advice in breaking apart the front outer CV joint

[Bernie Benz]

Alan,

I did both of my front outers several years ago now. These square  
wire circlips are a real PITA compared to the round wire clips that  
are just forced into the shaft groove and off.

Using the axle bolt as a pusher, clamp a vice grip on the shaft  
spline to use in offseting the bolt torque. Sounds like you may have  
the square wire section of the circlip pinched between its shaft  
groove and the CV housing from your beating it with hammer. Drive the  
CV back on the shaft a little to where the clip is free to spin. Now,  
holding the clip wide open, you should be able to screw in the axle  
bolt and force the joint to move outward. After it moves a 1/16” you  
no longer need to hold the clip open as it will be up, out of its  
groove. When you run out of bolt length, add a short length of rod  
under the bolt  to force the joint all the way off.

Bernie


On Sep 9, 2007, at 1:53 PM, <alancordeiro at att.net> wrote:

> I have spent close to an hour and a half trying to break open the  
> front outer CV joint
> so I can replace the rubber boot. Of all the boots, the two front  
> outer seem closest to failure.
>
> The old I have spread the  circlip as far as it goes, but the joint  
> will not off in spite of reasonably hard
> whacks with both a rubber mallet, even a good old fashioned steel  
> head hammer.
>
> I tried inserting in the big 16mm bolt, it appeared to press on the  
> outside of the "inner" shaft,
> but tightening it while spreading the circlip, and even with a few  
> friendly whacks will not
> break open the joint.
>
> Any BTDT? I have two joints off, ready to replace the boots, but ay  
> just call it quits and
> put them both back and get in a used one to practice on while the  
> car runs on old boots.
>
> While I wait for advice...... doe anyone in the Detroit metro area  
> have a good/bad used front CV shaft
> lying around?
>
> Alan
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