How to change driveshaft boots
Here's a description on how to change one or both of the front driveshaft boots. I
have only changed the right side, but I suppose it's the same on the left side. If
it isn't let me know.
- Get the car up on a jack or other lifting device so you can get easy access to the underside.
- Remove both frontwheels.
- Remove the stabilizer bar from the lower track control arm as described in
changing suspension bushings.
- Either remove the lower track control arm from its inner mount, or remove
the outer ball joint of the lower track control from the spindle carrier.
- Turn the steeringwheel all the way to the right if you're working on the right
side, to the left if you're working on the left side.
- Clean the driveshaft and surrounding components, so you won't get any dirt
into the new boots.
- Remove whatever holds the boots in place and slide the inner driveshaft
boot to the middle of the driveshaft and pull the driveshaft out of the
inner constant velocity joint.
- Remove the circlip on the inner side of the ball-bearing cross at the inner
end of the driveshaft. Remove the ball-bearing cross with a bearing puller or
some other pulling device.
- Remove the zip-ties or metal rings that holds the boots in place and slide
the boots off the driveshaft and clean everything throughout.If you change the outer one
be sure not to destroy the inner boot as you will reuse it (or maybe it's just
as easy to change both at the same time, then it'll take longer before you'll
have to take it apart again).
- Slide the new boots(s) in place and fill them with the supplied grease or
other high-quality grease if you're reusing a boot. About 110ml for the outer
boot and 180ml for the inner boot.
- Press the ball-bearing cross back onto the driveshaft and secure it with
the clip, be sure that the cross is all the way onto the driveshaft and that
the clip is securely fastened in it's groove.
- Push the driveshaft with the ball-bearing cross back into the inner constant
velocity joint
- Fasten the driveshaft boots with zip ties or the metal rings that may be
supplied.
- Fasten the lower track control arm to the chassis with new nuts ,or the ball joint to the
spindle carrier with new nuts.
- Insert the stabilizer bar into the lower track control arm and secure it
with new nuts. Fasten the stabilizer bar to the chassis.
- Put the wheels back on and turn the wheels to ensure everything is functioning
correctly.
The reason that one has to buy new nuts every time one takes
apart something with locking nuts (nuts with colored plastic inserts) is that
the plastic gets deformed and will not lock the nut to the bolt after one has
removed it. Then if one uses them again, they may work themselves loose.
Here's the tightening torques that you will need:
| Lower arm pivot nut |
45 Nm, slacken to 0, then 15 Nm +90° |
| Stabilizer bar clamp to chassis |
70-97 Nm |
| Stabilizer bar to lower arm |
70-110 Nm |
| Wheel bolts |
100 Nm |
| Lower arm ball end to spindle carrier |
Nm |
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