Replacing A Front CV Joint

by: Rob

Instructions

Before I attempted my CV joint, I found a huge amount of advice on the forum from many people. I’ve really just accumulated all that info into one place and added a few pics. So credit to JAM, Smotter, Marky Mark, Roadster Robbie, and many others. I’ll also add that I’m nothing more than a DIY mechanic, so if you experts out there can add any more details, or correct any errors, please do so.

Ok, here goes:

Firstly, DO NOT underestimate how tight the hub nut will be, and how much leverage you will need to separate the lower suspension arm. I broke a telescopic wheel brace and a normal socket wrench while trying to get the nut off. Don’t even think about tackling this until you have, at the very least, a 24” breaker bar with a further 12” steel tube extension, and a deep 32mm socket. With the proper leverage it’s pretty straight forward, without it’s just impossible. I got my joint from Parts-in-a-box. Under £50 including postage and it comes with grease, boot & clips, and a new 32mm nut.

The hub nut is best removed with the car on the ground. Firmly apply the handbrake and leave in 1st gear. Pop the wheel centre cap out to access the nut. Check for any locking tabs on the nut and drift them open if necessary.

Fit your breaker bar & extension on the nut and support it with your trolley jack (see picture) so it doesn’t twist off the nut as you apply torque. Note picture shows nut being tightened but you get the idea.

If it won’t come undone, you might have to resort to butchery to release the nut. I had to hacksaw down the nut just above the shaft threads to reduce the locking force of the threads. Soak with lots of WD40. Keep hanging off the end of your breaker bar until it comes loose.

Jack up car and support securely on an axle stand. Remove wheel, remove loosened hub nut. To loosen the joint from the hub, a firm clout on the end of the shaft with a soft mallet should do it. There will be enough movement in the drive shaft to allow the joint to move back into the hub, but not enough to remove it, so you need to release the strut from the lower suspension arm.

Undo and remove the 14mm ball joint clamp bolt as per pic.

Soak with WD40. Turn steering to full right lock (for RH / driver’s side joint) to make access easier. To help the ball joint come out of its clamp, hammer in a chisel to spread the clamp jaws a little, then try wedging in something to keep it open. You can’t really leave the chisel in as it gets in the way of your breaker bar for the next bit.

To lever the lower suspension arm down so you can release the ball joint, slide your breaker bar over the suspension arm just behind the ball joint until the head of the bar is under the body of the car, just by the suspension arm rear mount. Add your extension and apply a liberal quantity of brute force & ignorance to lever the suspension arm down and off the ball joint.

Make sure your axle stand is secure, as you will be exerting a massive downward force (mine removed just for picture clarity).

Once released from the lower arm you can pull the strut forward enough to allow the CV joint to come out of the hub.

Before you go any further, check your new CV joint fits correctly into the hub. Release the boot clips and slide the boot back up the shaft. A couple of firm clouts with a hammer will pop the joint off the end of the drive shaft (it’s just retained by a light circlip).

Again, check your new joint fits the driveshaft correctly. Pull the old boot off the driveshaft and push on new securing clip and boot. Now pack the new joint full of grease. Get your fingers dirty and push the grease into all the nooks and crannies of the joint. Slide new joint onto shaft & tap on with soft faced mallet to seat the circlip. Pack the boot with all the remaining grease and fit it onto the joint.

Now here I struggled with the fancy metal clips that came with my joint. I just couldn’t work them (yes, you can call me thick if u like!), so used big zipties to secure both ends of the boot.

Now refit the joint into the hub. I put a smear of grease on the splines so it won’t seize in the future. Brute force time again. Thread the breaker bar over the suspension arm as before and lever it down so you can move the strut over the ball joint and align it with the clamp. Keep your fingers out of the way because if the bar springs out and the arm snaps back, you don’t want your pinkies getting trapped!

Once you get the ball joint back together, remove your wee wedge and refit the 14mm clamp bolt. Anti-seize will mean you should be able to remove it again in the future. Fit the new hub nut and tighten, but you won’t be able to fully torque it until car is back on the ground. Refit wheel and lower car. With your breaker bar & extension, tighten hub nut to a torque of, well, as tight as you can damn well get it!

Road test and enjoy silent cornering!