charlestek

I recently had the right (passenger) boot go on my 96 GLE auto. I bought a new axle from raxles. However, after removing the three bolts that hold the inner cv
joint carrier to the auxiliary bearing holder, I cannot pull the inner joint
free of the bearing holder. I just bought the Spx/OTC U shaped fork tool
that is meant to grab in back of the joint on Fords and is attached to a slide hammer. The best I can do with the Maxima is get a piece of the fork tool behind one of the 3 bolt ears that are cast into the end of the inner cv joint.
I womped on it with the sledge hammer, but I'm lucky if the joint moved a quarter millimeter. I've got a friend's air chiesel, but there is no room to angle the chiesel to knock the outer joint outward toward the tire area because the shield around the y-pipe is in the way.
The only thing I could possible do with the air chiesel is knock the press fit sleeve around in a circle. Anybody with helping ideas would be greatly appreciated before my holiday weekend is ruined.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

you can remove the drivers axle and use a tool (say a screw driver) from the drivers side hole to push it out. i have done many axle installs and I always use a flathead or chisel and beat the axle out of the carrier bearing. since you have a new axle you can beat the crap out of the old one and not worry. its worked everytime for me.

charlestek

Jon,

I had thought about that, but am not too keen about having to
pull the driver's side out if it doesn't need anything done.
Of course I could pull the driver's side out and change the outer
boot since the car has 100k on it. I'm trying to do this as easily
as possible, of course the car has sat here for a week while
I've tried pounding the outer joint ears with a hand chisel, and while I was
waiting for the OTC tool.
I was also considering getting a ratchet cable puller/hoist and hooking on side to a chain around a tree in the yard, and three small chains to each of
the three ears of the inner joint where the bolts screw in.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Just pry slowly at the carrier bearing and it should start to come apart. You can use a chissle to sort of crack it open slightly, keep turning the axle so it prys off evenly. Eventually it will start to come loose and seperate, it just takes time.

Apply some anti-seize to the new axle so it doesn't freeze up in there again.

charlestek

njmaxseltd,

We have this thing in New England called S-A-L-T,
I have tried to chiesel the joint to widen it, I've managed to move the joint
slightly circularly with a chiesel and sledgehammer. This took a week of pounding. Trust me, it WILL NOT PRY.....

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Unbolt the carrier bearing from the body of the car and take the whole assembly out. You can work on it better while it's out of the car.
Take the tie rod end off so you can swing the hub out of the way and get the outter joint free. Then take out the axle and bearing as an assembly.

charlestek

Thanks, njmaxseltd

I got a ratcheting cable puller (come-along) with one end attached to a chain around a tree in the front yard. For the other end, I first put a 1/8" steel cable through the bolt holes on the cv joint, and tried to pull it off. However, like a bonehead, I didn't look carefully and actually put the cable through two of the holes of the cast support bracket frame that is bolted to the body. I was ratcheting and the car was moving on the jackstands, so I decided to stop and found that I (*(&-up.

I hope that I didn't bend the support bracket frame where it bolts to the body as this would misalign the shaft going into the differential. Anyway, I then took the cable out, and re-routed it through proper the two bolt holes (the third hole was blocked by the cast frame) in the outer cv joint bearing housing, and secured the end of the cable with wire cable clamps, and tried to pull again. No dice, as the car started to move sideways on the jackstands.

Then I did what I should have done the first time, I put the end of my ford cv puller fork attached to a slide hammer
in the end of the cable loop I had fastened to these holes in the outer cv, and slid the hammer hard a few times, and finally the outer joint broke free.

It got too late to fool around and I aggravated a disc in my back from flipping around under the car. So tomorrow I will go under there with a steel ruler
and try to make sure I didn't bend the support bracket. Unfortunately, other than by eye I don't know if there is any accurate way to see if I bent the base of the bracket from not being perpendicular to the engine. By casual inspection it doesn't appear that anything was bent.



I know you suggested unbolting the bracket, but honestly I couldn't even see
clearly any way to get at the bolts holding the bracket, I couldn't even see the bolts themselves in a clear shot because of the heat shield for the y-pipe.


Now that I look at the exploded view, it looks fairly robust with 3 bolts, I hope it is ok...

Remember I've got this thing on jackstands, not on a lift! <BR/> <BR/>

4DRSpeed

iTrader: (22)

I am having problems with my driver's side axle. I don't think I am getting the circular clip in that diagram above seated correctly.

That is the clip that is suppose to "snap-in" correct? I get the axle to slide all the way in, but it is still moves a 1/4 of an inch if that.

charlestek

This thread seems to have some good tips. I wish I found it while I was having so much trouble:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....at+axle+hammer