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PTrain
09-30-2010, 09:56 PM
My boot split on my driver side half shaft and I just bought a whole new assembly to replace it instead of replacing the boot.

As of right now all I've done is disconnect the tie rod from the steering rack and removed the main bolt holding the half shaft in the upright. Now I'm stuck.

The half shaft slides smoothly inside the upright but I can't turn the upright assembly in or out enough to slide the half shaft out. Do I need to unbolt the upright from the shock tower or the lower a arm? If so how do I make sure I keep the spring compressed so I can re assemble it after I replace the half shaft?

Thanks for your guys help. I'll be sure to take some pictures so I can make a write up about it in the how-to section.
stealthee
09-30-2010, 10:08 PM
The spring keeps itself compressed in the body of the strut. You can either unbolt the ball joint from the steering knuckle or unbolt the struts from the top of it.
PTrain
09-30-2010, 10:11 PM
Cool. I was just checking out the wheel bearing replacement thread a few down and Jimvr4 had a great picture of the upright unbolted at the strut.

Thanks.
stealthee
09-30-2010, 10:13 PM
It is easier to unbolt the top bolts, but it will make it hard to get the alignment perfect. Its slightly more difficult to remove the ball joint bolt and to get the control arm to drop, but doesn't affect alignment.
PTrain
09-30-2010, 10:17 PM
I tried removing one of the bolts from the top but I can't get it off even with an impact gun or a breaker bar. They are soaking in PB blaster at the moment while I try to get the ball joint bolt off.
thestealth
10-01-2010, 06:50 AM
Be sure you use a scribe or sharpie marker to mark the position of the eccentric bolt before you remove it (it's the top one, it adjusts the camber of the wheel during an alignment).
PTrain
10-02-2010, 01:52 AM
Well I was able to get the bolts out finally but now I can't seem to get the halfshaft disconnected from the transmission. Should it just slide out? I don't see anything holding it in.
colt45 gto
10-02-2010, 06:04 AM
you have to pry it out of the tranny, it has a c-clip around the shaft end holding it in.

use a jimmy bar
thestealth
10-02-2010, 10:32 AM
When I replaced the drivers side axle, I could not get the half shaft separated from the intermediate shaft while it was still in the car. I had to unbolt the intermediate shaft from the block and remove both shafts at the same time. Separate them, reassemble, then reinstall the whole axle assembly.
Hans@GZP
10-02-2010, 07:49 PM
When I replaced the drivers side axle, I could not get the half shaft separated from the intermediate shaft while it was still in the car. I had to unbolt the intermediate shaft from the block and remove both shafts at the same time. Separate them, reassemble, then reinstall the whole axle assembly.

This. Sometimes it's just easier to take out the two 14mm bolts out of the intermediate shaft and remove the whole assmebly as one unit. No prying required. That's for the passenger side axle.
Jimvr4
10-03-2010, 11:33 AM
This. Sometimes it's just easier to take out the two 14mm bolts out of the intermediate shaft and remove the whole assmebly as one unit. No prying required. That's for the passenger side axle.

Hans, Are you saying that you HAVE to pry out the passenger side? Does it make sense to replace the half shaft just for a torn boot?
thestealth
10-03-2010, 12:06 PM
The passenger one is pretty easy to pry out. It's been my experience, just a quick yank of the half shaft, it will pop right out the tranny.
stealthee
10-03-2010, 12:07 PM
Dont yank on the halfshaft. Thats a good way to seperate it from itself and rip the boot. All you have to do is pry on it at the point where it meets the case and it pops right out with no chance for damage.
stealthee
10-03-2010, 12:09 PM
This. Sometimes it's just easier to take out the two 14mm bolts out of the intermediate shaft and remove the whole assmebly as one unit. No prying required. That's for the passenger side axle.

Do you mean the drivers side? ;) The passenger is the shorty. The drivers side has the intermediate.
Hans@GZP
10-03-2010, 11:26 PM
Do you mean the drivers side? ;) The passenger is the shorty. The drivers side has the intermediate.

Read my response again... It reads "pry the passenger side, unbolt the driver side" :)

Jim, I'd just buy a reman'd axle if you have a torn boot. It's not worth the added time and mess to deal with a boot. You can get brand new axles from Advance Auto for around $60-70
stealthee
10-03-2010, 11:30 PM
Read my response again... It reads "pry the passenger side, unbolt the driver side" :)

I see what you said now. I read it as, those directions for removing the 14mm bolts is for the passenger side. :p
Alias Is Apac
12-11-2010, 02:17 AM
i will be attempting this tmrw morning... wish me luck...

and Hans, if i have any problems i'm calling you, i've spoken to you on the phone once this week already!
DocWalt
12-11-2010, 04:29 AM
It's honestly cake to pull a halfshaft, especially since they have a sweet little prying area.
Alias Is Apac
12-11-2010, 09:58 AM
It's honestly cake to pull a halfshaft, especially since they have a sweet little prying area.

i surely hope you're right b/c the GA3S dinner is tonight, and i don't want to miss it... :/
DocWalt
12-11-2010, 06:13 PM
I hope you made it to the GA3S dinner ;)
Hans@GZP
12-11-2010, 09:32 PM
I didn't get a call (as far as I know) so he may have made it... or spiked his phone off the ground in a raging fit LOL
DocWalt
12-12-2010, 12:39 AM
LOL. I was just up in Easton, my dad didn't wanna try to find your shop :(
stealthee
12-12-2010, 12:48 AM
You probably wouldn't find it just by randomly looking. I got lost as fuck the first time I went there. LOL
Hans@GZP
12-12-2010, 10:06 AM
We're not that hard to find :p

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a248/Hans91GT/gzpmap.jpg
stealthee
12-12-2010, 10:19 AM
Well Mapquest is part to blame for why I got lost the first time. Now its really no issue any time I come out.

But you guys aren't exactly in the middle of town. :p
DocWalt
12-12-2010, 04:39 PM
Oh no, I had my phone on me. Google maps navigation FTW. My dad just didn't feel like wasting the gas, lol
Hans@GZP
12-12-2010, 05:19 PM
Well Mapquest is part to blame for why I got lost the first time. Now its really no issue any time I come out.

But you guys aren't exactly in the middle of town. :p

Actually, we are in the middle of town LOL
stealthee
12-12-2010, 05:25 PM
You know what I mean. :p
Hans@GZP
12-12-2010, 05:30 PM
We're actually extremely easy to get to (if you don't follow mapquest directions). The street we are off of pretty much connects both sides of town without any stop signs or traffic lights. It's like a mini expressway haha. People don't realize how centrally located we are in town until they figure it all out. We have direct access to 4th st, 25th st, and 17th st.... and we're right in the middle of both major highways that are in town :)