Axle Shaft Assembly: Service and Repair
REMOVAL-DIESEL AND TURBO MODELSCAUTION: Boot sealing is vital to retain special lubricants and to prevent foreign contaminants from entering the C/V joint. Mishandling, such as allowing the assemblies to dangle unsupported, or pulling or pushing the ends can cut boots or damage C/V joints. During removal and installation procedures, always support both ends of the halfshaft to prevent damage.
CAUTION: The halfshaft, when installed, acts as a bolt and secures the front hub/bearing assembly. If vehicle is to be supported or moved on its wheels with a halfshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.
Half Shaft:
1. Disconnect battery negative cable.
2. Place transaxle in gated park.
3. Raise vehicle on hoist.
4. Remove wheel and tire assembly (Fig. 11).
5. Remove the cotter pin, nut lock, and spring washer, and hub nut from the end of the outer C/V joint stub axle (Fig. 12).
6. If equipped with ABS, disconnect the front wheel speed sensor and secure harness out of the way.
7. Remove nut and bolt (Fig. 13) retaining ball joint stud into steering knuckle.
NOTE: Use caution when separating ball joint stud from steering knuckle, so ball joint seal does not get damaged.
8. Separate ball joint stud from steering knuckle by prying down on lower control arm (Fig. 14).
NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner C/V joint during this operation. Do not allow halfshaft to hang by inner C/V joint, halfshaft must be supported.
9. Remove halfshaft from steering knuckle by pulling outward on knuckle while pressing in on halfshaft. Support outer end of halfshaft assembly. If difficulty in separating halfshaft from hub is encountered, do not strike shaft with hammer, instead use puller 1026 to separate (Fig. 15).
10. Support outer end of the halfshaft assembly
NOTE: When left halfshaft is removed from transaxle, some fluid may leak out.
NOTE: Removal of the inner tripod joints is made easier if you apply outward pressure on the joint as you strike the punch with a hammer. DO NOT PULL ON INTERCONNECTING SHAFT TO REMOVE, AS THE INNER JOINT WILL BECOME SEPARATED.
11. Remove halfshaft(s) (Fig. 16) (Fig. 17). Left halfshaft: While applying outward pressure on joint by hand, dislodge inner tripod joint from differential side gear by striking outward with a punch at extraction groove. When removing tripod joint and halfshaft, do not let spline or snap ring drag across sealing lip of the transaxle to tripod joint oil seal. Right halfshaft: Slide inner tripod joint off of intermediate shaft. If difficulty is encountered, dislodge joint from intermediate shaft using punch.
12. If intermediate shaft is to be removed, remove three (3) intermediate shaft bearing-to-bracket bolts (Fig. 16). 2.4L turbo models utilize two (2) intermediate shaft bearing-to-bracket bolts. Remove intermediate shaft bearing/shaft assembly from transaxle.
CAUTION: The halfshaft, when installed, acts as a bolt and secures the front hub/bearing assembly. If vehicle is to be supported or moved on its wheels with a halfshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.
INSTALLATION-DIESEL AND TURBO MODELS
CAUTION: Boot sealing is vital to retain special lubricants and to prevent foreign contaminants from entering the C/V joint. Mishandling, such as allowing the assemblies to dangle unsupported, or pulling or pushing the ends can cut boots or damage C/V joints. During removal and installation procedures, always support both ends of the halfshaft to prevent damage.
1. If removed, install intermediate shaft/bearing assembly (Fig. 16) (Fig. 17). Install and torque bearing-to-bracket bolts to 28 Nm (21 ft. lbs.).
2. Install halfshaft(s). Left halfshaft: Thoroughly clean spline and oil seal sealing surface on left tripod joint. Lightly lubricate oil seal sealing surface on tripod joint with fresh clean transmission lubricant. While holding halfshaft assembly by tripod joint and interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint into transaxle as far as possible by hand. Carefully align tripod joint with transaxle side gears. Then grasp halfshaft interconnecting shaft and push tripod joint into transaxle side gear until fully seated. Test that snap ring is fully engaged with side gear by attempting to remove tripod joint from transaxle by hand. If snap ring is fully engaged with side gear, tripod joint will not be removable by hand. Right halfshaft: Thoroughly clean right halfshaft tripod joint spline, as well as intermediate shaft spline. While holding halfshaft assembly by tripod joint and interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint onto intermediate shaft as far as possible by hand.
3. Clean all debris and moisture out of steering knuckle (Fig. 23).
4. Ensure that front of outer C/V joint, which fits into steering knuckle (Fig. 24), is free of debris and moisture before assembling into steering knuckle.
5. Slide halfshaft back into front hub. Install steering knuckle onto the ball joint stud (Fig. 25).
NOTE: At this point, the outer joint will not seat completely into the front hub. The outer joint will be pulled into hub and seated when the hub nut is installed and torqued.
6. Install a NEW steering knuckle to ball joint stud bolt and nut (Fig. 25). Tighten the nut and bolt to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).
7. Clean all foreign matter from threads of halfshaft outer stub axle. Install washer and hub nut onto the threads of the stub axle and tighten nut to 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.) (Fig. 26) .
8. Install spring washer, nut lock, and cotter pin (Fig. 26).
9. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install front wheel lug nuts (Fig. 27) and tighten to 128 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
10. Check for correct fluid level in transaxle assembly.
11. Lower vehicle.
12. Connect battery negative cable.