I was wondering if someone can give me step by step instructions on how to swap out the passenger side driveshaft on a 95 civic coupe.

 

undo 32mm hub nut, unbolt shock, either remove lower ball joint (hard but right)
or unbolt the front LCA and swaybar (easy but not technically correct) push the hub assembly away from the car use a pry bar to remove axle from tranny.

 

sounds pretty simple to do. Anything i should be cautious about? Just want to make sure i get it done without any problems.

 

Question: How do I swap an axle?

A. Here's how to pull the axles:
Tools you'll need if doing a Civic or Integra:
19mm for the wheel
32mm big-*** socket and BIG rachet for it - to break off and tighten back up the axle nut
17mm wrench
17mm wrench again or rachet
Dykes
Hammer
Prybar
TRY to get the entire front of the vehicle off the ground so you can turn the wheels to make things easier.

1. Take the wheel off with the 19mm
2. Take the 32mm nut off the end of the axle
3. Take the dykes and pull the cotter pin out of the bottom 17mm castle nut on the lower balljoint
4. Take the 17mm and remove the castlenut from the lower balljoint
5. Take your big-*** hammer and whack right ON the lower control arm where the balljoint sits - this method for buting the balljoint out will not tear the balljoint boot like the "balljoint wedge" will
6. Take both 17mm and remove the thru-bolt that runs through the lower fork of the front stut - this will allow the axle to slide out when ready by pulling the strut fork to the side of the lower control arm
7. Pull the brake rotor out of the way - axle is ready to come out
8. Take the prybar and pry the axle by prying between the inner joint and the tranny housing

**CAUTION**

If it's a manual tranny you NEED to drain it if you're doing the PASSENGER side on a car with equal-length driveshafts - if it's a B-series this applies. Unequal length shafts will require yopu to ALWAYS drain the tranny.

Reassamble it how you disassembled it. Only then you need to stake the axle nut down by putting a dent in it and do'nt forget to replace the cotter pin in the lower balljoint castlenut!

 

that was a much better description. Thanks much.

 

I swapped mine w/ no fluid leakage, but I agree it's a good precaution to take because it only takes a second.

 

You actually don't have to remove the lower ball joint. You just have to remove the stabilzer bar bolt I think its called, and then the bolt on the LCA that's the farthest back. You can get the axles out that way.

 

You might be able to get the passenger side axle out w/o draining if you jack up that corner only. I know you can on the driver side, I jacked up the driver side only and was able to get my center driveshaft out w/o no spillage when I was replacing my alternator.

 

The left axle on a B-Series motor never goes into the tranny, so you don't have to drain if you're doing the left one.

It connects to the halfshaft, which then goes into the tranny.

 

Yep, but I had to take the center shaft out to get to my alternator. What I said above would apply to unequal length axles on SOHC engines.

 

What do you mean "stake the axle nut down"? How do I put a dent in it?

 

with a punch, and a hammer

 

just hit the side of the nut with a punch and hammer? Is that so the nut doesn't come off?

 

yes there should be an indented part on the shaft...yes this is to keep the nut torqued down.

 

<U>quote: don't forget to replace the cotter pin in the lower balljoint castlenut!</U>

Definitely don't forget this. Just last month when I finished my swap someone didn't bother tightening my pass. side lower castlenut (it didn't get a cotter pin either). During the test drive the bolt came out and WHAM. I almost lost it in a ditch and tire got crammed up in the fender. Time for a new fender and some paint on the door. It's nice to have help, but with a couple people working on one project you tend assume that someone else has done something and you don't worry about it.

 

If I'm going to replace both front axles, where should I get the axles from? Should I get some aftermarket ones like from http://www.driveshaftshop.com, or should I go to a dealer?

 

go to any auto parts store and get some remanufactured ones....if they hold up on my 250hp civic, they will hold up on yours.

don't get raped by the dealer

 

The remans I got from a local auto store (Advaned Auto Parts) have a lifetime warrenty. So if they go pop, snap, explode, I just take it out and I have another one for free.

 

how much did they cost you?

 

65 bucks a side

 

those include the cv joints right?

 

yes

 

mine came with a shiney new axle nut to. Sometimes they take a beating when you are trying to get them off (where the indentation is).

 

I am on my 2nd remanufactured driveshaft from O'Rielly's and after one week it is popping. The first one lasted about two weeks before it started popping. The inner joint (tripot) is what is making the noise, the outer is fine. Same with the first one, the inner tripot went out. It only pops when transitioning from accelerating to decelerating or vise versa. I am not getting reman's again. I have the lifetime warranty but I'm sick of changing these things out.

 

maybe your pulling them apart during install.