CV Boots: Need Advice

[KentV]

I'm replacing cracked CV Boots on both sides of my Boxster. I'm a bit stuck here. Do I need to remove the exhaust pipes to get the axles out of the vehicle? '00 Boxster S, MY 2000.

Also, do I need to remove the control arm or loosen the bolt in it; or is it enough to remove/crack the control arm ball joint.

"Pedro" doesn't mention the exhaust in any fashion, and only shows the ball joints being cracked; but nothing anything else is loosend, other than the main and lower control arm ball joints. http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site%203/Repla...lf%20Axles.html

Any advice? thx

[ericinboca]

I'm replacing cracked CV Boots on both sides of my Boxster. I'm a bit stuck here. Do I need to remove the exhaust pipes to get the axles out of the vehicle? '00 Boxster S, MY 2000.

Also, do I need to remove the control arm or loosen the bolt in it; or is it enough to remove/crack the control arm ball joint.

"Pedro" doesn't mention the exhaust in any fashion, and only shows the ball joints being cracked; but nothing anything else is loosend, other than the main and lower control arm ball joints. http://www.pedrosgarage.com/Site%203/Repla...lf%20Axles.html

Any advice? thx

It is hard to get in there, but no, you do not need to remove the exhaust or secondary cats.

To remove my axles, I took the wheel off along with the rotor, and used a couple of long socket extenders allowing me to have the rachet in the wheel well with room to rachet it. I rotated the axle around so I could have the socket extender attack the bolts in the same place each time.

On the control arms, I took the wheel carrier off with the axle still in by removing the rear toe adjuster arm ball joint, the radius arm attached to the lower control arm (allowing the control arm more room to swing down) and the lower control arm ball joint.

(and of course the drop links)

You may know this, but be sure you get the ball joint separator thoroughly and squarely on the head of the ball joint threaded rod. It is hard to get on - you need to be sure the ball joint boots are squished down thoroughly. If you don't get it on fully, the top of the threaded rod can get crushed at an angle.

[KentV]

Here's what may be my last question. Following the instructions, it seems that if I remove the 8mm hex heads from the transmission side and pull the wheel carrier outward, the axle will fall without support. How do I manage that alone and avoid damaging that delicate end cap?

Edited July 5, 2009 by KentV

[ericinboca]

Here's what may be my last question. Following the instructions, it seems that if I remove the 8mm hex heads from the transmission side and pull the wheel carrier outward, the axle will fall without support. How do I manage that alone and avoid damaging that delicate end cap?

If I remember correctly I freed all the ball joints on the wheel carrier, and loosened the drop link, but left the bolt through the strut to hold it up.

I then took all those bolts out - there are a lot of them. Once the end is freed from the housing, and you have everything removed but the drop link on the wheel carrier, the wheel carrier and strut will "flex" in its mount at the top, so you can push the wheel carrier out some, and lay the axle down on some of the stuff back back there - the joint at the wheel carrier can move all around so you are not limited much in where you want to set it.. Then move to the wheel carrier, remove the drop link, and get the carrier off the strut, and finally pull it all clear.

It has been a while, but I don't remember it being anything that tripped me up. And I don't remember the end cap being delicate - maybe I didn't know any better and got lucky! But I didn't damage it even slinging it around my garage hitting things like a moron.

[KentV]

I'm really down to one last problem--I think. I've snapped/loosened the ball joint on the lower control arm. But it's still impossible to get the ball joint bolt out of the carrier. The control arm, especially with the track arm from the body connected, that long forked arm (see attached), is just as rigid as can be. I've seen an article that talks of using a large crow bar, so I guess that's my next thought unless I'm missing something easy.

[Stefan]

I had the same problem and the eventual solution was to use a big pry bar with one hand and hit it with a solid hammer with the other. It still took quite a bit of effort.

[ericinboca]

I'm really down to one last problem--I think. I've snapped/loosened the ball joint on the lower control arm. But it's still impossible to get the ball joint bolt out of the carrier. The control arm, especially with the track arm from the body connected, that long forked arm (see attached), is just as rigid as can be. I've seen an article that talks of using a large crow bar, so I guess that's my next thought unless I'm missing something easy.

You are saying the conical part of the ball joint will not fall out of the wheel carrier or that you cannot swing the control arm down and out of the way?

If the latter, be sure the radius arm (number 8 in your picture) is disconnected from the lower control arm. It is just a bolt through the bushing. With the bolt out, it will have some room, not a lot, but some to move to allow the arm to go far enough down to clear the wheel carrier. Also the toe adjust arm in the back.

If you resort of a pry bar, be careful - steel is way harder than aluminum alloy.

[KentV]

I'm really down to one last problem--I think. I've snapped/loosened the ball joint on the lower control arm. But it's still impossible to get the ball joint bolt out of the carrier. The control arm, especially with the track arm from the body connected, that long forked arm (see attached), is just as rigid as can be. I've seen an article that talks of using a large crow bar, so I guess that's my next thought unless I'm missing something easy.

You are saying the conical part of the ball joint will not fall out of the wheel carrier or that you cannot swing the control arm down and out of the way?

If the latter, be sure the radius arm (number 8 in your picture) is disconnected from the lower control arm. It is just a bolt through the bushing. With the bolt out, it will have some room, not a lot, but some to move to allow the arm to go far enough down to clear the wheel carrier. Also the toe adjust arm in the back.

If you resort of a pry bar, be careful - steel is way harder than aluminum alloy.

OK, Eric, I'm just little confused.

You say in one post, "Then move to the wheel carrier, remove the drop link, and get the carrier off the strut, and finally pull it all clear."

Are you saying you actually remove the entire wheel carrier from the vehicle? With the entire upper strut mechanism. That seems like a lot of work. You remove the strut?

Are you also saying that you took the wheel carrier and half axle out all as one piece.

Sorry, just a little more detail please. If I read your post literally, it appears you took everything off that side of the rear suspension. Nothing left.

thx

[ericinboca]

I'm really down to one last problem--I think. I've snapped/loosened the ball joint on the lower control arm. But it's still impossible to get the ball joint bolt out of the carrier. The control arm, especially with the track arm from the body connected, that long forked arm (see attached), is just as rigid as can be. I've seen an article that talks of using a large crow bar, so I guess that's my next thought unless I'm missing something easy.

You are saying the conical part of the ball joint will not fall out of the wheel carrier or that you cannot swing the control arm down and out of the way?

If the latter, be sure the radius arm (number 8 in your picture) is disconnected from the lower control arm. It is just a bolt through the bushing. With the bolt out, it will have some room, not a lot, but some to move to allow the arm to go far enough down to clear the wheel carrier. Also the toe adjust arm in the back.

If you resort of a pry bar, be careful - steel is way harder than aluminum alloy.

OK, Eric, I'm just little confused.

You say in one post, "Then move to the wheel carrier, remove the drop link, and get the carrier off the strut, and finally pull it all clear."

Are you saying you actually remove the entire wheel carrier from the vehicle? With the entire upper strut mechanism. That seems like a lot of work. You remove the strut?

Are you also saying that you took the wheel carrier and half axle out all as one piece.

Sorry, just a little more detail please. If I read your post literally, it appears you took everything off that side of the rear suspension. Nothing left.

thx

I'm a confusing guy. :D

I did not remove the strut. I did not detach the toe adjuster, the lower control arm or the forward radius arm from the suspension frame. Only disconnected those from the wheel carrier (or from each other as is the case with the forward forked radius arm and the lower control arm).

The wheel carrier is attached to the strut via the drop link bolt. So if you get the lower control arm off the carrier via the ball joint (which has the forward forked radius arm attached (and I would remove the bolt that attaches the forked arm to the lower control arm to give you more swing up and down with the control arm) and the rear toe adjust arm off, pull the drop link bolt out at the top of the wheel carrier, and you have the joint at the transmission housing disconnected (wow that's a lot) - then you can pull off the wheel carrier with the axle still attached to it.

Does that help??