Sketch_hs

well i took a look today at my pass cv boot only to find the grease all over my wheel well! It's been cracked for a while and i guess it just had enough.

I was thinking about just getting a new boot for it but after a lot of reading on this forum it seems like replacing the axles is a better bet in terms of cost-effectiveness...

I have no idea how to swap the axles. I have the helms. I'm not sure exactly what tools I will need to pick up. I don't have a ball joint separator nor access to an impact wrench. I suppose I could acquire the ball joint separator rather easy ( I hope ) but the impact wrench is a bit to much $$$.

What's the best way to swap the axles? What tools to I need to do this? Any suggestions as I've never tried this before. i AM mechanically inclined... but that never makes up for not knowing what you are doing!

Thanks in advance,

-Sketch

Sketch_hs

it's a 93 Civic coupe DX 5-speed btw...

gezer

ther was a site that shows u how to drop in a gsr, but it goes through taking out the sohc and one part is about axels here u go hope it helps http://www.c-speedracing.com/h...p.php

garagespecial

32mm axle nut...some regular tools such as a socket set 10mm to 17mm i believe...its would be nice and easy iif you had a compressor..also a pry bar to get the axle out or a long flat head screwdriver...its pretty simple just un bolt and put back together...if you need any help pm me ill be glad to help you out....an extra set of hands would make it alot easier...but its basically pretty simple.

ransack

Just unbolt that massive 32mm.
Unbolt the shock bolts
Yank that beast out and insert new one. Re do all bolts.
bam...your done. its way simple

Sketch_hs

YES i have a compressor... what do i need that for? I don't have an impact wrench though. Do i need that ball joint tool though?

-Sketch

csprague

Ok, I just tried this yesterday, with my buddy who is a ASE-certified ex-mechanic.

You will need to unbolt the tie rod and loosen the lower ball joint. You'll have to get the cotter pins loose (and since you will probably mangle them, like I did, have a couple replacement pins on hand).

You don't need any special tools for the ball joint. I just took a hammer and whacked both and they came unseated. It wasn't very hard. Hopefully you will have better luck.

What WAS hard and held me up was getting the axle nut off. We took the hubcap off, bolted the wheel and dropped it back down to the ground. We had an impact wrench hooked up to a small compressor making about 125lbs pressure and it did nothing. We went at it for a while. We tried using socket wrenches and snapped 3 of those as well. Finally we gave up. My buddy thinks if his compressor was in the 150 range he could have done it, I think it needed to be heated up with a torch. I am just going to have my mechanic do it, which kills me since I will be out $250 instead of the $70 I spent on the axle, all because I could not get one nut loose.

The nut wasn't factory though. I have only owned the car for a couple weeks, I think the girl before me took the car to one of those iffy service stations and they overtorqued the heck out of it. Hopefully you will have better luck.

Sketch_hs

Can I get everything I need at auto zone?

-Sketch

Sketch_hs

Does anyone know if the re-man. axles boots come pre packed with grease? I'm talking about the ones you get from Kragen...