The service manual lists all the steps and includes lots of nice drawings to illustrate the steps. It also shows any special tools you might need. You can find a paper copy of the manufacturer's service manuals on places like eBay, and at old car show swap meets.
Here's the procedure from AllData, one of our online service manual providers:
REMOVAL
NOTE: Inboard C/V joints have stub shafts splined into differential side gears, or the intermediate shaft on the right side of an equal length system. Driveshafts are spring loaded and are retained to side gears by constant spring pressure provided by spring contained in C/V joints.
1. Remove cotter pin, lock and spring washer, then the hub nut washer and wheel assembly.
2. If removing the righthand driveshaft, speedometer pinion must be removed prior to driveshaft removal.
3. Remove clamp bolt securing ball joint clamp bolt to steering knuckle, then separate ball joint stud from steering knuckle.
CAUTION: Do not damage ball joint or C/V joint boots.
4. Separate outer C/V joint splined shaft from hub by holding C/V housing while moving knuckle/hub assembly away from C/V joint.
CAUTION: Do not damage slinger on outer C/V joint. Do not attempt to remove, repair or replace.
5. Support assembly at C/V joint housings and remove by pulling outward on the inner C/V joint housing. Do not pull on shaft.
NOTE: If removing lefthand driveshaft assembly, removal may be aided by inserting a screwdriver blade between differential pinion shaft and carefully prying against end face of stub.
6. Remove driveshaft assembly from vehicle.
INSTALLATION
1. Hold inner joint assembly at housing, while aligning and guiding inner joint spline into transaxle.
NOTE: On equal length systems, ensure rubber washer seal is in place on right inner C/V joint.
2. Push knuckle/hub assembly out and install splined outer C/V joint shaft into hub.
3. Install knuckle assembly on ball joint stud.
4. Install clamp bolt. Torque to 70 lb-ft.
5. Install speedometer pinion.
6. Fill differential to bottom of filler plug hole with Dexron automatic transaxle fluid.
7. Install washer and hub nut. Torque hub nut to 180 lb-ft. Install nut lock and cotter pin.
8. If, after installing driveshaft assembly in vehicle, the inboard boot appears collapsed or deformed, vent the inner boot by inserting a round tipped, small diameter rod between boot and shaft. As venting occurs, the boot will return to normal shape. After installation of driveshaft, check driveshaft length refer to, Transmission and Drivetrain/Drive/Propeller Shafts, Bearings and Joints/Drive/Propeller Shaft/Adjustments.
_________________________
I was the suspension alignment specialist at a very nice family-owned Chrysler dealership all through the 1990s, and a lot of this procedure doesn't sound familiar. Specifically, I can't remember ever having to remove the speedometer drive gear. That is driven off the right inner CV joint. I can sum up the steps I followed, but be aware you can buy a replacement outer boot kit for about ten dollars. You didn't say why you want to replace the half shaft. The most common problem was the outer boot splitting. If you want to replace the separately, I can tell you how to do it.
The second, less-common problem was the internal spring in the inner CV joint would break. That could let the joint pop out of the transmission, but more commonly you got an oscillation in the steering wheel. A replacement spring from the dealer used to cost $3.00. Taking the inner joint apart can be messy, and the procedure depends on the manufacturer of that joint. There could be a really large internal snap ring to pull out, or three tabs to bend up.
A third, much less-common problem comes from a worn spot in the inner CV joint. That causes a hard wobble in the steering wheel during moderate to hard acceleration, worse when turning at the same time, as in when accelerating out of a parking lot onto the street, and it usually goes away by 35 - 40 mph. I can describe how to identify that worn spot, but it is really difficult to do. Also, there is no way to know if this steering wheel wobble is caused by the left or right inner CV joint until you take them apart to inspect them. I found about nine out of ten were caused by the right joint.
Due to the difficulty in identifying a worn inner CV joint, I suggest you do not install a used or rebuilt half shaft. There's a good chance you'll get one with a worn joint. I needed a new half shaft a couple of years ago for my '88 Grand Caravan. Chrysler has always been famous for real good parts interchangeability between years and models, and in my case, the shaft fit all minivans up to '95 models. It came with the tone ring on it for vehicles with anti-lock brakes. I found that ring rubbed on the spindle so it had to be tapped off. If that applies to your new shaft, tapping that ring off is real easy. Save the ring for your friends because you usually can't buy them separately. The new shaft cost only $65.00.
Start by loosening the lug nuts just a little while the car's weight is holding the wheel from spinning. To boil down the procedure for removing the shaft, jack the car up with the jack under the cross member or under the frame rail behind the left front tire. Don't put the jack under the lower control arm because that is going to have to hang down freely. Be sure to place a jack stand under the car. You're going to need the car to be supported solidly in a minute.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/jack-up-and-lift-your-car-safely
Remove the lug nuts and wheel. You'll see a large cotter pin in the center of the axle stub shaft. Remove that, the stamped steel retainer, and the spring washer under it. This next step is critical for the life of the wheel bearing. The large 32mm nut you're about to remove must never ever be loose when the car's weight is on that bearing. Doing so will instantly make that bearing noisy and sound like an airplane engine. More on this later.
Remove that axle nut, then look behind the spindle and you'll see the pinch bolt and nut. Those have 15mm heads. You can use an air impact wrench to remove the nut if you can fit a socket in there. Next, tap the bolt out. It will come out fairly easily. It might help to turn the steering system one way or the other a little for better access.
At this point you're going to need a really long pry bar. A three-foot bar is definitely too small. I use an old torsion bar with a notch I cut in the end. This is where the lower control arm has to be free to angle down a lot. The bar has to be poked between the cross member and the two pivot bolts for the lower control arm, then you or a helper pry it down to pop the ball joint's stud out of the spindle. Sometimes a ring of rust builds up on top of the stud. Use a hammer to tap the control arm down while pressure is put on it with the pry bar. If it's really stubborn, use a hammer and flat chisel to spread the gap in the spindle. Once removed, you'll see that stud has a groove all the way around it, near the top. That is where the pinch bolt went through it. You might run into a stud that has that groove in just one area, not all the way around. Those take more time to reinstall as they must be lined up just right for the pinch-bolt to slide through. You can turn that stud with a large Channel Lock pliers if necessary.
It helps if you turn the steering wheel fully to the right. That pushes the left outer tie rod end out and makes the next step easier. Grab the spindle by the brake rotor or caliper and pull it out away from the car while you use your thumb to push the axle stub shaft back out of the wheel bearing. Once it's freed up, you can pull the spindle with one hand and lift the outer CV joint with your other hand. Use the shaft as a handle to pull the inner CV joint out of the transmission. Sometimes they stick a little. If that happens, just tug repeatedly until the knocking of the joint pops it free. Have a drain pan under the inner CV joint. If the car is level, you're going to lose up to about two quarts of transmission fluid. If you have the left side supported higher than the right side, you might not lose any fluid. Hold up on the inner CV joint a little to reduce how much the splined shaft drags across the rubber seal. If that seal was leaking, now is the time to change it. They are tapped out with a flat-blade screwdriver, then the new one is tapped in. I wash the area first and add a light coat of RTV gasket sealer in case I caused a deep scratch in the aluminum housing. For most of these jobs I don't replace the seal.
To install the new inner CV joint, once the shaft is started, wiggle the joint up and down while pushing in on it. When it is lined up, it will slide right in. Pull the spindle away from the car, then angle the outer CV joint back to poke the stub shaft through the wheel bearing. In the rare event you can't push the spindle back far enough to connect the ball joint stud, the inner joint has been stretched too far and may have come apart inside. Pushing on it usually gets it to collapse properly under spring pressure.
Now comes the hardest part of the job. I do this myself, but it is a lot easier with a helper. Turn the steering wheel back straight or even slightly to the left. The lower control arm needs to be pried down, and the ball joint stud has to be pushed to line up with the hole in the spindle. Slowly raise the pry bar while guiding the stud into the hole. Typically what happens is the pressure put on the stud by the rising control arm causes the stud to flop off to the side, then you have to start all over again. This can be pretty frustrating until you get the hang of it. The secret is to keep most of the downward pressure on the control arm, and while the stud is touching the hole in the spindle, use the spindle as a handle to push that stud in or out, forward or rearward, until it is lined up with the hole. As pressure is released on the pry bar, wiggle the spindle back and forth until the stud pops into place. The control arm is going to come up on its own due to the high twisting forces on the rubber bushings. Once the stud is nearly in place, you might have to tap up on the control arm to get the stud fully seated.
Next comes another critical step. You're going to push the pinch-bolt through the hole in the spindle, but you must verify it has gone through the groove in the ball joint's stud. Once the bolt is slid in, the dust boot on the ball joint will be collapsed, or pressed down, and the stud must not be visible between that boot and the spindle. You will see about 1/8" to 1/4" of the top of the stud peeking out over the top of the spindle. I've seen on at least two occasions where someone didn't get the stud in all the way, and even though the pinch-bolt was tight, that stud popped out later, resulting in the need for a two truck.
Next, install the large axle nut and torque it to specs. This is another place where do-it-yourselfers get into trouble. They think to install the wheel and set it on the ground to keep the shaft from turning so they can tighten the nut, but by that time the bearing will be noisy. Some people have a helper hold the brake pedal, but there is a much easier way. Just drop a screwdriver or punch into one of the cooling holes in the brake rotor, then tighten the nut to specs. Most Chrysler products call for 180 foot-pounds for this nut, so you're going to need a large click-type torque wrench. Some other vehicles, GM trucks in particular, call for as much as 240 foot-pounds. This is one application where you don't want to guess. Use the torque wrench.
All professionals also always torque the lug nuts with a click-type torque wrench. Tighten yours to 95 foot-pounds if you have steel wheels, and 85 foot-pounds if you have cast wheels. This insures you can get them loose to change a flat tire on the side of the road, the threads won't be peeled, the friction surfaces between the nuts and wheel won't be deformed or damaged, and the nuts won't work loose while driving. When you find a lug nut that spins and won't come off, or a stud that snaps off, that damage was caused by the last person who didn't torque the nuts properly. That could have happened years ago, but it is always the mechanic who is working on the car now who gets blamed unfairly.
Some people like to put grease on the wheel studs. Never use grease on anodized studs. That light yellow, silver, or light blue anodized coating is a lubricant already, and grease will dissolve that and can cause the threads to be torn up. Anodized studs are found mostly on import cars. With regular steel studs, only use a very light coating of grease, and then always run the nuts on by hand. With too much grease, and air tools, the grease builds up ahead of the nut, then gets flung out onto the friction surfaces. Those mating surfaces must remain clean and dry because that is what holds the nuts from working loose.
Never ever ever use any type of anti-seize compound on wheel studs. That is so serious, it will get a professional fired. That lubricant lowers friction too much, to the point the nuts will never stay tight. Once they work loose, even if the wheel doesn't fall off, the wobbling will deform the friction surfaces on the wheel, then no nuts will ever remain tight, even after the anti-seize compound is scrubbed off. The only solution for that is to replace the wheel and nuts.
SPONSORED LINKS
Friday, August 16th, 2019 AT 4:00 PM
