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Should I do my own half-shaft job?

2K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  ylwagon  
#1 ·
I've noticed a bit of a rhythmic clicking/clunking (most noticeable when going straight and slow, oddly enough) and I believe it to be my CV joint, since the boot is busted. My question is, should I do this myself, or take it to the indy? My experience goes about as far as doing my brakes, and of course oil. How difficult is the half shaft replacement?

Any idea on how long I should be charged for by an indy if I just have them do it?
 
#6 · (Edited)
My question is, should I do this myself, or take it to the indy? My experience goes about as far as doing my brakes, and of course oil. How difficult is the half shaft replacement?
"How difficult" is a hard one to answer, because it relates to your experience, tools, available work area, and so forth. If you don't have a shop manual, I'd recommend the Chilton manual, which has a decent section on this job. You'll need the correct hex driver or 1/2" drive socket to fit your axle bolt, a torque wrench, and a 1/2" drive breaker bar with a "cheater" length of pipe to get the required tightening leverage. You will also need an extension long enough to reach the six socket-head cap screws that hold the inner CV. In fact, a whole set of metric hex drivers is a good idea, because you might need to remove the aluminum CV joint shield to lift the joint up for removal clearance.
 
#7 ·
The amount of money you would spend on tools once (assuming you have none) is immediately made up when you stop paying shops for labor. The tools you buy once -unless you get carried away visiting hardware/tool stores- the labor is each time.


I want to go tool shopping.
 
#8 ·
Hmm, I just got a quote from the indy for 270 installed for a new joint (only the joint, they say they don't like new axles because they're chinese, and I agree, I'd want raxle). Raxles quoted me 280 shipped, so it's really just a matter of which I want installed now.

I have most tools necessary, just missing a very long extension, the spindle hex bit (that thing is huge!) and a breaker bar.

I do have the 'vibration at idle' issue some people describe from aftermarket axles, but I'm pretty sure I have OEM axles. It's possible that it's a matter of old transmission fluid (or so I've read). My dad was the previous owner, and I doubt he had the entire axle replaced, but I do know that the transmission fluid hasn't been done for at least 150000 km.

Anyway, I guess the next question is, how often is this an issue? I've already had my left boot replaced, how long can I expect that to last? If it's a span of years (I drive *maybe* 10-12 thousand km/year...motorcycle in the summer for the most part), I might just opt for the cheaper and easier route for now.
 
#11 ·
Surely the boots will break again at some point, no? What happened here is I obviously didn't notice it in time, probably because my brakes were making so much noise for so long, I didn't hear it. Presumably, the same thing could happen to raxles.
 
#10 ·
If you've done your brakes, you can do your axles, no question. Marty will usually supply the giganto-bits, which you mail back to him after the swap.

The shop manuals (but not that video) say that you have to remove the dreaded pinch bolt and pop the control arms. Filthy lies! (And very frustrating for you in the great white salt-crusted north) For some transmissions, you merely need to turn the wheel away from that side of the car. If you need even more length to wiggle it out of there, jack the suspension up to the stops. (For my 1.8T '04 M/T, turning the wheel worked for the driver's side, but suspension jacking was needed for the passenger side.)
 
#13 ·
So I thought I'd take another look and good hard listen to make sure I had a CV joint issue, and as it turns out, my front wheels were loose :icon_eek:. I thought I had em real good and tight when I finished my brakes this weekend, but I guess as they settled with the new rotors they loosened? Anyway, the noise is gone, and I guess I should have known from the start; there was no noise when turning, accelerating, or braking.

A helpful trick I learned though, driving beside walls/vans to bounce the sound back. I happened to hear creaking on the left side, where the CV boot is fine, as I was just driving by a parked van slowly, if it weren't for that, I wouldn't have thought to check lug tightness.

Thanks for all your help, and I think if I ever do need to do my axles, I'll do em myself. I just happened to be in a tight spot money wise so 60 bucks in tools was kind of out of the question.
 
#17 ·
I second the 'do it yourself' suggestion.

The only possible tough 'nut' is the pinch bolt at the top clamping the 2 ball joints. If you can loosen the nut and get the bolt to turn, then you're in. PBlaster & a mini-sledge and some piece of steel round about Ø3/8 to knock out the ball joints.

You also need a tri-square (YZN) bit. Buy a set for ~$25 since they're all around the VW/Audi stuff. I think the size for axle shaft is "10". It's best not to try to cheat with a 8mm hex bit as messing up a bolt would be an ugly problem.

Everything else about re-booting is pretty straightforward.
 
#22 ·
It's a (1) hour job per side ...very, very simple. The guide on taligentx is a bit complicated. Further down in the comments you find better tips. You only have to take the center bolt of the wheel off, turn the wheel inwards, remove the allen head screws at the transmission block, swap the axle out (you can easily "compress" it to shorten the length). Note that the allen head screws are not all easily accessible. No problem! Just put the gear in neutral an rotate the axle in a convenient position. Put in park. Repeat for the next bolt.
 
#23 ·
Note that the allen head screws are not all easily accessible. No problem! Just put the gear in neutral an rotate the axle in a convenient position. Put in park. Repeat for the next bolt.
Those cap screws are typically 12-point types, not hex socket. Also, there is a quicker way to hold the inner joint while loosening or tightening, without constantly shifting between Park and Neutral: put the lug bolts back in a few turns each. Then use a tool such as a crow-bar, positioned between two lug bolt so when you turn the cap screw, the crow bar pushes on the floor. As soon as you remove or tighten one cap screw, remove the bar, rotate the hub to access the next cap screw, and lock it with the bar again.