going to replace driver's side axle assembly, what do i need

[thebox2]

i searched a bit and found very little about this. car is a '92 GS w/ KLZE

driver's side CV joint is HOSED so i need to swap and i suppose this is the easiest way to do it.

unless someone has a better suggestion, i was looking to purchase this:
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/detai ... N2388.html

the only other thing i would need is the oil seal, yes?
http://www.partsamerica.com/productdeta ... 16&PTSet=A

i want to make sure i have all that i need before i tear the thing apart

any tools, etc that i might forget i will need? do i need to drain tranny before doing this? i feel like i shouldn't need to ask these questions, but its been a LONG time since i worked on any car

thanks guys

[hgallegos915]

bleh the way ive done it all the time.. is a crow bar.. some metric wrenches and thats it.. LOL


I didnt buy any special tools.. and ive done it tons of times both driver and passenger.

[exile84]

drain the trans cause if you don' when you pull the seal off, i would imagine it would drain out all over the place. not sure though. But on the other hand, new gear oil probably wouldn't hurt.

[thebox2]

the assembly i linked says "without intermediate shaft"

wtf does that mean, LOL

car is a 5sp if that matters.

[wytbishop]

the passenger side axle is 2 parts. the intermediate shaft goes from the diff to a bracket bolted to the engine. the drive shaft goes from that bracket to the wheel. The driver's side axle you linked to looks fine.

As far as doing the job...it's fairly straight forward. Drain the tranny. Unstake and remove the axle nut (this is often the hardest part, those buggers are tight. Use the largest drive socket set you can acquire. A 3/4" drive socket with a 6 foot snipe is not over the top for this. Have a helper hold the brakes for you while you haul on the axle nut.) Unbolt the lower ball joint from the control arm. Pull the wheel out and the drive shaft should come free of the wheel hub. Then just pop the old drive shaft out of the differential. This often causes people problems as well. The splined shaft has a little circlip on it which holds it in the spider gear of the diff. In some cases that little bastard doesn't like to let go. In the worst case scenario it is sometimes necessary to remove the opposite shaft and use a large punch to drive the shaft out from the other side. Typically though, it pops right out with a little pry bar.

Installation is, as always, the reverse of removal.

Views of all these parts and assemblies can be found in the online manual.

[thebox2]

thanks guys

[Ryan]

[quote="wytbishop"]...The splined shaft has a little circlip on it which holds it in the spider gear of the diff...quote]

Is this by any chance an internal retaining ring?

[wytbishop]

Yes...precisely.

[Ryan]

Can it not be removed with a cloth, just like the manual window handles?

[Daninski]

No Ryan, it's inside you can't see it. When it comes time to install position the axle in the spine and quickly push it (snap it) in. I fiddled and farted trying to get mine in untill my buddy told me this. lol With the axle's out it wouldn't hurt to replace the seals as well. As the dealership how this is done then fabricate a seal puller. I used a steering wheel type puller. I just reversed the hooks to face out so they would engage the inner rim on the seal then pryed on it with a big screw driver.

[wytbishop]

Yeah there is a groove around the shaft about 3/4" from the end and a small metal ring sort of floats in the groove. This little clip fits in a similar groove on the inside of the spider gear that the shaft slides into. It's intended to act as a detent, but sometimes it gets jammed between shaft and gear and can be a real whoooer to get out.

Pulling the seals is easy. Pliers, prybar, whatever. It doesn't matter if you wreck it taking it out. Putting in the new one is tricky because you need something the same diameter as the seal to drive it in. You can borrow a set of seal drivers from the local parts store where you bought your parts I imagine. It's just a handle with an assortment of attachments in different diameters for driving seals. Alternatively lots of people use PVC pipe because you can usually find the right diameter to match the seal.

Careful to drive it in straight.