CV Boots CV Joints--A Summary

[KentV]

I am posting some notes as to my process in removing the rear half axles from my 2000 Boxster S, and replacing the CV Joint “Boots”, both inner and outer. I hope this will be of use to folks:

Note: For tools, you will need a large torque wrench. I bought mine from Harbor Freight for $79.00. I’d highly recommend not only that wrench, but a good set of metric wrenches and sockets, a NAPA CV Boot clamp tool, and a good set of snap ring or “circlip” pliers. I'd also suggest a ball joint separator tool. I’ll leave it to you, but when you order your new boots and clamps, you might want to order new CV Joint end caps, new snap rings/circlips, new hex head bolts for the CV Joints, and definitely new axle nuts, and perhaps a few extra nyloc nuts for the ball joints discussed below.

Here is the process I followed:

1. Remove Porsche emblem hub center pieces using a 90 degree bent awl, or similar tool, and loosen, but don’t remove, the 32mm axle nut on each rear wheel axle.

2. Block the front wheels and raise the rear of the car from the middle rear jacking point approved by PCA and Bentleys, just rear of the engine oil sump, where the two bolt heads fastening the under-pan to the frame support appear.

3. Place a sturdy jack stand under each rear jacking point, using a rubber pad or jack stand pad (from Harbor Freight or elsewhere) to protect the car, leaving room to access the forward bolt from the diagonal cross arms on the underside, and gently lower the car onto the stands.

4. Remove each rear wheel and remove each 32mm axle nut, and slide wheels under each side of car as an added “catastrophic” precaution in case the car should somehow fall from the jack stands or should a jack stand collapse.

5. Remove diagonal underside cross arms and under-pan.

6. Remove bolts from each side of sway bar and swing out of way.

7. Remove six hex-head bolts from each inner CV Joint half-axle, and let each axle rest down on the exhaust pipes. Note: Use a nine inch ratchet extension and a good 8mm hex head socket fitting, loosening one bolt at a time, and using the parking brake for each bolt to keep the wheel hub from rotating. The 9 inch extension will help to achieve access to each bolt with the CV Joint Boot kept out of the way. Release the brake to rotate to the next bolt, then reset the brake.

8. Remove each nut from toe-in/track arm at the side of each wheel carrier, then separate ball joint with a ball joint separator tool (Harbor Freight) and, using hand pressure only on the track arm, push the ball joint pin out of the wheel carrier.

9. Remove nut and bolt from the trailing arm to the middle of the control arm, and slide the forked end up the control arm to allow movement

10. Remove nut from control arm ball joint and separate ball joint from control arm. You may have to hold the ball joint pin firmly in place with a torx/star or similar fitting into the top of the pin.

11. Mark the position of the control arm eccentric bolt on the inner mounting point on suspension frame, then loosen, but do not remove the eccentric bolt or the nut on the opposite side.

12. The control arm should now fall freely out of the wheel carrier

13. Pull each wheel carrier out a few inches and place a brace of wood (I used a 1.5 inch square piece, about 13 to 16 inches long) behind the heavy structure of the wheel carrier, squeezed between that carrier and the frame bracket of the control arm. Do this one wheel at a time, not together. The purpose is to hold the wheel carrier outward and firmly in place while you remove the axle from the wheel carrier hub as explained below.

14. Now that you have enough clearance with the wood braces, pound the axle out of the wheel carrier by using a good heavy hammer, perhaps 5 pound one, and buffering the blow to the axle with a small block of wood, perhaps 1.5 inches square and a few inches long. The axle will pop right out.

15. Now remove the wood brace spacer (the 13 to 16 inch one), but realize you must now grab each wheel carrier, pull the carrier out, even farther than the wood spacer accomplished, and remove the axle from the car. A good firm pull is required, and remain confident that neither the brake lines nor the strut will be harmed by the process.

16. Place each axle being worked on in a good vice or on a bench where it can be confined. Tap off the inner end cap, remove the steel snap ring (actually called a “circlip”) with special needle pliers, tap off the CV Joint, in all cases using a piece of wood as a buffer, and then remove the boot clamps and both the inner and outer boots, and clean out all old grease and ascertain that no contamination exists. Then in proper sequence slide the boot clamps and new boots back onto the axle, and repack with CV Boot grease. Be careful not to force grease into the bolt holes of the six hex-head bolts; otherwise, the grease may contaminate any loctite or similar product used when you “re-torque” the bolts at the transmission flange. Also, if you disassemble the inner CV Joint, remember that the ball hub has a camfered inner end that must face toward the axle after you re-grease it and install it into the ball cage, then into the CV Joint.

17. Reassemble in reverse. Torque all fittings. Use loctite where appropriate. You may need to use a jack under the control arm when re-fastening the control arm ball joint nut. When re-tightening the eccentric bolts at the control arm, be sure the markings remain lined up.

18. Only torque the axle nut to 100 foot pounds while on the jack, and even then only carefully. After replacing the wheels and lowering the car, bring the torque to 340 foot pounds, drive the car a few miles and recheck the torque again. Then replace the emblem caps.

I hope this helps someone. I’m posting it only because I had some difficulty in my own process, and felt some of the detail here, though perhaps different than offered in other posts, might be useful. For pictures and drawings, I’d refer to Pedro at: http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site%203/Repla...lf%20Axles.html.

Follow all factory torque specs and other mandatory procedures. You may want to check rear wheel alignment when done as well.

Good luck all. And use care to be safe.

[Artic99]

Hi Kent,

I have a question on the inner CV joints. I'm replacing with new, and am worndering if there is an orientation for how the joint fits on the axle? Is there an exterior vs. interior side to the joint i.e. wheel side vs. transmission side? Thanks for the help.

Phil

[Q-Ship986]

Hi Kent,

I have a question on the inner CV joints. I'm replacing with new, and am worndering if there is an orientation for how the joint fits on the axle? Is there an exterior vs. interior side to the joint i.e. wheel side vs. transmission side? Thanks for the help.

Phil

Hi Phil, someone else might speak up, but I think I can at least partially answer your question. I just finished repacking the inner and outer joints on my '03 Boxster S because all four boots, almost simultaneously, tore open.

Anyway, I noticed that the inner race of both cv joints on the halfshaft had a ring grooved into one side of them. The rings faced inboard on the halfshaft, each towards the other. Before removing the joint from the halfshaft, observe the difference from side-to-side of the inner race and you'll hopefully see what I mean. I don't think the cage or the outer race had any special markings or orientation, but I think it is proper to be careful about the orientation of the inner race; Kent does state above:

Also, if you disassemble the inner CV Joint, remember that the ball hub has a camfered inner end that must face toward the axle after you re-grease it and install it into the ball cage, then into the CV Joint.

At the risk of stating the obvious, I would at least change the boot on the outer joint while you're at it.

Good luck, --Brian

Edited September 26, 2012 by Q-Ship986

[felixliter]

Hi,

Its impossible for me to losen the ball joint on the controlarm, cant fit any type of separator tool.

shall i try to lose on the adjuster side instead (towards the gearbox).

Any idaeas what to do?

BR//JJ