way to tell if they are stronger or not, unless I TRY to break them. Otherwise they may last another 100,000 miles.

 

I think my driver side CV joint has small leak. I'm thinking of replacing both axle half-shafts now since my car has such high milage. Any tips on the install and where I can purchase an axle half shaft in NJ? The pics in the post above are not coming through. I wonder if Don ever did a part II.

 

I got a very reasonably priced and very high quality (new NOT remanufactured) axle from www.raxles.com