CV Axles, are they really a nightmare?

[Eaglefreek]

I did some searching for axle replacement and mostly found threads with people having a rough time getting the axles out and damaging their transaxles. Is this the norm or the exception? I might try to tackle it tomorrow(Sunday) but need my car for work on Monday.I've never owned a FWD vehicle and this will be my first time doing them. My Eagle has CV axles that I have removed a few times but they are quite easy because they bolt to a flange on the front axle.

[Pu241]

Generally, the exception!
We get very few threads about "My CV came out without a hitch"
What your going to get is what problems people have had.
Given that these cars are almost 20 yrs old and that nearly all of then on the road have had at least one set of CV replaced I'd say your chances are good that they should come out without too much pain and suffering.
Of course I've been wrong before.

[ejp2fast]

they can be stubborn, but just depends... i have had mine out twice, and really wasn't too bad...
Get a huge prybar, and the key thing is to "pop" it, as there is a spring loaded clip that holds it in..
if you have another body to help you, may be worth it..
also, jack the car up extra high (safely) so you can get more leverage under there.j
good luck!

[getnpsi]

the balljoint seperator tuning fork tool works on the small festy axles. You can also get some huge vicegrips and lock them down and then hit the closed handles at the top with a hammer and that pops them out as well.

[JPT]

I think it depends on the axles.

When I got my car, one of the first things that I needed to do was replace the transmission. When I went to do the job, the axles in the original transmission came out easy using just one pry bar. The stubs in the one I bought (the trans was torched out of the car) need the use of 2 pry bars (used like wedges) and a 3 lb sledge. Later, when I rebuilt the front suspension, the axles came out just as easy as the first time, with 1 pry bar.

I had to replace the axles shortly after and, for some reason, the new seals didn't "seal". Went to remove the axles to replace the seals and the new ones were super hard to remove (back to the 2 pry bars).

A warning.

Haven't heard it happen much, but if you remove both axles at the same time, the gears in the differential can fall out of place and leave you totally screwed. Do one at a time, or shove a piece of broomstick in the axle hole.

[shadetree]

I have never had any problem getting axles out ! Takes two people one guy hold prybar between trans case and cv cup like he is prying it out ! Other guy has to push slack out of shaft and hold it there then give it a smack with a hammer ! This will shock the clip and they pop out ! Good luck

[Grey Vw]

On a 200k mile festy it was a nightmare, I ended up only getting one axle out after days of bashing and feeling like crying. On the other hand on another festy with 100k miles I pulled them out with one hand. Good luck

[lloydh]

prepare to take a week off, call in work sick with a food poisoning excuse and then the inner cv will pop out with the claw end of the wheel spanner. if the process goes textbook style can only take like 3 hours.

[Ogrekhan]

^
If it ever takes me 3 hrs to change a cv axle I'll light the car on fire as I'm rolling it out of the garage lol.

[Eaglefreek]

Well the car gods must have been smiling on me today. I walked out to the garage at 11:00am and by 1:00 pm I'm about 98% done. If it wasn't for one of nuts for the pinch bolt that holds the ball joint in stripping out I would be done. I have to drive into town, 25 miles one way, to get a new bolt and nut. The axles came out pretty easy. Getting the passenger side into the transaxle took me almost a half hour. Besides being an absolute greasy mess, it wasn't too bad.

[Eaglefreek]

All done. Here is my axle how to:

1. Buy a Ford service manual
2. Put on clothes that you won't have a problem throwing out when you're done.
3. Follow directions in Ford manual. :study:
4. Clean grease from tools.
5. Clean grease from garage floor.
6. Burn grease covered clothes.:violent3:
7. Take a shower and wash globs of grease out of your hair.:rr:

#2 should have been power wash CV grease from under car. :banghead:

[scitzz]

^
If it ever takes me 3 hrs to change a cv axle I'll light the car on fire as I'm rolling it out of the garage lol.

The pyro in me is cheering!

[gauge_half_inch]

ive actually had the spider gears of the diff fall into the case. moral of that story, dont let an idiot "help" you install your axles. 2 hours later i had the trans case all sealed back up and back in the car. not a chance for the novice to fix it.