[Tony Luna]

Anyone have any detailed instructions on how to replace half shafts fro a '00 GTP?

Procedure, required tools, photos?

My passenger side half shaft spewed heavy green grease all up the firewall, hood insulation, blower snout and undercarriage.

Driver side looks like it may be ready to let go as well.

Is this repairable with new boots and a re-pack or should I just replace the entire half shaft?

Are the bulletproof units from ZZP (South Florida Pulley) worth it at $425 a set?

Please advise.

Thank you,

Tony Luna

 

[1Hot97]

You're going to need a 36MM socket and a long cheater bar if you don't have an Impact wrench. Remove the axle nut now if you don't have an impact wrench. Jack up and support the vehicle. Remove the tire, the cotter key and nut from the ball joint and unbolt the anti sway bar end link. You'll need a pickle fork to seperate the ball joint from the knuckle. I use a very long crow bar (4 feet) and pry the lower control arm down to disconnect the ball joint. If you have an impact wrench, remove the axle nut now. Using a soft blow hammer, beat the axle thru the knuckle. It will be pretty tight. If you don't have a soft blow hammer, put the nut back on the axle till it's even with the end of the axle and wack it with a big hammer. Hit it as straight as possible to try to avoid wanking the threads. Once the axle is as free of the knuckle as possible, pull the knuckle towards you and the back of the car. It will come clear of the axle. The axle has a clip on the transmission side of the shaft, you will need a lever to go between the inner CV joint and the transmission. Once you find the right angle, you will be able to pop the axle out of the tranny. Make sure you have a drain pan under the trans output area, as you will lose a bit of fluid. Don't pull on the axle, as you will pull the joint apart inside the boot. Whether you replace the boots and grease or the entire axle is up to you. It can be done, but it's messy.(I've done several, and have taken to replacing the axle unless it's cost prohibitive). Don't get the universal split boots. They are crap, and don't last. Check out the kind of clamp the boot has, inquire at the parts place if it requires a special crimper. I ended up buying the crimper to properly crimp the clamps. When installing, make sure the axle locks into the tranny, tug on the inner joint to make sure. Putting the axle end thru the knuckle and the ball joint stud back in are a bugger, but with patience can be done alone. The torque on the axle nut is 118 lb/ft, the lower ball joint is 40 lb/ft and the anti sway bar end link is torqued to 17 lb/ft.

 

[PacerSS]

DO NOT USE A PICKLE FORK!!! Just hit the lower peice of the ball joint with a good maul a couple of times. A pickle fork will damage your ball joint bushing.

 

[MikeGS]

You're going to need a 36MM socket...

Some years of the W-body had a different sized nut (34 or 35 IIRC).

Also, some of the shaft and spline diameters were different by 1mm on the tranny end.

You cant change shaft diameters, but you can just keep the nut you currently have so it maches the other side of the car (same thread size)

Just an FYI...

 

[1Hot97]

DO NOT USE A PICKLE FORK!!! Just hit the lower peice of the ball joint with a good maul a couple of times. A pickle fork will damage your ball joint bushing.

Do NOT hit the knuckle with a hammer. It's aluminum and you can damage it. I have used a pickle fork several times on the ball joints with no ill effects. If, in fact, you do damage the rubber boot, you can buy replacement boots at almost any parts store.

 

[Don GTP]

DO NOT USE A PICKLE FORK!!! Just hit the lower peice of the <a href="http://www.serverlogic3.com/lm/rtl3.asp?si=11&k=ball%20joint" onmouseover="window.status='ball joint'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ball joint</a> with a good maul a couple of times. A pickle fork will damage your ball joint bushing.

Iv'e change CV shafts on my GTP (98 & 99) a few times go ahead & hit the knuckle with a sledgehammer if you have to, just hit it where you don't mind denting the knuckle slightly but its not going to break. make sure you pry down on the control arm while whacking away at the knuckle, you might not realize that it broke free unless you pry down.

I have a spare knuckle if you break it, but thats a slim chance.

 

[2001GTX]

Anyone have any detailed instructions on how to replace half shafts fro a '00 GTP?


Is this repairable with new boots and a re-pack or should I just replace the entire half shaft?

Are the bulletproof units from ZZP (South Florida Pulley) worth it at $425 a set?

Please advise.


No one answered this part of Tony's questions... I was wandering this myself. I have a GTX, and a GTP. Out of 4 half shafts, 3 of them are leaking. I am taking the GTP to the dealer on Tuesday, (it is still under warrenty 16k miles). But the GTX has the transmission out presently and I was wondering what I was going to do with these leaky inner boots. My boots are not torn. The grease comes out between the boot, and the mating surface. I have tried to put new clamps on, and this seems to work for a while.

Any input???

 

[NinetySix]

Check your lower motor mount, something maybe out of whack or worn out.

 

[gpdoug]

for future reference.. the strut drop method...

Things you will need:

13/16 impact socket for strut bolts
36mm impact socket for axle nut
(33mm impact socket for wheel nut if using carquest half-shafts)
Impact wrench (1/2” drive)
Hammer
New CV half shaft
Stationary person capable of following directions

Removing the old shaft:
1. Raise front of vehicle and brace securely with jack-stands.
2. Remove tire.
3. Use 36 mm socjet and impact wrench to remove the wheel nut. You may need stationary person to apply brakes to get things started, or if the cv boot is broken. (which is what happened to me)
4. Use 13/16 socket and impact wrench and remove the 2 bolts from the struts.
5. Use hammer to knock strut bolts loose (remember they are splined)
6. Pull the axle out of the hub. To help with clearance have stationary person stand on the a-arm to get more clearance. You may need to use hammer/mallot to get the hub loose from the wheel.
7. Pry the inner CV joint end from the transmission. I was able to do this with just a hammer. You will know it is loose when you hear the pop

Installation:
1. Slide the new axle back into the transmission. You will need a firm amount of force to get it back in. When it is in the axle will turn like an axle of a parked car would turn.
2. Poke the axle through the hub. You may need the stationary person to apply weight on the A-arm to help with clearance.
3. Re-attach the strut
4. Re-attach wheel nut. To torque it down you will need the stationary person to apply the brakes.
5. Re-mount tire
6. Lower vehicle.




Passenger side took me an hour and a half because the cv joint broke before I could remove the wheel nut and I unneccessarily removed the brake caliper. Drivers side took me about 20 minutes wheel up to wheel down.

D

 

[i71]

Tony - If you need more detailed instructions, let us know. LSD installation instructions will include everything you need.

As far as fixing your problem, my suggestion would be to replace the entire half shaft. Myself and others have used remanufactured axles made by Cardone. These have held up to launching at the drag strip with no problems. They can be bought for $60-$80 and there might be a $100 core charge.
http://www.cardone.com/English/Club/Products/Drivetrain/default.asp

 

[lookbutdonttouch]

yea the knuckes do break, i snapped mine on the drivers, but thats because i was steering right but car went straight.......... into a CURB! ouch, lost the axle too.

good writeup, be careful of the ball joint boot, buti it is repairable no biggie.

and mine were 36 mm for the axle nut, but the new one came with a 34, so i reused the old one, with no ill effects, and its been 30K.

the hardest part id say is getting the last casing out of the tranny, but with the right spot and a good prybar itll pop right out. just be careful of the seals in there, dont be too rough.

 

[BoogieQ]

Any kind of vibration on the housing will work fine.. easiest method without hurting anythign is to have one guy put decent pressure pulling on the axle housing right next to the trans, then one guy get under the car and use a long socket extention and put it on the housing of the axle next to the trans and just tap on it to get a vibration going.. about 10 taps is all it should take... very easy.

All your doing is moving the lock washer around till it lines up and the axle can be removed.

Using a sledge works fine but you don't need to go whale power on it.. just keep a steady tap on it and it will come out.

 

[ZR2_S10]

Just an FYI to all of you, you dont HAVE to remove the strut or lower control arm to get half shafts in / out.


If you jack up the side you want to remove
pull off that tire / wheel.
remove axle nut
whack the axle end w/ a small hammer a few times to get it moving
get something behind the inner cv joint (between the inner cv and trans housing) and pry a lil, you can get it out.
once the inside it out, just wiggle it into a position where you can pull it out of the knuckle

reinstall the opposite way.

I have done at least 5 sets this way. Its very fast (i can do both sides in an hour or so if theres no problems w/ getting them out of the trans).

Some of the napa replacement half shafts have a larger lock washer on the trans end, so they are harder to pull out.

Jason

 

[i71]

Just an FYI to all of you, you dont HAVE to remove the strut or lower control arm to get half shafts in / out.

Do you do this with the wheels turned a certain way, or are they both straight?

I bought the J-tool, so it's not as hard anymore to break the ball joint, but obviously it would be nice to not have to do so.

 

[ZR2_S10]

We did it w/ the wheels straight.