Axle Shaft Assembly: Service and Repair
HALF SHAFT - FRONTREMOVAL
1) Raise vehicle.
Fig. 2 Half Shaft Retaining Nut:
2) Remove the cotter pin (3) (Fig. 2) and the nut lock (2).
Fig. 3 Wave Washer:
3) Remove the wave washer (2) (Fig. 3) from the end of the halfshaft.
4) Remove the wheel and tire assembly from the vehicle.
5) With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub from turning, loosen and remove the halfshaft nut.
Fig. 4 Front Brake Mounting:
6) Remove the two front disc brake caliper adapter to steering knuckle attaching bolts (4) (Fig. 4).
Fig. 5 Properly Supported Disc Brake Caliper -Typical:
7) Remove the disc brake caliper assembly from the steering knuckle. Caliper assembly is removed by first rotating top of caliper assembly away from steering knuckle (1) (Fig. 5) and then removing bottom of assembly out from under machined abutment on steering knuckle (1).
8) Support disc brake caliper assembly by using a wire hook (4) and suspending it from the strut assembly (5). Do not allow the brake caliper assembly to hang by the brake flex hose (2).
9) Remove the brake rotor from the hub and bearing assembly.
Fig. 6 Strut To Steering Knuckle Attaching Bolts:
10) Remove the steering knuckle-to-strut attachment bolts (2) (Fig. 6) from the steering knuckle (3).
11) Pull the steering knuckle from the strut clevis bracket.
NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner CV joint during this operation. Do not allow halfshaft to hang by inner CV joint after removing outer CV Joint from the hub/bearing assembly in steering knuckle, end of halfshaft must be supported.
12) Pull steering knuckle assembly down and away from the outer C/V joint of the half shaft assembly while pulling the joint out of the hub bearing.
Fig. 7 Disengaging Inner Tripod Joint FromTransaxle:
13) Support the outer end of the halfshaft assembly. Insert a pry bar between inner tripod joint and transaxle case (2) (Fig. 7). Pry against inner tripod joint (1), until tripod joint retaining snap-ring is disengaged from transaxle side gear.
Fig. 8 Tripod Joint Removal from Transaxle:
14) Hold inner tripod joint (1) (Fig. 8) and interconnecting shaft (6) of halfshaft assembly. Remove inner tripod joint from transaxle (2), by pulling it straight out of transaxle side gear and transaxle oil seal (4). When removing tripod joint, do not let spline or snap-ring drag across sealing lip of the transaxle to tripod joint oil seal.
INSTALLATION
1) Thoroughly clean spline and oil seal sealing surface, on tripod joint. Lightly lubricate oil seal sealing surface on tripod joint with fresh clean transmission lubricant.
2) Holding half shaft assembly by tripod joint and interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint into transaxle side gear as far as possible by hand. Be sure to engage splines prior to applying force.
3) Grasp inner tripod joint an interconnecting shaft. Forcefully push the tripod joint into side gear of transaxle, until snap-ring is engaged with transaxle side gear. 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.
4) Clean all debris and moisture out of steering knuckle, in the area were outer CV joint will be installed into steering knuckle.
Fig. 9 Outer CV Joint Inspection:
5) Ensure that front of outer CV joint (1) (Fig. 9) which fits against the face of the hub and bearing is free of debris and moisture before installing outer CV joint into hub and bearing assembly.
6) Slide half shaft back into front hub and bearing assembly.
CAUTION: The steering knuckle to strut assembly attaching bolts are serrated and must not be turned during installation. Install nuts while holding bolts stationary in the steering knuckle.
Fig. 10 Correctly Installed Eccentric Attaching Bolt:
CAUTION: If the vehicle being serviced is equipped with eccentric strut assembly attaching bolts, the eccentric bolt must be installed in the bottom (slotted) hole on the strut clevis bracket (Fig. 10).
7) Install steering knuckle in clevis bracket of strut damper assembly. Install the strut damper to steering knuckle attaching bolts. Tighten both bolts to a torque of 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.) plus an additional 1/4 turn.
8) Install braking disc on hub and bearing assembly.
9) Install disc brake caliper assembly on steering knuckle. Caliper is installed by first sliding bottom of caliper assembly under abutment on steering knuckle, and then rotating top of caliper against top abutment.
10) Install disc brake caliper adapter to steering knuckle attaching bolts. Tighten the disc brake caliper adapter attaching bolts to a torque of 169 Nm (125 ft. lbs.).
11) Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer CV joint. Install the washer and half shaft to hub/bearing assembly nut on half shaft and securely tighten nut.
Fig. 11 Torquing Front Half Shaft To Hub Nut:
12) Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install and tighten the wheel mounting stud nuts in proper sequence until all nuts are torqued (1) (Fig. 11) to half the required specification. Then repeat the tightening sequence to the full specified torque of 135 Nm (200 ft. lbs.).
13) Lower vehicle.
14) With the vehicle's brakes applied to keep hub from turning, tighten the hub nut to a torque of 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.).
15) Install the spring wave washer on the end of the half shaft.
16) Install the hub nut lock, and a new cotter pin (Fig. 2). Wrap cotter pin prongs tightly around the hub nut lock.
17) Check for correct fluid level in transaxle assembly.