Axle Shaft Assembly: Testing and Inspection
FRONT DRIVE SHAFT
On-Vehicle Inspection
- Check drive shaft mounting point and joint for looseness and other damage.
- Check boot for cracks and other damage.
CAUTION:
Replace entire drive shaft assembly when noise or vibration occur from drive shaft.
DRIVE SHAFT BOOT REPLACEMENT
1. Remove tires from vehicle with power tool.
2. Remove wheel sensor from steering knuckle. Refer to Wheel Sensor.
CAUTION:
Do not pull on wheel sensor harness.
3. Remove brake hose bracket. Refer to Diagrams.
4. Remove torque member fixing bolts with power tool. Hang torque member in a place where it will not interfere with work. Refer to Component.
NOTE:
Do not depress brake pedal while brake caliper is removed.
5. Remove disc rotor. Refer to Front Disc Brake.
6. Remove cotter pin, then loosen hub lock nut with power tool.
7. Separate wheel hub and bearing assembly from drive shaft by lightly tapping the end with a hammer (suitable tool) and a wood block, and then remove hub lock nut.
CAUTION:
- Do not place drive shaft joint at an extreme angle. Also be careful not to overextend slide joint.
- Do not allow drive shaft to hang down without support for housing (or joint sub-assembly), shaft and the other parts.
NOTE:
Use a puller (suitable tool) if wheel hub and drive shaft cannot be separated even after performing the above procedure.
8. Remove cotter pin (1), and then loosen the nut.
9. Remove steering outer socket (2) from steering knuckle (3) so as not to damage ball joint boot (4) using the ball joint remover
(suitable tool).
CAUTION:
Temporarily tighten the nut to prevent damage to threads and to prevent the ball joint remover (suitable tool) from suddenly coming off.
10. Remove cotter pin of transverse link and steering knuckle, and then loosen nut.
11. Remove transverse link from steering knuckle so as not to damage ball joint boot using the ball joint remover (suitable tool).
CAUTION:
Temporarily tighten the nut to prevent damage to threads and to prevent ball joint remover (suitable tool) from suddenly coming off.
12. Remove drive shaft from wheel hub and bearing assembly.
13. Remove boot bands, and then remove boot from joint sub-assembly.
14. Screw a drive shaft puller (suitable tool) into joint sub-assembly screw part to a length of 30 mm (1.18 in) or more. Support drive shaft with one hand and pull out joint sub-assembly with a sliding hammer (suitable tool) from shaft.
CAUTION:
- Align a sliding hammer and drive shaft and remove them by pulling firmly and uniformly.
- If joint sub-assembly cannot be pulled out, try after removing drive shaft from vehicle.
15. Remove the circular clip (1) from shaft.
16. Remove boot from shaft.
17. Clean the old grease on joint sub-assembly with paper towels.
18. Fill serration slot joint sub-assembly (1) with NISSAN genuine grease or equivalent until the serration slot and ball groove become full to the brim.
CAUTION:
After applying grease, use a shop cloth to wipe off old grease that has oozed out.
19. Wrap serration on shaft with tape (A) to protect the boot from damage. Install new boot and boot bands to shaft.
CAUTION:
Never reuse boot and boot band.
20. Remove the tape wrapped around the serration on shaft.
21. Position circular clip (1) on groove at the shaft edge. Align both counter axles of the shaft edge and joint sub-assembly. Then, assemble shaft with circular clip onto joint sub-assembly.
CAUTION:
Never reuse circular clip.
NOTE:
Drive joint inserter (suitable tool) is recommended when installing circular clip.
22. Install joint sub-assembly (1) to shaft using plastic hammer.
CAUTION:
Confirm that joint sub-assembly is correctly engaged while rotating drive shaft.
23. Apply the balance of the specified amount of grease (NISSAN genuine grease or equivalent) into the boot inside from large diameter side of boot.
Grease amount : Refer to Specifications
24. Install the boot securely into grooves (indicated by *marks) shown in the figure.
CAUTION:
If grease adheres to the boot mounting surface (with *mark) on the shaft and joint sub-assembly, boot may come off.
Remove all grease from the surface.
25. To prevent from the deformation of the boot, adjust the boot installation length to the specified value shown below (L) by inserting the flat-bladed screwdriver into inside of the boot from the large diameter side of the boot and discharging the inside air.
Boot installation length (L) : Refer to Specifications
CAUTION:
- If the boot mounting length is outside the standard, it may cause breakage in the boot.
- Be careful not to touch the inside of the boot with a tip of a flat-bladed screwdriver.
26. Secure the large and small ends of the boot with new boot bands using the boot band crimping tool [SST: KV40107300
( � )] as shown in the figure.
NOTE:
Secure boot band so that dimension "M" meets the specification as shown.
Dimension "M" : 2.0 - 3.0 mm (0.079 - 0.118 in)
27. Secure joint sub-assembly and shaft, and then make sure that they are in the correct position when rotating boot. Install them with new boot band when boot installation positions become incorrect.
28. Insert drive shaft to wheel hub and bearing assembly, and then temporarily tighten hub lock nut.
29. Install transverse link to steering knuckle. Refer to Transverse Link (2WD), Transverse Link (AWD).
30. Install steering outer socket to steering knuckle. Refer to Removal and Replacement.
31. Install disc rotor. Refer to Front Disc Brake.
32. Install torque member fixing bolts to steering knuckle. Refer to Component.
33. Install brake hose bracket to steering knuckle. Refer to Diagrams.
34. Install wheel sensor to steering knuckle. Refer to Wheel Sensor.
35. Tighten the hub lock nut to the specified torque. Refer to Service and Repair.
36. Install cotter pin.
37. Install tires to vehicle.