Hi All!
I am new to this forum and haven't mastered it yet....just like my weekend mechanic skills, but I am learning. I have a 1993 V6 4X4 and have been attempting to remove the passinger side axle because the CV boots are ripped. My Haynes manual reads easier than the job is turning out to be.....imagin that! If you have done this before and can help It would be greatly appreciated! What I am having a problem with is taking the axle out. I removed the 6 driveaxle-to-differential side gear flange nuts and everything preventing the driveaxle from coming out i.e. snape ring. Now, the book says to "seperate the inboard joint from the differential side gear flange", sounds easy right!. The problem is, I can't get enough space/ clearence from the 6 bolts protruding from the differential flange to lower the inboard Joint Tulip and be able to pull the driveaxle out. I just had barely enough clearence to get the tulip off the 6 bolts. I have pushed, pulled, twisted the tulip and I can't get it under the bolts. Any suggestions??? Is there a suspension or stearing component that I can remove that will give me a little more room? Thanks!

 

Remove the 4 bolts holding the lower A arm ball joint. All the tension is in the top A arm. So, put jack stands on the frame and remove the tires and shock. With A arm down, the axle comes out very easy. Ball joint easy to put back.

My $0.02

 

Two things:

The studs are presed in, you can press them out with a deep-well socket over the head, and then a c-clamp across there and the threaded end of the bolt. Remove a couple of them, gives you a TON more room.

Jack the suspension UP as much as possible. I find it easier if you put a jackstand under the opposite rear corner of the frame. Put the jack under the little arm for the balljoint (in other words, as outboard as possible).

 

tc thanks for that socket c clamp trick.. im going to be doing a cv once i get my clutch back in!

 

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! Unfortunately I am unable to use the C-clamp trick because there just isn't enough room no matter where I position the differential side gear, for backside bolt clearance. I couldn't even get a shallow well socket on the back side let alone a C-clamp. I will try what SEAIRESCUE suggested next i.e. lower suspension arm/ shock removal next. In preparation, I needed to remove the Stabilizer Bar Link and it was so rusted that I broke the lower part of the nut/ bolt and I will have to cut off the upper nut because the nut just turns and will not loosen. I just hope that the lower suspension arm ball joint bolts are not rusted enough to break or strip the bolt heads.......I will be in a pickle! SEAIRESCUE do you know if I will also have to disconnet the stearing ball joint to lower the lower suspension arm? Any more ideas? Thanks!!!!

 

I don't understand why you don't have any clearance ... you could also beat them out with a brass drift. I have taken mine out without removing the studs, if you get the suspension compressed enough, you can do it.

I would have new balljoints on hand before I undid those bolts!

 

Maybe I'm not compressing the suspention right. Could you explain in more detail. I have the vehicle up on jackstands which are located on the front. I have both of the jackstands positioned just inboard of the passenger side and driver side lower suspension arms. Thanks!

 

You need to compress the suspension. If I understand right, it sounds like you have the front suspension in full droop - that definitely explains the difficulty you're having!

Put the jack under the lower a-arm as far outboard as you can, preferably under the little arm for the lower ball joint. You will find as you start to jack it up, the arms will move up to a point, then you will start compressing the rear suspension and the truck will lift up without compressing the suspension any more. This is where a tall jackstand under the rear of the truck will help provide a little more leverage to help compress the front suspension a bit more. The further you can get the suspension compressed, the better!

 

Thanks Tc, I will try to jack up the front a-arm the way you stated but I am a little confused on how to use the tall jack stand under the rear of the truck. Do I jack up another area in the back in tandem with the front and then put a tall jack stand under that? If this doesn't work the only other thing I haven't done is attempt to remove the lower a-arm ball joint. I have been putting this off for a better solution because of the extensive corrosion and the possibility of breaking another bolt or striping a head. If I do that I don't know if I will be able to cut what's left to take it off.

 

Let's say you're working on the passenger side CV.

I raise a jackstand up, and place it under the frame on the DRIVER'S side near the rear of the truck. That way, when you try and jack up the front passenger's side, the rear driver's side suspension can't just compress and lean the truck over, the front suspension will compress more under the weight/leverage of the truck now.

 

Yahooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! It worked......it worked!!!!!!!!! Thank you all for your time/ suggestions! Obviously I could not have done this with out YOUR help! I jacked the vehicle up as TC suggested and I was able to get enough clearance to lower the inner Tulip! Then it was just a matter of taking out the shock and the stabilizer bar link, which I had to cut out with a grinder, and voila!!!! I can't understand why the Haynes and other manuals just states to raise the vehicle and place on jackstands. Oh well, THANKS again everyone and I'll let you know how the new axle goes in.