Used this writeup as a guide for my CV boot replacement yesterday, and It's 100% correct. I may add for clarification:
- Be very careful when pulling the halfshaft out of the diff. There's a ring clip on the end of the halfshaft that can snag the oil seal on the diff on the way out.
- When reinstalling the halfshaft into the diff, the service manual says to insert the halfshaft into the wheel hub first, then the diff. This is crap, as I couldn't get it to align, or shove in. It takes some force. I recommend this:
1. If you've disconnected the LBJ, swing the spindle out of the way (towards the front of the car)
2. Get the halfshaft into position and CAREFULLY insert it into the diff until the splines start to engage
3. Swing the free end of the halfshaft so that it threads through the plastic fender shield (this is where the spindle needs to be out of the way), so that the halfshaft is sticking straight out from the diff.
4. With the halfshaft straight, push in on the halfshaft to get the splines to engage fully. It takes some force, and you may have to wiggle a bit, but with it straight, it works much better.
5. Then insert the outer spline into the hub
6. Continue reassembly of spindle to LBJ, sta-bar link, etc.
I found absolutely no need to disconnect the strut, as once I was able to pop the LBJ loose, the spindle would swing freely out of my way. Maybe because I have an Outback and the strut is longer, allowing more room to swing.
My only real problem was figuring out how to use the stupid boot clamp crimp tool... it wasn't obvious, so I fashioned my own way of crimping the bands with a small punch and a needlenose. Hope it works.
Total fix was $60 in parts (including 2-day air expedite). $100 in tools and supplies, most of which can be re-used for other repairs. It took me a better half of a day, but was worth the learning lesson, especially considering the near $1K estimate the stealership gave me to do the same.