Front Axle Replacement Video

[xirdneh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKOWhAKf2Qs

[Petros]

that is the hard way to make a cv axle fit! did you check the spline fit at the wheel end too before you went back to install it? looks like it went in okay.

not sure I would want to buy that brand. BTW, it appears the axle spline shaft is softer metal than the spider gear mating spline, so yes using lapping compound should remove more off the axle spline. I wonder if just using wet and dry sand paper on the outside of the spline shaft would have been enough, or if the spline grooves were not deep enough.

I have not had any trouble with the splines on the EMI brand new cv axles, nor with the splines on the Cardone remans (but those are re-used axles, and I have returned several of those before I even installed them because the cv joints were bad right out of the box).

[atoyta]

Petros, what is your method of checking the cv joint to see if it is bad on the new axle shaft?

[dlb]

i really like the crow bar trick so you don't have to remove the caliper or hub. i've always completely removed the hub so doing it your way will save me a few steps in the future.

i've never been able to insert axles by hand, not that i ever tried very hard. they just didn't seem to go easily so i've always used a rubber-faced hammer, or hold a block of wood on the end of the axle and hit that with any old hammer.

once again, mad props on these videos, rob. you're making a lot of jobs into cake walks for future tercel enthusiasts.

[Petros]

I have found that usually will get clicking or thumping on turns when you accelerate (it puts load on the cv joint), that to verify if it is the cv join; car off, trans in neutral, parking brake on, lay on the ground in front of wheel under front of car. reach up with one hand on axle shaft, one on cv joint (one hand on either side of the boot), and try and rotate them in opposite directions. It is easier if the wheel is off the grounds, but it is not necessary. If there is wear you will feel a slight gap or rotational space, with a lot of wear you can feel it "clunk, clunk, clunk" as you twist the two sides of the joint back and fourth. with a small amount of wear this space will be very small.

Near new axles will have no detectable rotational play in the joint, worn ones that "clunk" in the turns will have large amounts of play. I have noticed that you can sometimes get a small amount of play that has no noticeable effect on how it drives, no clicks or clunks, thi is likely a small amount of wear that does not harm any thing.

This method of checking for free play in the joint can also be used to determine if it is worth replacing a torn boot, or if you should just replace the whole axle assembly. with a good cv joint you can repack the cv grease and put on a new boot, otherwise it is not worth the effort since the joint is worn and will need to be replaced soon.

[Petros]

that method is the same procedure I use, by leaving the strut and hub in place is saves a few steps, and will not alter the alignment. The big pry bar allows you get the lower ball joint clear to allow to swing the strut out to clear the axle spline shaft.

on occasion when I could not get the axle nut free, I pulled the strut/steering knuckle together with the axle still in it (you just pop the spline out of the side of the transmission), and take it to a shop with a more powerful compressor and impact wrench. they usually do not charge to just knock the axle nut off for me. This too does not result in an alignment change as long as I get everything back in the same way, the eccentric bolt on the lower end of the strut is not affected, so alignment is not altered.

[xirdneh]

t did you check the spline fit at the wheel end too before you went back to install it? looks like it went in okay. BTW, it appears the axle spline shaft is softer metal than the spider gear mating spline, so yes using lapping compound should remove more off the axle spline. I wonder if just using wet and dry sand paper on the outside of the spline shaft would have been enough, or if the spline grooves were not deep enough.
).

The wheel end was ok
for the tranny end
it was the groove bottoms that made it tight
prior to using the valve grind stuff with the gear i worked on the out side of the splines to no avail

[BrownBadger]

I had the same issue with a brand new EMPI axel. xirdneh sent me the spider gear he was using and I was able to use the same method to get it to fit. If anyone else ever runs into this issue let me know and I can send you the gear if you don't have a spare tranny sitting around to pull one from.