Axle Shaft Assembly: Service and Repair
HALF SHAFT - FRONTREMOVAL
1. Raise vehicle on hoist.
2. Remove front tire and wheel assembly.
3. Remove caliper adapter-to-knuckle bolts.
4. Remove caliper/adapter assembly and support with mechanic's wire or equivalent (Fig. 2). Do not support assembly by the flexible brake hose.
5. Remove the brake rotor (Fig. 3).
6. Remove the tie rod-to-steering knuckle nut (Fig. 4). Remove nut from tie rod end by holding tie rod end stud with a 11/32 socket and loosen and remove nut (Fig. 4).
7. Separate tie rod end from steering knuckle arm, using Tool MB-991113 (Fig. 5).
8. Remove the halfshaft-to-hub and bearing retaining nut (Fig. 6).
9. Remove cotter pin and castle nut (Fig. 7) from stud of lower ball joint at the steering knuckle.
CAUTION: No tool is to be inserted between the steering knuckle and the lower ball joint to separate stud of lower ball joint from the steering knuckle. The steering knuckle is to be separated from the stud of the ball joint only using the procedure as described in Step 10.
10. Turn steering knuckle so the front of the steering knuckle is facing as far outboard in the wheel well as possible. Using a hammer strike steering knuckle boss until steering knuckle separates from stud of lower ball joint (Fig. 8). When striking steering knuckle, care MUST be taken not to hit lower control arm or ball joint grease seal.
NOTE: Care must be taken not to separate the inner C/V joint during this operation. Do not allow driveshaft to hang by inner C/V joint. Driveshaft must be supported.
11. Separate halfshaft from steering knuckle (Fig. 9). If difficulty is encountered separating halfshaft from knuckle, DO NOT strike halfshaft with a hammer to break free. Install Puller 1026 (Fig. 10) as shown in to press shaft out of hub/bearing assembly.
CAUTION: When inserting pry bar between inner tripod joint and transaxle case, care must be used to ensure no damage occurs to oil seal in transaxle case.
12. Support the outer end of the halfshaft assembly. Insert a pry bar between inner tripod joint and transaxle case (Fig. 11). Pry against inner tripod joint, until tripod joint retaining snap ring is disengaged from transaxle side gear.
13. Hold inner tripod joint and interconnecting shaft of driveshaft assembly. Remove inner tripod joint from transaxle, by pulling it straight out of transaxle side gear and transaxle oil seal (Fig. 12). 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 halfshaft assembly by tripod joint and interconnecting shaft, install tripod joint into transaxle side gear as far as possible by hand (Fig. 12).
3. Grasp inner tripod joint and 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 C/V joint will be installed into steering knuckle.
5. Ensure that front of outer C/V joint which fits against the face of the hub and bearing is free of debris and moisture before installing outer C/V joint into hub and bearing assembly (Fig. 13).
6. Slide halfshaft back into front hub (Fig. 14). Then install steering knuckle onto the lower control arm ball joint stud.
7. Install the steering knuckle to ball joint stud castle nut (Fig. 15). Tighten the castle nut to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.).
8. Install tie rod end into the steering knuckle. Start tie rod end to steering knuckle nut onto stud of tie rod end. While holding stud of tie rod end stationary (Fig. 16), tighten tie rod end to steering knuckle nut. Using a crowfoot and 11/32 socket, tighten the nut to 55 Nm (41 ft. lbs.) (Fig. 17).
9. Install brake rotor to hub (Fig. 18).
10. Install caliper/adapter bracket assembly on steering knuckle. Install and torque caliper adapter-to-knuckle bolts to 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.).
11. Clean all foreign matter from the threads of the outer C/V joint stub axle. Install hub nut onto threads of halfshaft (Fig. 19). With vehicle brakes applied to keep braking disc from turning, tighten hub nut to 150 Nm (110 ft. lbs.) (Fig. 20).
12. Install front wheel and tire assembly. Install front wheel lug nuts and tighten in the correct sequence (Fig. 21). Tighten lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).