CV BOOT REPLACED IN 30 MINUTES - Page 21

Ricky Bobby · #1 05-13-2013, 02:14 PM

thanks for the input Steve, I will definitely keep that option in mind as buying 2 inner boot kits almost equals buying 2 new Axles in price believe it or not (about 50 bucks per side from BMW dealer)

I'm going to do some more hammering tonight and hopefully get the outer joint off, if I can.

stevekat · #2 05-13-2013, 02:40 PM

Good luck with getting the outer joints off. If it goes well, it seems that is a reasonable path. Just seems hit and miss, though it seems it really is an art. Here is some info on the shafts from Cardone I used should you be interested in the reference. In general I thought they looked pretty good though I did not peer inside the boots to the joints themselves. So far so good, but I only have about 2000 miles on them currently. I am curoius as to the quality of the boots but assume they shall be OK. I purchased some inexpensive steering rack boots for the tie rod connection for my old Porsche 931 from a trusted but aftermarket source, and they crumbed in 18 months, but I am confident the boots on these Cardone Select Parts are probably made properly. RockAuto was the source for the info below and where I obtained mine.

CARDONE SELECT Part # 669255 New CARDONE Select Constant Velocity Drive Axle

W/ or W/O ABS; Front Left; From 04/2000 $44.99

CARDONE SELECT Part # 669256 New CARDONE Select Constant Velocity Drive Axle

W/ or W/O ABS; Front Right; From 04/2000 $44.99

Ricky Bobby · #3 05-13-2013, 03:26 PM

Wow for the same price as an inner boot kit from BMW you get a whole new axle, amazing!

stevekat · #4 05-13-2013, 03:30 PM

Do not know how they do it. Also, the shipping it not very expensive. They look very well made when you are holding it in your hands - that is not always the case with other parts I have seen.

Ricky Bobby · #5 05-13-2013, 08:37 PM

OK Well I finally had success tonight, found the "sweet spot" on the outer joint and with a few good whacks the outer joint came off. Cleaned up all old grease and disassembled, got new grease in there and with some fiddling with the "c" clip I got the outer joint back on the axle.

Now the bad news, using a makeshift "axle puller" made from a ground down axle nut welded on a spark plug socket, I got the axle pulled about halfway into the hub by threading it on the axle stub and ratcheting, expecting it to pull more inwards as the nut gets threaded on there more. The nut broke at the weld and obviously the nut is flush with the hub basically, so I cannot get vice grips on there to turn it and I'm seriously looking fucked as far as finishing this job goes.

Is it bad to hammer on the hub with a block of wood in between it? I did that for a couple minutes hoping to pop the axle inward the rest of the way so I can get vice grips on and remove the broken axle nut, now I feel like the hub is "loose", is it because of the play in the axle that is in the hub or should I have no play in the hub whatsoever and now expect to replace another wheel bearing?

stevekat · #6 05-14-2013, 02:43 AM

Do I understand it properly that you had pushed the axle out of the hub to do your work, and now you were drawing it back into the hub by using the axle nut to pull it through?

From what I read, and what I did, is very, very thoroughly clean the axle splines and the internal splines inside the hub - I used a small wire brush and penetrating oil and did this very thoroughly. I had read that if one does not do this, the axle can bind going back in. I did not attempt to draw it in too much with the nut until it was mostly through and seated in the hub. I was able to push and pull on the hub and get the axle to slide almost all the way through. Also, if you pull back and forth on the hub to seat it on the axle, make sure when pulling, you do not pull the inner CV of the axle joint apart.

You might be able to pull and slam the hub down onto the axle several times to get the axle to seat further, but if you were seriously wrenching on it, there is doubt this technique would move the axle through further. It might be pretty bound up. Perhaps spraying lots of penetrating oil into the splines could help if you were trying to seat if further through some type of force or impact.

Ricky Bobby · #7 05-14-2013, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevekat

Do I understand it properly that you had pushed the axle out of the hub to do your work, and now you were drawing it back into the hub by using the axle nut to pull it through?

From what I read, and what I did, is very, very thoroughly clean the axle splines and the internal splines inside the hub - I used a small wire brush and penetrating oil and did this very thoroughly. I had read that if one does not do this, the axle can bind going back in. I did not attempt to draw it in too much with the nut until it was mostly through and seated in the hub. I was able to push and pull on the hub and get the axle to slide almost all the way through. Also, if you pull back and forth on the hub to seat it on the axle, make sure when pulling, you do not pull the inner CV of the axle joint apart.

You might be able to pull and slam the hub down onto the axle several times to get the axle to seat further, but if you were seriously wrenching on it, there is doubt this technique would move the axle through further. It might be pretty bound up. Perhaps spraying lots of penetrating oil into the splines could help if you were trying to seat if further through some type of force or impact.

yes I used a tool similar to this to draw the axle in the hub:

I cleaned and wire brushed EVERYTHING before install, I also put antiseize on hub splines and axle splines, is this whats making the axle bind up?

Also, I'm now having slight play in the hub now that the axle is "halfway connected from the back", hoping it goes away when the axle is seated all the way because I don't remember the hub having any play when it was just seated in the carrier before inserting the axle.

stevekat · #8 05-14-2013, 12:21 PM

So the smooth part is stuck down on the threads of the axle, that is part way into the hub?

Well, if the smooth part that is broken off and has a minimum enough diameter, where the axle can be driven out with it in situ, then I'd try that, probably using a rotary hammer from Harbor Freight (how did you drive the axle out originally - small sledge hammer and bullpoint chisel, hammer on nut, air chisel, etc.?)

If the washer part remains attached to the smooth part, then I think I would take a chisel and try to hit it around the diameter to LOOSEN it. I'd imagine this might have some success.

Again if the washer part remains, you could try welding a closed offset box end wrench to the washer part while it is in situ, perhaps from the inside diameter of the wrench.

When I did this job on both sides, I did not attempt to pull the axle through the hub with a nut and threads until I was able to have the axle and its threads protrude through the hub through hand manipulation far enough to put the nut on it in the traditional way.

Your attempted solution is very innovative and unusual. Hope you are able to undo the current situation to restart the process of reassembly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

yes I used a tool similar to this to draw the axle in the hub...

Also, I'm now having slight play in the hub now that the axle is "halfway connected from the back"...

Ricky Bobby · #9 05-14-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevekat

So the smooth part is stuck down on the threads of the axle, that is part way into the hub?

Well, if the smooth part that is broken off and has a minimum enough diameter, where the axle can be driven out with it in situ, then I'd try that, probably using a rotary hammer from Harbor Freight (how did you drive the axle out originally - small sledge hammer and bullpoint chisel, hammer on nut, air chisel, etc.?)

If the washer part remains attached to the smooth part, then I think I would take a chisel and try to hit it around the diameter to LOOSEN it. I'd imagine this might have some success.

Again if the washer part remains, you could try welding a closed offset box end wrench to the washer part while it is in situ, perhaps from the inside diameter of the wrench.

When I did this job on both sides, I did not attempt to pull the axle through the hub with a nut and threads until I was able to have the axle and its threads protrude through the hub through hand manipulation far enough to put the nut on it in the traditional way.

Your attempted solution is very innovative and unusual. Hope you are able to undo the current situation to restart the process of reassembly.

Thanks, got it from the E39 boards (some helpful guys over there)

The washer part remains attached to the smooth part and is close to being flush with the axle, I can get vice grips barely on there and when I try to turn they tend to just pop off, not enough "meat" of that washer part to get a good grip on.

Originally to get the axle driven out of the hub I did not use any hammering, just drove it out with an axle flange puller and the threaded rod of a hub puller to "push" inwards until it was 95% out of the hub, then when I disconnected the strut I got it the rest of the way with 2 taps of a punch and deadblow.

Going to try to either manipulate the axle from the rear of the carrier to get it to seat further inwards by hand (so I may get vice grips on the broken washer), or like you said use a chisel and hope I can get some success with it turning. I tried the chisel method last night and had little success, but this was after wrenching with the axle joint for 4 hours (Did I mention that I had success with the outer joint, disassembly and rebooting?

Thanks for all your input on this Steve, I'd rather keep the discussion in here instead of using another thread, when my trials and tribulations could help other members in the future.

Ricky Bobby · #10 05-15-2013, 08:52 AM

Got it off after a few hours of carefully dremeling notches to I had somewhere to hold a chisel and hammering with a 3 lb mini sledge.

Threaded new axle nut on as far as I could, now I just have to do final torque on the ground. If I bolt everything back up and I have no more wheel bearing noise from that side (I replaced wheel bearing, circlip and dust shield while the hub was out) I will be absolutely amazed with all the hammering I did.

Although I'm reading on here that placing blocks of wood over the hub face and hammering in the center is the preferred method of choice to get the axle to push back into the hub, so I may be OK after all.