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Axle Shaft Outer Joint & Boot: Reassembly

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire and 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
  1. Put a light coat of grease from service kit on the ball grooves of the inner race and the outer race. See Figure . Hold the inner race 90 degrees to the centerline of the cage with the lands of the inner race aligned with the windows of cage. See Figure . Insert the inner race into the cage.
  2. Hold the cage and the inner race 90 degrees to the centerline of the outer race. Align the cage windows with the lands of the outer race. See Figure .
    NOTE: Ensure that the inner race is oriented the same as prior to disassembly. Use the reference mark placed earlier.
  3. Install the cage and the inner race into outer race. Place a brass drift against the CV joint cage. Tap gently on the brass drift with a hammer in order to tilt the cage. Install the first chrome alloy ball when the CV joint cage tilts. Repeat this process to install all six of the balls.
  4. Pack the CV joint with half of the grease supplied in the service kit. Install the NEW small retaining clamp on the neck of the boot. DO NOT crimp. Clean the axle shaft bar. Use a wire brush to remove any rust in the seal mounting area (grooves).
  5. Slide the CV joint boot onto the axle shaft bar. Expose the reference mark by sliding the CV joint boot up the axle shaft bar toward the tripot end. See Figure .
  6. Position the large boot retaining clamp around the joint seal. Place the NEW retaining ring onto the axle shaft bar. While supporting the tripot assembly, place the axle shaft assembly onto the arbor press with the CV assembly under the press head.
  7. Lower the arbor press head onto the CV joint assembly until the press cannot move any further. See Figure . This ensures that the retaining ring engages in the inner race. DO NOT exceed 4000 Lbs. (1814.4 kg), press load during assembly. Remove the axle shaft assembly from the arbor press.
  8. Measure the distance between the reference mark on the axle shaft bar and the face of the CV joint inner race. See Figure .
  9. Compare the mark with the measurement made before disassembly. Repeat the steps  7 and  8 if the current measurement does not match the measurement made before disassembly.
  10. Place the neck of the CV joint boot into the seal groove on the axle shaft bar.
    NOTE: Check the clamp position during the crimping operation in order to ensure the clamp is positioned correctly around the entire circumference.
  11. Crimp the small retaining clamp by using drive axle boot clamp pliers, a breaker bar, and a torque wrench. Tighten the boot retaining clamp to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS  .
  12. Check the gap dimension. Continue tightening until the gap dimension is reached. Place the remaining grease from the service kit inside the boot.
  13. Measure approximately 0.6875" (17.5 mm) up from the bottom edge of the CV outer joint assembly. Slide the large diameter of the boot with the large boot retaining clamp in place over the outside of CV joint.
    NOTE: The CV joint boot must not be dimpled, stretched or out of shape in any way. If boot is not shaped correctly, equalize pressure in the boot and shape the boot properly by hand.
  14. Locate the seal lip to the ridge of the CV outer joint assembly as measured in the previous step.
  15. Crimp boot retaining clamp with drive axle boot clamp pliers, a breaker bar, and a torque wrench. See Figure . Tighten boot retaining clamp to specification. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS  .
  16. Check the gap dimension. Continue tightening until 0.15" (3.9 mm) gap is achieved.


  1. Install the NEW boot retaining clamp on the neck of the boot. DO NOT crimp. See Fig 1 . Slide the boot onto the axle shaft bar and position the neck of the boot in the seal groove on the bar. See Fig 1 .
  2. Crimp the boot retaining clamp using the drive axle boot clamp pliers, a breaker bar, and a torque wrench. Tighten the boot retaining clamp to specifications. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS  .
  3. Check the gap dimension, continue tightening until the gap dimension is reached. Gap dimension is 0.085" (2.15 mm).
  4. Put a light coat of grease from the service kit on the ball grooves of the inner race and the outer race. Hold the inner race 90 degrees to centerline of cage with the lands of the inner race aligned with the windows of the cage. See Figure . Insert the inner race into the cage.
  5. Ensure that the retaining ring side of the inner race faces the halfshaft bar. Place the cage and the inner race into the outer race. Insert the first chrome ball then tilt the cage in the opposite direction in order to insert the opposing ball. Repeat this process until all 6 balls are in place.
  6. Place approximately half the grease from the service kit inside the boot and pack the CV joint with the remaining grease. Push the CV joint onto the bar until the retaining ring is seated in the groove on the bar.
    7. NOTE: Ensure that the boot is not dimpled, stretched, or out of shape. If the boot is not shaped correctly, equalize the pressure in the boot and shape the boot properly by hand.
  7. Slide large diameter of the boot with the large boot retaining clamp in place over the outside of the CV joint outer race. Locate the seal lip in the groove on the CV joint outer race. Crimp the boot retaining clamp using the drive axle boot clamp pliers, a breaker bar and a torque wrench. Tighten the boot retaining clamp to specifications. See TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS  .
  8. Check the gap dimension, continue tightening until the gap dimension is reached. Dimension "a" = 1/16" (1.90 mm).
Fig 1: Installing New Seal
G00307733Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
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