7.8
FINAL DRIVE
9. Pull strut assembly out while pivoting front drive shaft
downward until it clears strut assembly.
10. With short sharp jerks, remove drive shaft from front
gearcase.
Drive Shaft / CV Joint Handling Tips
Care should be exercised during drive shaft removal or when
servicing CV joints. Drive shaft components are precision parts.
Cleanliness and following these instructions is very important to
ensure proper shaft function and a normal service life.
• The complete drive shaft and joint should be handled by
getting hold of the interconnecting shaft to avoid
disassembly or potential damage to the drive shaft
joints.
• Over-angling of joints beyond their capacity could
result in boot or joint damage.
• Make sure surface-ground areas and splines of shaft are
protected during handling to avoid damage.
• Do not allow boots to come into contact with sharp
edges or hot engine and exhaust components.
• The drive shaft is not to be used as a lever arm to
position other suspension components.
• Never use a hammer or sharp tools to remove or to
install boot clamps.
• Be sure joints are thoroughly clean and that the proper
amount and type of grease is used to refill when joint
boots are replaced and when joints are cleaned. Refer
to text for grease capacity of CV joints and CV joint
boots.
Outer CV Joint / Boot Replacement
1. Remove the front drive shaft from the vehicle (see
“FRONT DRIVE SHAFT - Removal”).
2. Remove and discard the boot clamps.
3. Remove the large end of the boot from the CV joint and
slide the boot back.
4. Use a soft-faced hammer or brass drift to separate the CV
joint from the drive shaft.
NOTE: If using a brass drift, be sure to tap on the
inner race of the joint only.
5. Make sure the circlip remains on the shaft and not left in
the joint. Discard the circlip.
6. Remove the boot from the drive shaft.
CV Boot Clamp Pliers
Earless Type: 8700226
CAUTION
Complete disassembly of the CV joint is NOT
recommended. The internal components are a
precision fit and develop their own characteristic
wear patterns. Intermixing the internal
components could result in looseness, binding,
and/or premature failure of the joint.
Circlip
Pull shaft to remove
from CV joint