Removal and Installation

CAUTION: Boot sealing is vital to retain special lubricants and to prevent foreign contaminants from entering the CV joint. Mishandling, such as allowing the assemblies to dangle unsupported, or pulling or pushing the ends can cut boots or damage ON joints. During removal and installation procedures, always support both ends of the driveshaft to prevent damage.

REMOVAL

CAUTION: The driveshaft, 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 driveshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.

1. Disconnect battery negative cable.
2. Place transaxle in gated park.
3. Raise vehicle on hoist.

Fig. 3:

4. Remove wheel and tire assembly (Fig. 3).

Fig. 4:

5. Remove the driveshaft to hub and bearing retaining nut (Fig. 4).
6. If equipped with ABS, disconnect the front wheel speed sensor and secure harness out of the way.

Fig. 5:

7. Remove nut and bolt (Fig. 5) 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.

Fig. 6:

8. Separate ball joint stud from steering knuckle by prying down on lower control arm (Fig. 6).

NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner ON joint during this operation. Do not allow driveshaft to hang by inner ON joint, driveshaft must be supported.

9. Remove driveshaft from steering knuckle by pulling outward on knuckle while pressing in on driveshaft. Support outer end of driveshaft assembly. If difficulty in separating driveshaft from steering knuckle is encountered, perform the following procedure:

Fig. 7:

a. Install Puller, Special Tool 6790 on hub and bearing assembly (Fig. 7), using wheel lug nuts to secure it in place.

Fig. 8:

b. Install a wheel lug nut on wheel stud to protect the threads on the stud. Install a flat blade pry tool to keep hub from turning. Using Puller, force the driveshaft outer stub axle from the hub and bearing assembly (Fig. 8).
c. Pull steering knuckle assembly out and away from outer C/V joint of the driveshaft assembly as shown in (Fig. 5).
10. Support outer end of the driveshaft assembly.

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.

Fig. 9:

Fig. 10:

11. Remove the inner tripod joints from the side gears of the transaxle using a punch to dislodge the inner tripod joint retaining ring from the transaxle side gear. If removing the right side inner tripod joint, position the punch against the inner tripod joint (Fig. 9). Strike the punch sharply with a hammer to dislodge the right inner joint from the side gear. If removing the left side inner tripod joint, position the punch in the groove of the inner tripod joint (Fig. 10). Strike the punch sharply with a hammer to dislodge the left inner tripod joint from the side gear.

Fig. 11:

12. Hold inner tripod joint and interconnecting shaft of driveshaft assembly (Fig. 11). Remove inner tripod joint from transaxle by pulling it straight out of transaxle side gear and transaxle oil seal. When removing tripod joint, do not let spline or snap ring drag across sealing lip of the transaxle to tripod joint oil seal. When tripod joint is removed from transaxle, some fluid will leak out.

CAUTION: The driveshaft, 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 driveshaft removed, install a PROPER-SIZED BOLT AND NUT through front hub. Tighten bolt and nut to 203 Nm (150 ft. lbs.). This will ensure that the hub bearing cannot loosen.

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 driveshaft assembly by tripod joint and interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint into transaxle side gear as far as possible by hand.
3. Carefully align tripod joint with transaxle side gears. Then grasp driveshaft 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.

Fig. 12:

4. Clean all debris and moisture out of steering knuckle (Fig. 12).

Fig. 13:

5. Ensure that front of outer C/V joint, which fits into steering knuckle (Fig. 13) is free of debris and moisture before assembling into steering knuckle.

Fig. 14:

6. Slide driveshaft back into front hub. Install steering knuckle onto the ball joint stud (Fig. 14).

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.

7. Install a NEW steering knuckle to ball joint stud bolt and nut (Fig. 14). Tighten the nut and bolt to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).

Fig. 15:

8. Clean all foreign matter from threads of driveshaft outer stub axle. Install hub nut onto the threads of the stub axle and tighten nut to 244 Nm (180 ft. lbs.) (Fig. 15).

Fig. 16:

9. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install front wheel lug nuts (Fig. 16) and tighten to 128 Nm (95 ft. lbs.).
10. Check for correct fluid level in transaxle assembly.
11. Lower vehicle.
12. Connect battery negative cable.