Aspire CV axle removal

[nitrofarm]

Found the same for $35.00 but cant figure out how to purchase it?!

http://www.quaware.com/AZATE-25537.html

[neanderpaul]

Same tool, better price. The cheapest I found it for was $68ish on amazon.

[mgg1]

The OEM CV axles that were in my Festiva and Aspire had positive stops that allowed me to compress the joint and jerk real hard and they would come right out with no issues.

The after market and rebuilt shafts that I used as replacements did not have a positive stop and pulling on them would have ripped the inner boot by yanking on them.

To remove the axles to replace leaking axle seals I placed the front of the car on jack stands with 2 floor jacks as back up fall protection and chocked the rear tires front and back.
To remove the driver side CV shaft I placed a large good quality ball joint separator fork between the transaxle and the large inner hub of the CV shaft between the cradle and transaxle.
I snugly supported the end of the ball joint separator fork off the floor with a wood block and had the shaft positioned to have no obstruction in front of it.
I then used a large 10 lb sledge hammer head as a battering ram from the side of the car and stiffly hit the ball joint separator and the shaft popped right out.

On the passenger side I used a medium size flat ended wrecking bar and pried with a quick snatch between the CV axle and the transaxle torque arm boss and the shaft popped right out.

[TominMO]

OK, I got the Aspire driver's axle out. I used my slide hammer, plus a contraption I made out of $6.50 in parts fom the hardware store, to fit behind the inner cup. It consists of two L-shaped flat brackets, 3" on each side, held together by two 6" long 1/4" bolts. They fit into one of the accessories that come with any slide hammer. One side of one bracket is cut down to fit behind the "northwest" part of the driver's side axle cup, which is very restricted in space. (I used lug nuts as washers because I didn't have any large washers handy.) I had to slightly drill out the bracket holes to 1/4". The axle came out on the fourth strike with the slide hammer. I was using light to medium strikes. To get my tool on, I had to put the cut-down L bracket on with the two bolts, on the NW side, then thread the non-cut bracket onto the two bolts.

Now my question is: how do you get the new axle in? Do you tap on the inner cup with a BFH? I didn't want to try tapping on the end of the shaft for fear of damaging the outer CV bearings. I replaced the seal and have the circlip facing up, as Haynes sez to do. The inner end of the axle, where the circlip is, is well greased.

Here is a pic of the tool I built:

[zoom zoom]

Just get the splines started, when it comes time for the clip to go in push it tight and keep pressure while you hit the cup with a rubber mallet. Its not hard to get back in..once that clip starts it slides in the rest of the way easy.

[TominMO]

Just get the splines started, when it comes time for the clip to go in push it tight and keep pressure while you hit the cup with a rubber mallet. Its not hard to get back in..once that clip starts it slides in the rest of the way easy.

Thanks, I'll try it Monday. Going out of town for the weekend.

[neanderpaul]

Nice solution!

[zoom zoom]

You should see my rubber mallet, the thing is probably 10+ years old and dryrotted all to %$*# ... Every time i hit something pieces fly off it lol.

[TominMO]

OK, installed the new driver's CV. The rubber hammer didn't work; not enough weight, or room to swing it. I pulled the guts out of the inner CV cup, and tapped the empty cup a few times with my trusty BFH. That did the trick. Then reassembled the inner CV with zip ties on the boot.

Doing the passenger CV tmw. Should go far quicker with all the experience I've gotten on the other one!

[TominMO]

An update: did the passenger CV. Couldn't get my homemade tool in there, so I just used half of it (i.e. one L-shaped bracket), and it worked just as well. Took six taps with the slide hammer to get it out. Again, I took the inner boot off and just had to deal with the bare cup itself; this gave me a straight shot with the slide hammer.

To install the new CV, I removed the large clip on the inner boot and pulled out the guts. Then I tapped on the end of the inner cup with the top of my BFH, which turned out to be the easiest way to tap on it, because of the exhaust downpipe being there. Reassembled the inner CV, with a zip tie on the boot.

[FestYboy]

tom, for future referance, don't take the new CV apart as it isn't nessisary. when you get the new CV, remove the circlip and compress it so that when it's installed, the clip is flush with the O.D. of the splines or just slightly further out. then start the splines into the trans and take a mini-sledge (BFH) to the outside joint where the nut goes and smack that untill the inner seats. it shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 hits to get it to sink.

[zoom zoom]

#102

Trick question time..

How many internet forum posts does it take to change a driveaxel?

[FestYboy]

2:
1) how do i get this axle out?

2) get a bigger hammer...

[TominMO]

tom, for future referance, don't take the new CV apart as it isn't nessisary. when you get the new CV, remove the circlip and compress it so that when it's installed, the clip is flush with the O.D. of the splines or just slightly further out. then start the splines into the trans and take a mini-sledge (BFH) to the outside joint where the nut goes and smack that untill the inner seats. it shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 hits to get it to sink.

Thanks; actually I did that at first on the driver's side, but thought better of it after a couple of hits. I was concerned that I would screw up the roller bearings on the outboard CV. But you're saying this is not a problem.

Zoom x2: apparently 104, so far.

[zoom zoom]

I was worried about hitting the axel hub nut cause i thought it might damage the joints, or bind something..but it might work! If you hold your tongue just right when you hit the inner cup with a rubber mallet it doesnt take any real force to get it started.. just a little tap. Those clips are such a PITA.. I cant wait to replace my clutch in a couple weeks, i might end up having to find a little tool like you used. I wonder how much slide pull hammers cost at HF.