# Any gotcha's I should know about when replacing CV axles



## cobradvm (Aug 24, 2009)

Hi - new to the Nissan forums and I'm working on a coworkers 1996 Nissan Sentra. Both front CV axles have torn boots, so I plan on replacing both of these. I'm pretty comfortable working on cars and have all the tools I need including air tools. I haven't worked on Nissans before though and had a question about pulling the axles.

Is it okay to pull both CV axles at the same time? I read somewhere about spider gears in the tranny falling out etc (this is a 1.6 auto I believe). Or should I pull one and replace it and then do the other? I'd like to pull both and take them to the auto store, so I don't have to do a return trip to return the cores.

The axles should just pry out - is that correct or do I need a special tool. I've pulled axles from Thunderbirds and they pop out with a screwdriver.

When the car is driven there is a constant grinding noise - it sounds awful. I told the owner not to drive it until it's fixed. I'm wondering if the wheel bearings should be replaced at the same time? Thoughts on that.

Thanks for all your help.

Howard.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

Well the wheel bearing do fail on these, fairly common, but then again they are 12 -13 yrs old !!, and didn't make the typical sound on mine.
They can get so bad the hub and spindle are not usable.
Yes check them, once the axle and brakes are off the wheel bearing is easily tested by hand.
The older Sentra had a warning about pulling both axles, but I believe you have to remove both with the Auto, one axle is drifted out using a long thin screw driver or something similar, so both have to be out at the same time.
Dont use your good torque wrench, the axle nut is 150 ft lbs !!! it buggered mine !!!


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## pulsar86 (Aug 13, 2009)

One thing is not to pull on the axles as it can damage the joints. On my Pulsar you are supposed to replace the axle with a suitably sized bar to stop the diff moving when the axles are out so the splines line up when you replace the driveshafts. Are you sure the cvs are ok?, it doesn't take much water and dirt to wreck them. Drive in a tight circle in both directions to check for the joints knocking.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

yes the 87 I worked on was like that, but the 96 - 97's are different.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

He says he is replacing the axles so I think the CV's are shot.


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## cobradvm (Aug 24, 2009)

CV on passenger side is completely shot - torn boots and chunks of metal in the grease that is plastered all over the wheel well. 
Bearing on the drivers side is shot as well so that needs to be replaced.

Sorry - I'm not quite clear on whether or not I can pull and replace one at a time, or do I have to have both of them out at the same time and knock one out through the trans?

Will trans fluid gush all over the place when I take them out, and require replacement, or will no fluid come out.

I will be replacing both CV axles since the boots on both sides are completely torn. I'm just going to replace the bad bearing on the drivers side. 

Thanks for the replies.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

download the FSM it will help.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

On the manual yes fluid comes out, dont know about an Autobox, but yes i assume it will.


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## bbeauchaine87408 (Jul 6, 2009)

I've had the CVs out twice in my '96, once with the tranny full of fluid and once with it empty. I don't remember losing any fluid in the first case, certainly not a significant amount - which guarantees that you'll get a faceful, right? 

Both times I removed both joints at the same time and had no problem getting them popped back in. The driver side on my car needed a pretty healthy whack on the "persuader" to get it to come out, but both separated easily from the wheel bearings with a couple of rubber hammer blows on the end of the axle.


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## cobradvm (Aug 24, 2009)

Update : it's all back together and running fine. I ended up pulling the passenger side axle and replacing it, and then pulled the drivers side and replaced that side. There was a little dripping of tranny fluid. After it was all back together I checked the fluid level and it was fine, so I left it at that. The passenger side axle popped out pretty easily with a screwdriver, but the drivers side was a little less forthcoming, but it eventually gave up the fight. The drivers side was also tougher to get back in, but a good shove got it back in. The wheel bearing was easy enough to replace. The bearing came out in pieces, so I had to cut part of it off the hub, but other than that, it was straightforward.

Thanks for the help!


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

my bearing didn't come out in pieces so I had it pressed off and the new one pressed in at a machine shop.
Did you press the new one in yourself with a vice?


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

I wonder why the FSM tells you to drift the drivers side out when you could pop it out OK ?


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## cobradvm (Aug 24, 2009)

IanH said:


> my bearing didn't come out in pieces so I had it pressed off and the new one pressed in at a machine shop.
> Did you press the new one in yourself with a vice?


Ian - when I pressed out the hub first, the inner bearing race separated into two halfs - one half remained stuck on the hub, and the other half remained in the knuckle. It was easy to lift out the half of the inner bearing race that was in the knuckle. I pressed out the outer bearing race after removing the retaining clip. That was easy enough. To remove the half of the inner bearing race that was stuck on the hub, I could either take it to a shop and have it pressed off (I have a 12 ton HF press, but I don't have bearing separator plates - I trashed those when I worked on my Honda). Plan B was to take a dremel tool and cut it almost all the way through being careful not to go all the way through and nick the hub. Then then I took a chisel 
(or a thick straight edge screw driver) and whacked it with a hammer, and the bearing split where I had cut it with the dremel and it slid right off. Basically the chisel acts as a wedge to split the bearing along the line I had cut. 

I don't know why the FSM says to use the screwdriver technique - a good tug and it came out - putting it back it was harder - started out gentle, but ended having to give it a good shove to get it back in. I made sure the inner hub (?) of the CV axle lined up with the trans case the same way as the old one so I knew it was in right and that there wasn't a large space or something.

Total cost for new brake pads and rotors, new passenger side brake caliper assy, two new CV axles, and a new drivers side bearing and seals was $280. Not too bad!


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

So I guess you used your press to re-assemble the hub then.
I ask because my drivers side is getting noisy, or at least i hope is the bearing !! 
Even on the manual if can take a good shove to get the axles back in


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