bougha

Hi
My 1st gen's outer cv joint seems to worked long enough and now it should be changed. Some of you guys must have changed it so what kind of project is that?
1st I unlock the axle nut but what then? How do I get that joint out of the axle and what else should I notice/do?

Thanks,

stealthscotty

Keeping in mind that I haven't done the half shafts on a Protege, here is the basic run down for any front drive vehicle. (This is a hazardous job! These are GENERAL instructions! Follow at your OWN risk!) This is not a good job for a first timer....

First, jack the car as high as you can get it and support it extremely well. This job will shake the car a bit in some cases. You'll need to completely unload the front suspension. With the wheel removed, loosen the nut on the drive axle, keep an eye out for any kind of locking device (cotter pin, tab washer, etc.). Then look at the front suspension at the spindle. Do NOT loosen the bolts holding the strut to the spindle unless you want to go get a front-end alignment! You want to detach the spindle from the lower ball joint. Again, this will require removal of a cotter pin and the nut. If you will replace the ball joint while you're here, just use a ball joint seperator to loosen it from the spindle. If you intend to reruse the ball joint, use a hammer and drift to strike the side of the spindle next to the ball joint stem while putting downward force on the lower control arm. (good luck) The best way to pull down on the lower control arm is with a long (6ft) pry bar. Place it through the control arm and brace against the subframe in a place that won't cause damage. Be careful doing this as it may take all of your weight to pull the ball joint stem down enough to clear the spindle(this is where the car gets shaken some). When the spindle has seperated from the lower ball joint, remove the nut from the axle shaft so that you can swing the strut/spindle away from the car to let the shaft slide out the back. Place a drain pan under the transmission before pulling the shaft out of the car to catch any lost fluids.

Reassembly is just in reverse order. Remember to replace any cotter pins, etc. and replace any trans fluid lost. The disassembly of the shaft is a whole new job that I decided long agao was just frustrating enough to justify replacing the entire shaft if any noticable wear was present. If you only wish to reboot the shaft, take it to a shop that does this kind of work and it will still be cheap enough to avoid the hassle. Complete replacement shafts are cheap enough that there is no reason to replace a damaged CV joint, IMO...

Davard

Do a search. There are web sites for both sides. The driver's side is covered on Mazdaspeedwest's site, the passenger side on Gro Harlem's site. Both are nice with pictures.

Plan on replacing the whole half-shaft. It's cheaper that way, and much easier.

Oh, and get access to a good (Really GOOD) impact wrench. The nut is on with about 230 ft.lbs, and that is before rust has set in.

bougha

Thanks for both of you. I'm gonna change only the cv joint of the driver's side but I think it's gonna be ok.

rodslinger

Like Dave said, change the whole axle. It will be cheaper and easier. Usually you can only get the joint new which might be $200 or so dollars. You can get the whole axle rebuilt sometimes with a lifetime warranty for under $100.

Davard

For the driver's side, here is
Darryl's How-to.

mazdaspeedwest

BTW, i have fixed the page, the larger pics are now viewable.

thanks for the reminder David

islandpro

warning stay away from napa shafts. im needing to replace mine again. after only 2000 miles. spoke with another person that said he had to replace his after 400. ******* crap..

Davard

The other thing to remember to check is the length. Compare it with your old axle. I had to try two different shops to get the right one (the other was 1/4" too long). Look here for dimensions, if you want to check when you buy.

If the half-shaft is too long, you will get a bad noise when the suspension compresses, as the half-shaft bottoms out in the inner (tripod) joint. And eventually, something will have to give (break).

bougha

Still changing the joint only, cost 70$ (a new one of course).

Davard

OK, how are you taking the CV joint off the axle? My friend did that on his Civic and he had to cut off the CV joint with a grinder (as the clip is on the inside of the joint).