1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
when you say the triple bearing I think you are refering to the tripod bearing? If so, I do things a little bit differently.
First off, since I know I'll do more than four of these in a year, ok actually lots more, I purchased the crip tool from eEuroparts. about $30 IIRC and worth every penny. Purchase a cheap one before, trashed it.
Next I purchase the kits with the replacement bands, at least as many as CV boot or inner driver boots. You get these with the new boots but these allow you to remove and reinstall a boot. Good investment.
I do *NOT* take the tripod bearing off to replace a boot unless I am replacing the tripod bearing. Instead I pull the CV joint off, slide the CV boot off, and then slide the boot and clamp up from that side to the tripod side. If you are not doing any CV joint work it's a little more work, HOWEVER that tripod bearing, the circlip, and slot for the circlip, the needle bearings in the tripod bearings... too many issues and too fragile... just say NO!
As to pulling the CV joint off:
1) if you have a bench vise, I put the half shaft in the vise with the CV joint pointed down, about 5 o'clock or so.
2) If keeping the CV joint boot carefully cut the bands, clean any big junk off the axle, and push the boot up. IF NOT keeping the boot I then cut it off.
3) use paper towel, shop towels, something that is one way and clean around the center of the CV joint, you are looking for the clip in the center, rotate the axle until you find it and it's pointing towards you.
4) I purchased a circlip tool in the blister pack, the usual suspects auto parts stores all have it, black metal with red plastic handle covers. I will post pictures (I have to reload everything as they got eaten just today - will do it on my site) I filed the end just a bit for a better point but you can do it with the stock setup.
5) I take a rubber mallet or dead blow hammer and hit the threaded end of the CV joint ON THE FLAT END "UP" towards the axle. Why? Often the CV joint has moved out and is putting lateral stress on the circlip into the channel it rides in, long sentence saying it's stuck. Let's unstick it.
6) I find the circlip rooting around with finger (you are still wearing nitril gloves, right?), insert the tool, BE CAREFUL PUT YOUR OTHER HAND UNDER THE CV JOINT, and squeeze. about half the time it just falls off, the rest of the time I have to have a helper either ready to catch it as I hit the edge of the CV joint with a dead blow hammer and drive it off the splines, of sometimes I let *them* do the hitting. The dead blow hammer is RUBBER, you can also use a RUBBER mallet. NOT metal, NOT plastic, NOT wood. Rubber only...
7) Pull the boot off if it's being reused. Pull the inner boot off or cut off assuming you are replacing the inner boot.
8) If you really want to go whole hog, clean all of the grease off tripod bearings BEING VERY CAREFUL WITH THE NEEDLE BEARINGS, THEY ARE LIKE Christmas ornaments... and do the CV joint as well. Refer to the Bentley on how to dissasymble the CV joint, pulling the bearings and cage out, looking for severe wear. Relube it as you assymble. If I'm just doing boots, and there is still lot's of grease, I skip this part. If there is little grease, or if the grease is gritty meaning it's gotten sand/dirt/road stuff in it you *must* clean it out or you will be back here.
BIG TIME TIP! If while driving down the road you run over a bag, rope, plastic bag, or *anything* that you don't see come out on the road behind you... Stop and check to see if it's hung up on the CV joint/boot. This is any car, not just Saabs. Get the FOD out of there, if it's wrapped around the boot it will cut it... get rid of the FOD and you don't have to do boots.
9) push the inner boot on, remember to put the clamp on the boot before you start, you can use a lube to help get the boot to scoot... cool trick is to use some goop hand cleaner (the old style not orange, no grit in it) because it's very slimy, and yet when you wipe it off with a shop towel it goes away and cleans on the way out too! Find the detent in the axle and align the boot so that the clamp rests there, do the clamp. NOW unclamp the axle and swap end for end so that the CV joint is UP.
10) push the outer boot on with the small clamp on the boot.
11) cut the end off the CV boot kit grease and put it right in the center of the CV joint and squeeze, put some around the cage, rotate the thing around a bit until ready. Remember! Did you put the SMALL clamp on the boot? Now put the large clamp on the outer portion of the boot.
12) slide that CV joint onto the axle start it on the splines, get the dead blow hammer and tap it a coule of times, pull on the axle to be sure it's locked in. sometimes you hear the circlip snap in, sometimes too much grease to hear it.
13) get that cool tool, position the inner portion of the boot so that the clamp will be at the detent (waist) on the axle like before and clamp, then push the outer portion till it snaps onto the CV joint and position the clamp in the groove and crimp. wipe excess grease off this end. Unclamp the the axle and turn over as before with tripod end up.
14) take the remainder of the grease and (you still have glove on, right?) and put it in/on the tripod needle bearings, CAREFULLY put it on the needle bearings using a motion like you are turning the dial on your radio. Put the remainder of the grease in the driver cup. If the driver cup got FOD clean it out first.
15) set this one aside and do the other side.
slip the axle into the receiver and slide the axle through the splined hub. you can spray light oil on a shop towel and wipe on the splines before you put into the hub.
REMEMBER TO TORQUE THE YOU KNOW WHAT OUT OF THE NUT BEFORE YOU ROLL YOUR CAR. PUT THE WHEEL ON THE GROUND AND RETORQUE IT.... If you don't you are going to hurt the bearing and it's $170 for the cheap one... oh don't do that!
but then again I could be wrong.... Dennis Miller
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