How To Change A Cv Axle On A Dodge Caravan

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The boots or other assemblies on CV axles for front-cycle drive cars can go bad, lose grease, develop holes, or leak. In order to keep your car running properly you must sometimes change them out. Fortunately, information technology'south possible to do this yourself.

1. 1

   Remove the vehicle's hubcap. Before so much as jacking upward the vehicle, you lot need to remove the axle nut. Offset by removing the hubcap for the respective wheel of the CV beam to be replaced. For vehicles with rims, you may only have a cap at the center of the wheel rather than a hubcap.

2. 2

   Remove the cotter pivot from the axle nut. If your vehicle has a cotter pin securing the axle nut, yous will need to remove it. The pivot volition resemble a bobby pivot with the ends folded back to concur it in place.^[i]

   • You will need to use pliers to straighten the two bent ends of the cotter pin before y'all can remove it.
   • If the pin is stuck, try spraying information technology the a penetrating lubricant from a hardware or automotive shop.^[2] The lubricant should actually help with the axle nut as well.

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3. three

   Remove the beam nut. In one case the cotter pin is out, yous can remove the axle nut. The nut volition accept significant torque to remove, which is why it is much safer to remove the nut earlier jacking upwardly the vehicle.

   • Unfortunately, axle basics do not accept a standard size, and the socket size required volition be different for dissimilar vehicles. The parts department at a certified dealership for your vehicle make should exist able to tell you lot the exact size if you lot want to bank check before starting the project.

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1. 1

   Jack up the appropriate side of the auto. Next, you volition need to remove the wheel, which requires lifting the vehicle. Consult your vehicle's owner's transmission for the correct spot to jack up your car, and ensure that you pick a spot on the frame and not the much more than fragile body.

   • Double-bank check that the vehicle is in park and that the parking brake is engaged before jacking upwards the vehicle.

2. 2

   Place the vehicle on jack stands. One time yous have the vehicle lifted enough to place your jack stand, ease it back downwards onto the stand, which is more stable than the jack alone.

   • If you lot accept concerns about using jack stands, consult Use Jack Stands for more data.

3. 3

   Remove the wheel. The lug nuts securing the bike will already be exposed from when you removed the hubcap. Remove the lug nuts and the wheel the same style yous would if you were irresolute a tire.

   • If you need guidance for this step, you tin can consult Change a Tire for assistance.

4. 4

   Remove the brake caliper. Once the cycle is off, the brake caliper and brake rotor will be clearly visible. The caliper housing is the larger piece attached to the outside of the rotor.

   • The caliper will be held in place on the rear side of the rotor by bolts in a mounting bracket. The specific configuration will depend on your make and model year vehicle. The mounting bracket nearly commonly uses 17mm bolts.
   • Since the caliper is connected to your vehicle's brake line, you want to keep slack in the brake line instead of letting information technology hang. You can easily append the caliper from a short bungee string to continue it out of your way without putting too much stress on the brake line.^[3]

5. 5

   Unbolt the outer tie rod from steering knuckle. The outer tie rod is literally a rod bolted to the steering knuckle, which is merely backside the rotor. This slice will likely be bolted with another 17mm bolt.^[4]

   • Like the axle nut, this bolt may be held in place with a cotter pin.
   • Penetrating lubricant may help you more easily remove the pivot and bolt.
   • The tie rod may still exist pretty snug in the steering knuckle fifty-fifty later removing the commodities. Tape the steering knuckle joint with a hammer (hitting the knuckle where the rod goes through and not the threaded portion of the tie rod) to aid remove it.^[5]

6. 6

   Unbolt the hub from the strut tower. 2 more 17mm bolts will connect the wheel hub to the strut tower. One time you lot remove these bolts, the hub should only exist connected by the axle through the center hole, and you should easily be able to remove information technology.

   • Since these are actual bolts, you will need to secure the caput of the bolt while loosening the nut, or it volition just turn.^{[half dozen]}

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1. 1

   Pry the CV articulation. Follow the axle dorsum, and you will encounter the actual joint where it slides into the transmission. You can use a pocket-sized pry bar or sturdy flathead screwdriver to pry the axle from the joint.^[seven]

   • If the beam doesn't immediately come up loose, endeavor twisting it back and force to break the seal.^[8]
   • Information technology's normal for some manual fluid to leak out as you remove the axle from the cv joint. You should put down a catch pan.
   • On your vehicle, the beam may take to pass through an enclose piece chosen a wishbone before information technology'due south completely free. You can remove the band from the inner boot to help the old axle pass through.^[9]

2. ii

   Insert the new CV axle into the transmission housing. Only as you removed the old CV axle, insert the new one into the same spot in the transmission housing. The peg will slide all the way in until the beam is flush against the housing.^[10]

   • There is a small C-prune on the axle that you will feel snap into identify.^[xi]
   • If the axle isn't quite affluent, you tin can utilise a rubber mallet to gently tap it into place.^[12]

3. 3

   Reinsert the beam through the hub assembly. The new axle volition have to be reinserted into the eye of the hub assembly at the same spot where you removed the one-time axle.

4. 4

   Refasten the assemblies in the order you removed them. Starting with the hub assembly to the strut tower, refasten all of the bolts you removed. Reconnect the outer tie rod to the steering knuckle next, so reattach the caliper.

   • Any former cotter pins may exist brittle, so you should supercede them with new ones rather than reusing the quondam pins.^[xiii]

5. 5

   Reattach the bicycle. By this time, you tin put the wheel back on the vehicle (again, the same as you would when changing a tire).

   • Later on the cycle is on, you can lower the car off the jack and jack stands.

6. 6

   Tighten the axle nut. Finally, you tin retighten the axle nut once the vehicle is back on the basis. Make sure that y'all still take the parking restriction engaged while tightening.

   • Information technology's not a bad thought to clean the threaded role of the beam with a brake cleaner in case any grease has gotten on it while feeding it through the hub.^[14]

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Add together New Question

• Question

  What is wrong if in that location is a grinding audio by the front end tires when I turn my steering wheel?

  

  This is near likely a trouble with a wheel bearing or CV axle. I would take it into the shop to accept it looked over and become the problem diagnosed.

• Question

  How can I get the wishbone out if I can't just wiggle information technology and pull it out?

  

  Don't bother with the wishbone! Pull the pinnacle bolt off the strut and pull off the restriction line. The whole wheel assembly will fold downwardly out of the way of the CV axle, and in about cases the CV axle will pull out of the transaxle with some resistance.

• Question

  What could the trouble if I simply replaced CV axle and tire notwithstanding won't turn?

  

  You lot probably didn't button the inner CV all the way in. Information technology has to pop and snap in identify so it won't come out. If you lot can pull it out, it'due south not in all the way.

• Question

  After replacing the CV joints, information technology seems as though the lug basics on the tires are only going about half fashion on. Why?

  

  You probably cantankerous-threaded the bike nut.

• Question

  How do I go the bolt on the spindle nut if the end of my CV is messed upward?

  

  Employ an bear on gun and go far work, or you may need to purchase a new cv axle.

• Question

  How do I know which CV axle to change?

  

  Jack up your vehicle and put on the parking brake. Rotate your forepart tires forwards or backwards and if you hearing grinding and/or clicking, and the CV joint is not catching, most probable the one that needs replacement will be in that location. Besides bank check your CV joint boots, and if you see a broken boot with leaking fluid, that is a good indication of harm.

• Question

  How long does information technology take to change a CV axle?

  

  Logic Johnson Lafontaine

  Peak Answerer

  If you don't run into problems like a seized beam or joint, it should be washed in an hour or less. If you lot have an upshot, like a role that'due south rusted and fused to the hub (like I recently had), y'all could spend an entire day just trying to gear up information technology.

• Question

  How practise I loosen the inner CV articulation on my vehicle?

  

  In nearly Japanese cars, you lot apply a pet bar to popular the CV out of its housing on the gearbox. With most German cars, the inner CV is held by Allen bolts. Simply undo them and remove.

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• Always accept every precaution when working under a vehicle. Double-check that you lot have engaged the parking restriction and make proper use of jack stands to create a stable work environs.

• Consult the parts department at an authorized dealership when purchasing your new CV axle. They are past no means universal, so you accept to become an axle that volition be compatible with your vehicle.

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Things You'll Need

• A vehicle jack
• Jack stands
• Needle nose pliers
• Penetrating lubricant
• Accordingly sized socket wrench set for lug nuts, beam nut, restriction caliper mounts, etc.
• Pry bar
• Cotter pins
• Brake cleaner

Near This Article

Commodity Summary X

Before changing a CV axel, jack up your car, and take off the bike and restriction caliper. Then, use a minor pryer bar to pry the axel out of the joint linking it to the transmission. Endeavour twisting it dorsum and forth if it doesn't come loose. Next, slide the new axel into place by pushing it into the joint until the clip snaps into position. Once that's secure, reinsert the new axel into the hub associates and reattach the brake calipers and cycle. End by tightening the axel nut. For tips on how to remove the axel nut and the bicycle, keep reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Change-a-CV-Axle

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