Re-boot or replace?

[Ricky Bobby]

You mean with the outer joint still installed in the hub?

Absolutely not, I remember reading about that ghetto method. I prefer to take the full outer joint off of the axle, clean out the total internals of the joint completely with brake cleaner and reassemble with ALL NEW GREASE, and reboot.

People popping the joint out of the axle stub with the joint still attached to the hub is a ghetto way to just replace the boot only, in my opinion its half assing the job.

[garrett.fell]

Okay - so you can press the axle stub out of the CV from the outside? (Nut side). I recall the other procedure had you put a vice-grip on the axle itself - apply some pressure with a pry bar and whack it good.

I'll look around YouTube and search the forum on this topic. Right now I am iphone-bound.


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[garrett.fell]

Yup. I was referring to the
ghetto method earlier. I didn't have good results using it - yo.


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[sedc]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

I prefer to take the full outer joint off of the axle, clean out the total internals of the joint completely with brake cleaner and reassemble with ALL NEW GREASE, and reboot.

Do this, and replace the axle nut

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by sedc

Do this, and replace the axle nut

10-4 I neglected to mention that, you get a new axle nut in the GKN Loebro kit, although it is a 6 point 36mm nut instead of the 12pt nut on our E53, but the thread is the same.

[srmmmm]

I check those boots every month with my tire pressure check. At the first sign of any grease leakage, it's time for a new boot. So far, I've caught both sides in plenty of time to avoid a rebuild.

2002 X5 3.0 252,000 miles
2004 325i 113,000 miles

[garrett.fell]

So I've seen some references to a tool that bolts into the hub - then apparently has something you screw-in to push the axle out. That'd be nice - but I don't have one

I did see a guy (YouTube) make reference to using an air-chisel - or is that ghetto too?






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[Ricky Bobby]

Garrett do you read my posts? I mention the Axle puller set from Advance auto includes the flange that bolts to the hub and the threaded rod to push the axle inwards and out of the hub.



The kit comes with the above, you need the shallow flange and the black threaded rod under the slide hammer to push the axle out.

[garrett.fell]

Cool. Thanks! Slipped my mind I guess - or maybe I was assuming I needed a special tool that wasn't that easy to acquire. I guess it makes sense. Probably a lot of auto manufacturers use the same basic design for the font CV assembly so universal kits are out there to assist in disassembly.

I am more used to working on old aircooled VW's where everything is simple and you don't need many specialized tools like pullers and pushers, etc....


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[Ricky Bobby]

No worries, some special tools are needed on certain jobs but for the most part you can rent specialty tools that will do the trick.