Inner CV joints worn, swapping advice wanted...

[Jesuis]

Hey Dave,

Long time no S2K troubles, and then this week everything went wrong. Speeding ticket, some dork hit me in a parking lot, and now I'm getting the infamous acceleration rear-end vibration. On hard accel, I get a hard thunk-thunk-thunk, about at the wheel rotation frequency. Feels like I ran over a cat and it's stuck to the tire :flames:

I'm 99.9% sure it's the CV joint(s). Checked around the forums and all the indications are there:
1) vibration on acceleration, wheel rotation frequency
2) lowered suspension, no driveshaft spacers
3) no vibration when I haul ass in reverse

Anyway, this weekend I want to attempt a CV joint housing left-right swap. I'll replace the joints later (with spacers!), but for now I want to do the "quick fix". I've seen rumors that it's possible without doing the whole halfshaft removal thing (removing the axle nuts, etc.), but by instead dropping the suspension and creating enough space to pull the inner shafts loose. I couldn't find a definitive answer on whether or not this is possible on the S, though. Do you know if this is possible, Dave? Any other tips?

[desmo4]

First determine where the play is. If it is in the half shaft cv joints, replace both half shafts. You need to separate the lower ball joint from the knuckle. I takes a special tool 07MAC-SL00200.

Jonathan

[magicball81]

I know this is pointing to the other forum, but I remember seeing this once or twice.

http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=241367

[repiv]

Yes, you can separate the inner 1/2 shaft flange from the rear diff output flange by popping the lower ball. That will give you enough lateral movement to get the centering pin past the output flange. You can get a "Pitman Arm Puller" (cheap) to pop the lower ball joint. The Honda one will cost you an arm and a leg.
You're going to "flip" the CV joints from one side to the other, right (in mirror image fashion)? Keeping the actual shaft on the same side?

[Rocketman]

You can get a "Pitman Arm Puller" (cheap) to pop the lower ball joint. The Honda one will cost you an arm and a leg.
You should spring for the "Soichiro Appendage Extractor" to more efficiently remove both upper and lower extremities with less effort, resulting in a quicker and less painful payment process. :D

[desmo4]

My local dealer offered it to me for $150.00, it is normally over $200.00

Jonathan

[Jesuis]

Yes, you can separate the inner 1/2 shaft flange from the rear diff output flange by popping the lower ball. That will give you enough lateral movement to get the centering pin past the output flange. You can get a "Pitman Arm Puller" (cheap) to pop the lower ball joint. The Honda one will cost you an arm and a leg.
You're going to "flip" the CV joints from one side to the other, right (in mirror image fashion)? Keeping the actual shaft on the same side?

Ok, thanks. I do not have the manual in front of me, but I believe the common problem is the CV joint cups, or housings. I was thinking that it would be easiest to just swap those (yes, in mirror image fashion, so that they "torque" in the other direction as they did before), leaving as much of the axle in place as possible. Of course, that would require disassembling the CV joints themselves, while switching the entire axles wouldn't. I'm not sure which is easier.

A guy named "Chris Barry" in the s2ki thread mentions (about the 4th or 5th post) that it may be possible remove the inner CV joint by only removing "the upright" to create enough play. By "upright", does he mean just undoing the strut and then dropping the suspension down a bit to create room? If so, this method seems much easier, since no ball-joint popping or axle-nut-removing is required, but it is not clear if this is possible on the S. Do you know?

If this is possible, I guess that I can do without special tools, right? If not, I guess I need an "arm puller". Can I use I can use any ol' correctly sized gear puller for this? I'm located in the Netherlands, so fat chance of finding the exact same "Pitman Arm Puller" here. The other thing is that most auto stores close Saturday around noon, not to reopen until monday. Since I want to finish the job this weekend, I need to make sure I don't end up lacking a necessary tool on Saturday afternoon, unable to finish the job....

[repiv]

I was thinking that it would be easiest to just swap those So, you're only swapping the inner CVs?

By "upright", does he mean just undoing the strut and then dropping the suspension down a bit to create room?Not sure what this means. You'd have to ask him.

Can I use I can use any ol' correctly sized gear puller for this?I don't think a gear puller will work. Wrong size. You need one of these:
http://thumb15.webshots.net/t/58/558/6/66/67/2748666670025981935xpylXu_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2748666670025981935xpylXu)

[Jesuis]

So, you're only swapping the inner CVs?


Well, that depends on what's easiest. The general consensus on the interweb seems to be that the problem is caused by pitting in the inner CV cup (the part that flanges against the diff output), so that's the part that needs to be swapped. So I suppose my options are:

1) pull the halfshafts off of the diff, leaving the outer cv joint as is. Then disassemble the inner CV joints, and swap the cups from left to right and vice-versa, and reassemble.

2) (not sure if this is possible) Same as 1), but swap the entire inner CV joints, leaving the axles in place.

3) remove both halfshafts, and swap the halfshafts entirely, including axle, inner and outer CV joint.

Right now I'm trying to decide what's easiest (and requires the least amount of specialty tools). I don't have my service manual handy at the moment, and I do not have the whole assembly exactly memorized, so please excuse me if something I said is especially stupid. I think I'm going to examine the manual and my S tonight to figure out what I'll do.

EDIT: Please excuse my ignorance: I never heard of the term "Pitman Arm Puller", I thought it was a certain brand-name product. After a quick googling, I realize it's a generic term for that device. I'll have to go out and get me one, no prob.

[desmo4]

In my humble opinion since the half shafts cost $400.00 each and you are having to do the same work as your are to swap parts around, just put new ones in.

Jonathan

[repiv]

I'd try option #2. I don't think you can just swap the entire 1/2 shafts. I seem to recall Billman saying that they are NOT exactly the same length.

If you've got the money, do what Jonathan said.

[Jesuis]

In my humble opinion since the half shafts cost $400.00 each and you are having to do the same work as your are to swap parts around, just put new ones in.

Jonathan

I understand, and I will... However, I'm in the Netherlands, and I know if I order those parts here I'll get ripped off. I will order the parts from the US and have someone ship them over. In the mean time, I'm not sure if I can keep on driving my car like it is, since the vibration s getting pretty bad, so I want to do the swap as a temporary fix. The S is my only car, so I don't have the luxury of leaving it the garage for the time being.