front right axle replacement??

[damien]

the right from axle is shot. i was wondering how hard that is to replace myself and if i should go junking for one or buy a new one?? any advice??

[scitzz]

New one is less than $70 usually, and much better off going that way. You will really want to do both sides, though, if you do one, the other will go bad QUICKLY anyway.
Jack up car, put on stands.
Remove tires.
Have friend step on brakes, I THINK the axle nut is 21mm? Use a breaker bar, and some grunting(cussing) to get it off(sometimes it is hard to get off)
Hard part is over, crack a beer.
Remove tie rod end.
Some say remove ball joint, I like to remove the 2 knuckle to strut bolts, after unclipping brake line from strut.
Put pan under axle where it mates to trans to catch trans fluid.
Tap on axle where you removed the 21mm bolt with a rubber mallet, this breaks axle free of knuckle, swing knuckle out of the way.
Sometimes the axle will come out of the trans with a good yank. If not, a LARGE flathead screwdriver, wrapped in tape, to pop it loose. If you are not replacing seal, be careful not to damage the existing one.
Pull old axle out.
Time for a beer.
Reverse procedure, use a torque bar to tighten axle bolt to between 116 and 174 ft lbs( from haynes, a wide range if you ask me, I think I usually settle for 130 or so.)
Enjoy the silence of no clicking clacking while you turn, AFTER the beer wears off

Piece of cake, with practice about 30-45 minutes to do both sides.....

[damien]

were should i look to get new ones. do u recommend anywhere specific??

[AlaskaFestivaGuy]

NAPA told me recently that they're out of cores so require that customers send in theirs for rebuilding. They might also require a minimum batch size of about 20 to make it worth their while.

[scitzz]

autozone and advanced auto usually have them around here, call around.I like carquest. Also, rockauto usually has them online. You could check festivamotorsports as well....

[Safety Guy]

I'd recommend putting that new CV seal in, and using new trans fluid. If possible, use a new axle nut, too.

If you don't already have one, get the Haynes manual for Festiva/Aspire. It's best to have that plus a Ford shop manual. If you plan on keeping this car and working on it, they are indespensable.

Karl

[Axlander9289]

You're better off disconnecting the balljoint, unbolting the knuckle from the strut could alter your wheel alignment. Also I'm pretty sure the axle nut is bigger than 21mm.

[scitzz]

I'd recommend putting that new CV seal in, and using new trans fluid. If possible, use a new axle nut, too.

If you don't already have one, get the Haynes manual for Festiva/Aspire. It's best to have that plus a Ford shop manual. If you plan on keeping this car and working on it, they are indespensable.

Karl

I agree, but a new axle should come with the nut....

You're better off disconnecting the balljoint, unbolting the knuckle from the strut could alter your wheel alignment. Also I'm pretty sure the axle nut is bigger than 21mm.

Never been a problem for me. I do it almost every time I replace an axle, no matter what model car. Conversely, removing the ball joint from the knuckle is a big grunt. It comes out very easy if you remove the LCA from the car body first, BUT, on my festy, when I tried that the first time on the drivers side, the bolt would not come all the way out, and then would not go all the way in. It stayed that way for years, I was too lazy, and busy! to fix it right . Probably not a good idea to go that way. I would recommend, if removing the ball joint from the knuckle, using a LONG piece of steel pipe to make it easier....

[freestiva]

At Advance auto we have new cv axels that run about 79 dollars they are all new and seem to be pretty good "no returns yet" Good luck!