hey guys, i just did broke my first cv on the weekend in my 93 vitara. i want to replace it myself, cause i think its gonna be a regular occurence till the sas happens, but i've never done one before. so does anyone know of a good site that can outline the process, or maybe spell it out on here?

btw, i'm pretty sure its one on the drivers side (passenger side for you USA guys), the one without the trangular flange setup

  Let the Games Begin!!!

That's the same side I nuked, it's an easy
fix, remove lockout hub, tire/wheel, brake
caliper (hang on a wire) and the tie rod from
the knuckle. This isn't all nessisary, but it will
make your first time easier.

Make sure you support the trucklet with jack stands,
use a floor jack to support the A-arm and lift a little.

Now remove the clip from the axle stub, actually
do this before the tierod (easier) then the two
strut bolts on the bottom of the strut and remove,
collaps the strut and wire out of the way.

now with a large screw driver or pry bar, pop the axle
out of the housing, don't get too far in there as there
is a surface seal that you want to keep, it should come
right out as the rotor and hub assembly rolls out, now
slide the shaft out of the rotor hub assembly, you could
just clean and replace the nuked cage, or replace the
whole axle shaft, your option, but at least take this thing
apart so you know what it's like inside, you might get some
spares from the breakers so you have them with you on
your trips.


Anyone else chip in if I forgot some steps, I just did this last
night so I think I got all the steps in there.

Good Luck,
Wild

NOthing to add to Wild, but I have always broken the inner stub on that side If you have, there will be ALOT more to it. Hopefully it's just the CV.
Zig

Wild you made it sound hard.  its alot easyer that it sounds and it you get good at it then you don't have to take half the stuff off that wild said.

stu

thanks for that wild, doesn't sound too bad, i've never pulled an ifs setup apart but i'll work it out from what you said

zukipilot, what do you mean by 'a lot' more to it if the stub is gone, cause it could very well be that

i am as of this moment a cv vergin  but i know its ganna happen someday.  what you discribe doesnt sound that bad, while we are on the subject what is the difference in doing the stock other side?  heard they are harder.  and other than a junk yard or the dealer, does anyone sell these, and lastly,... boy some pics would be nice,

inner stub

i dont know what that is.

Isn't the shaft 'locked' into the cage via a snap ring? If so, if you kept the lockout on, locked it in, couldn't you use this to pull the shaft out of the housing rather than a screwdriver?
How would a screwdriver be used against what?

For what Wild wrote, it's not necessary to remove the spindle nut, bearings, and spindle itself. It reads as the axle is installed from behind the knuckle then installed into the diff, or diff first then the knuckle. In comparison, all open knuckle straight axle, get the spindle pulled off to insert the axle shafts through the knuckle; must be due to the axle tube, uh?

Isn't really necessary to disconnect the strut to remove the whole shaft? Couldn't you just disconnect the tie rod, then rotate the knuckle enough to pull the shaft out of the diff housing?

Bet all this would be less if there was an anvil in there!!!

I was going to take my X's front apart through the spindle just to figure out what is necessary for tools to get the axle swap done. I tend to break front axles (owning a Bronco with TTB on 6" lift). I've put together a fish box for the effort to do so. No more looking for the tools, in/out of the vehicle, etc.

That's the same side I nuked, it's an easy
fix, remove lockout hub, tire/wheel, brake
caliper (hang on a wire) and the tie rod from
the knuckle. This isn't all necessary, but it will
make your first time easier.

I said that, but remember he is a CV Virgin,
time will teach him the shortcuts, but for now....

thanks for that wild, doesn't sound too bad, i've never pulled an ifs setup apart but i'll work it out from what you said

zukipilot, what do you mean by 'a lot' more to it if the stub is gone, cause it could very well be that

If you snapped the inner stub off in the diff, you will need to remove the carrier, get all of the little peices of shattered axle out and re-install it. If it's the inner stub on the half shaft you can tell by jacking up that side of the vehicle, climb under it and see if the inner cup is still sitting flat against the housing. If it's not or if it is loose ( you can move it around by hand) It's probably the inner stub and not a CV.

Zig

NAPA sells replacement CV axles - about $120 each WITH the $60 core charge, so really only $60 each - and they have a LIFETIME WARRANTY!!!

I have the Anvil installed, so I've got 3-bolt flanges on both sides - makes swapping axles a breeze.