How To: Replace/Rebuild torn CV boot and/or Axle

If they're clicking, they're done. Don't reuse them.

Just talked to Marty over at Raxles. What a great guy! I didn't want to take a chance on some aftermarket units. I know some have worked but with suppliers changing, this is job I only want to do once. I have some motul 300 on the way next week so I'll throw out a review post-install.

 

 

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What's the pricing for an axle and does he only accept subaru axles as cores?

What's the pricing for an axle and does he only accept subaru axles as cores?

 

 

 

Yes. He only accepts OEM axles for cores. His price was $159 per side. I think that included the core charge. He's out of Florida so you can gauge the shipping on top of that. He also includes a prepaid shipping label for you to return the cores.

 

 

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Hi all - I was taking my front axles out today because I am pulling my transmission out to get to my clutch (this is my 3rd clutch btw...what a pain!)

 

When I pulled my right axle out, a crap ton of tranny fluid cam out....I mean like a solid quart! I have not experience that before. I can only think of two things. 1.) I damaged my axle seal somehow when I was pulling the axle out. 2.) The whole car is on jack stands and the rear is ever so slightly higher than the front. So I was thinking maybe the fluid in the trans was pooling towards the front of the tranny and therefore leaking out when I pulled the axle?

 

I guess I should just replace the seals anyway now that I have 117,XXX miles on the car.

 

Oh yeah, I killed my the ball joint in my LCA....so gotta get a new one of those too! How hard is it to remove and replace that sucker?

^ They (seals) are cheap, they're easy to take-out and put-in, and, as you mentioned, Cali mileage (read: dry heat) is not gentle on seals.

 

Replacing the Ball Joint is a piece of cake on these, especially California cars.

I'm worried about the fluid loss....would a "broken" seal do that? Or do you think it was how my car was jacked up? or combo of both?

 

It was old formula Extra-S fluid to....now I have to drain the whole thing and put in a new type of fluid since I can't get that fluid anymore (as far as I know).

It was how your car was tilted front-to-rear. Level, or slightly lower at the rear and you wouldn't have seen much loss from the differential side.

 

Same thing happened on my 05 when I pulled the axle to reboot the CVJ. Lowered the rear quickly and it slowed to a stop.

Thanks for helping! Live and learn.

I'm worried about the fluid loss....would a "broken" seal do that? Or do you think it was how my car was jacked up? or combo of both?

 

It was old formula Extra-S fluid to....now I have to drain the whole thing and put in a new type of fluid since I can't get that fluid anymore (as far as I know).

I was able to buy the extra s stuff from my local dealer last year. They buy it by the drum and sell it by the liter. (BYOB) For them to fill up. From my understanding not all dealers have it/will even bother getting it.

 

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I bought the last of my dealer's Extra S as well.

Does anyone know how to disassembled the outer cv joint?

Does anyone know how to disassembled the outer cv joint?

Remove the boot. Then use a big mallet, bend the joint and hit it off. There is no circlip on the outer cv.

Remove the boot. Then use a big mallet, bend the joint and hit it off. There is no circlip on the outer cv.

The inner joint uses a metal retaining 'ring' you remove with pliers. The outer joint uses a circlip that you won't be able to see. It's the same type of circlip that holds the axle shaft into the diff.

 

A rubber mallet will help separate the outer joint.

This video rocks! Super easy way of changing inner boots without removing axle from wheel hub or transmission. Took me 45 min.

Skip ahead to 5:00 for the action

Edited July 23, 2016 by Fasemelta

This video rocks! Super easy way of changing inner boots without removing axle from wheel hub or transmission. Took me 45 min.

Skip ahead to 5:00 for the action

 

^^^

 

Was about to post up that my axle is stuck in the hub...the above video showed me how to work around the need to remove the axle from the hub. Hope I don't have to replace the axle anytime soon.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Zebe

This video rocks! Super easy way of changing inner boots without removing axle from wheel hub or transmission. Took me 45 min.

Skip ahead to 5:00 for the action

 

Thanks!!! Ill be doing this next weekend

Just did this yesterday on my wife's '05 LGT wagon. The original lasted just over 90k miles and about 12 years so pretty good. I had the axle out of the car within 20 minutes of jacking it up. I used my finger to push it out of the hub. The joys of working on a car that grew up in rust free Albuquerque! The inner boot was of course the one that had split but I went ahead and replaced the outer boot too since I had it apart anyway.

 

The worst part of the job turned out to be the boot straps. Even though I bought a CV boot strap tightening tool I couldn't get it to work quite right and the straps kept trying to slide off the boots. Got it done though and the joints still looked perfect as the boot had only been torn for a few days.

Back in 2009 when I bought our 35k miles 05, she had a torn inner cv boot. I changed it with an OEM one. Well, she is at 90k now 7 years later and the boot finally torn and made a mess . I am on my third replacement now (1 pass / 2 driver side)

How do you tell when the cv boot is worn out without having to check under the car

If you think the boot might be ripped and you have a camera on your phone, just reach under your car behind the passenger side wheel, and start blindly taking pictures up. If you see a torn boot, or that greenish colored grease flung everywhere, you probably have a torn boot.

so this method only works for what ever year this is. i saw the solid tri bearing surface and thought it would be ok to soak mine in mineral spirits to get them clean.

 

not a good idea i took the rings off the tri piece and soaked them then discovered there was another bearing underneath.that is nearly impossible to see if you follow this and you will end up with something that breaks down grease in those bearings stuck there and unable to clean that will probably just kill them and need replacing soon

are the cv axles the same on the spec b as the LGT?

are the cv axles the same on the spec b as the LGT?

Yes, they are.

are the cv axles the same on the spec b as the LGT?

 

Yes, they are.

 

This is not completely correct. The front axles are the same for an LGT & a spec.B. The rear axles are different due to the R180 rear diff and are only available on the spec.B. There are no cheap aftermarket replacements for the rear axles on a spec.B.