CV joints or driveshaft replacement ?

Or you can remove both suspension arms from the subframe (2 bolts) and then remove the whole drive shaft/ hub assm, slide the new boot on via the end of the driveshaft

robhew86 said:

Or you can remove both suspension arms from the subframe (2 bolts) and then remove the whole drive shaft/ hub assm, slide the new boot on via the end of the driveshaft

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and the suspension leg (2 bolts)
and the track rod 1 nut

holidaychicken said:

and the suspension leg (2 bolts)
and the track rod 1 nut

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:mooning:

:bounce:

now i can see another 2 nuts :screaming_bug_eye_f

holidaychicken said:

no i can see another 2 nuts :screaming_bug_eye_f

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Pull your pants up.

Well here is another little chapter. i have received the top quality Cv joints but I have a feeling they are not the right parts.

I think this because the original hub nut is M27 and these are M24 and also the detail for the ABS ring looks more like the P38 which would also coincide with the M24 hub nut thread.
Does anyone know any other dimensions for the L322 4.4 2004 front outer CV joint, like spline diameter or number of splines?

I searched for the part number and found the site at the link below and that suggests I have the correct part, but that's not to say our chinese friends have put the correct part in the box.

I dont really want to take mine apart and then find out they are wrong.

Anyhoo I am making a couple of special tools first to remove the old cv joint from the shaft and also for pushing the spline through the hub. i am also waiting delivery on a couple of different types of ball joint splitters.

Land Rover Range Rover Range Rover Sport 4.4 2005 | cv boots, joints, drive shafts | From Yorkshire Exhaust Specialists The Parts People

Well here goes for an update and i am in need of some help.

The update is the cv joints i was originally sent were incorrect and i have since received some ODM branded chinese replacements which to be fair look pretty good, although looks aren't everything when it comes to driveline.



I have removed all the brakes, disc, suspension arm joints, removed the cv joint from the hub but i am going to pieces trying to remove the CV joint off the end of the driveshaft

I made a tool similar to the ones on ebay where you clamp around the driveshaft and place the end of the cv joint through a support and wind the cv joint of using the hub nut, simples!

Well no, the damn thing won't budge, i have tightened it up so tight its bending the studding i am using to clamp around the shaft and the joint has not moved a bit.

I am reluctant to remove the whole driveshaft for fear of further complications but if someone can help it would be very much appreciated as i have downed tools today through frustration.



To add insult to injury, one of the local wayne kerrs has keyed my rear door through to the undercoat so will need to be repainted and have bashed their car door into mine and chipped a big lump of door handle paint off as well, just waiting on a cctv camera that is near by to see if it picked up anything as proof before i go to see mr plod...

big hammer and a good hit will get it off, whilst supporting the shaft with one hand

Thanks, I did have it under tension using my improvised puller and then gave it a few good whacks but it didn't move, I will try again with the boot out the way as I can't get to the inner part where it meets the shaft.

Am I at risk of pulling it out of the diff end ?

There is a lot of in and out travel on the inboard joint but I have the boot still in place.
Thanks

Normally a short sharp blow with a 2lb hammer does it, just try to keep it all in a fairly straight line.

Alan

Thanks guys, I cut the gator off and wiped out a load of grease so i could see what i was doing and got my trusty lump hammer and gave it a good few whacks on the central area of the cv joint and it came off a treat.

I have removed the two suspension arms which surprisingly came out easy considering I needed a nuclear strike to remove the rear ones and the only thing left stuck in is the lower ball joint even though the torx bolts are out.

I wasn't going to change out the suspension parts but they needed doing and I don't fancy getting in here again in a hurry.

Stand by for an update.

Thank you

Well the update is, after fighting the fookin thing for a few days i have swapped out one side of all the arms and ball joints and the cv joint, and also the brake pads, sensor and ABS sensor but it was a bit of a battle but hopefully the second side may be easier. the hardest part was removing the lower ball joint from the hub even though the bolts came out easy.

One question for anyone who has done this, i didn't have a torque wrench that went up to 420 Nm for the hub nut so calculated it out to be my weight on a breaker bar about 2 ft long (i did do the proper maths), am i heading for disaster or does everyone just do it up FT.

Also the suspension arms says 165 Nm plus 90 degrees with the weight on the wheels and i managed the 165Nm just but another 1/4 turn was just not happening.
Anybody else managed it? Not having a lift doesn't help

cheers

Where's the How To Andy?

Well.... i have given that some thought and i do have a complete side to do and I now know more of what i am doing but the first side, what a $%^&&*^%% $%^&.

It's down to things like, undo a simple cap head bolt and remove the ABS sensor. - not a chance, cap head came out a treat, the sensor was literally fused to the hub and i had to drill it out. The bottom ball joint, removed the two torx bolts relatively easily after cleaning out the drive and i thought great but of course the ball joint is pushed into the hub which is a fairly close fit but not pressed but that bastard had been welded in i am sure. I hammered, sprayed, chiseled, hammered some more and eventually it started to move.
The list goes on but i was amazed at how easy the suspension arm bolts came out as the rear ones had welded themselves into the bushes and i had to cut each side out with an air hacksaw.

Dont get me wrong, if i had a ramp and a heated workshop and the experience of doing these everyday i reckon 2 hours tops, probably a lot less.

Just removing the CV joint, i had made up a tool similar to what you can buy to easily remove the cv joint rather than having to hammer it off. i literally bent the thing trying to wind off the cv joint but once i cut off the boot, cleaned away the grease and hammered the inner part of the joint it popped out easily thanks to advice from on here.

Putting the Cv joint back on, it wouldn't pop over the circlip and i hammered away until i decided to turn the cv boot inside out, wipe away some of the grease i had just applied so i could actually see the clip and then i could actually give the clip a start in the spline and then it popped on really easily, but the manual says to just give it a tap !!

Anyway, that was more than you bargained for

i'll try my best tomorrow to take some fots but I'm not promising as i am nowhere near as organised as you Ant.

Stand by...

Post to follow of my first proof copy of my brief write up of cv joints and suspension arms / ball joints, feel free to let me know what needs changing, i'll upload some fots tomorrow as its a bit late..
Enjoy

So, in conclusion, the CV joints are changed as well as the suspension arms, drop links and bottom ball joints. The clicking from the CV joints has gone and I have lost a lot of the clunk that I have been chasing which improved when I replaced the transfer box chain but is now much better especially as the suspensions arms had almost broken free at the rubber end.



I still have a clicking when the car is cold and I am turning the steering and moving slowly which I think is the Dunlop struts that require further investigation.

You will need a bi hex 12 point 36 mm deep impact socket preferably (I got a sealey for about £12 from Aghabridge, 21 and 22 mm combination spanners, a selection of ball joint splitters, decent breaker bars, sockets and ratchet, ideally a torque wrench that can do 420 Nm, loads of wipes or blue roll, torx drivers T45 I think for bottom ball joint, old style pinchers or cv joint clip pliers, I really like the Halfords shock and unlock and the wd40 special release and penetrant spray.
Some of my tools, the fork type splitter set i bought off ebay for about £12 but it was as rough as arseholes so i fettled them but they still destroyed my rubber boots on the ball joints. The problem with the lever type splitter I had was that the end that slides under the joint was too fat and it only just went under the steering arm joint.








Anyway as a bit of a write up, although I don’t normally do these, leave that to the master (Saint), a few tips that might help others avoid some of the swearing and long delays I had.
I followed Rave which is of course a brilliant write up if you have a garage full of technicians, equipment, knowledge and a ramp but on your jack it’s really is a fecker at times.

So, usual safety, chocking the wheels, jacked up the front left, axle stand under the subframe near the suspension arm mount, removed the wheel and tapped a screwdriver into the slot in the end of the cv spline / hub nut to release the tab.






As I didn’t have a helper to put their foot on the brake, I put the wheel back on with centre cap removed and lowered the car so the wheel just touched so I could loosen the hub nut using my 24“ breaker bar. (I wouldn’t even attempt suspension jobs on the l322 without a good size breaker bar)

Wheel back off and secured on the axle stand.
Complete Caliper off, brake disc off, I had to tap a torx bit into the hex head screw holding on the disc to remove it as the hex was non-existent.




It says to take out the abs sensor but mine was stuck totally solid and I had to drill it out using a 13 mm drill bit. I then cleaned the bore and face out with my dremel and greased up the polished bore and face with copper slip. I only think you have to remove this because of the cable restricting the movement as i don't think it would stop the cv joint coming out but not certain. some of the phots are taken before and some after changing the joints and i also swap from side to side a bit as well.





Undid the height sensor arm from the suspension arm, you will need at least one open ended 10 mm spanner to hold the back of the ball joint still while you undo the nut.

Used my eBay purchased joint splitter to release the steering ball joint after loosening the nut but not removing it to protect the thread as I wasn’t changing the steering ball joint, but it wouldn’t fit on the other suspension arm ball joints so I am afraid it was the tuning fork, pickle fork, splitter and a big hammer and they were bastard tight but as I was changing the complete arms and ball joints it didn’t matter that it killed the rubber seals which I am told you can now buy separately ?

Tool just offered back up for photo, needs to be located over the centre of the nut.



Continued below as i ran out of upload space.

Released all the joints but left all the nuts in place for now.

Fantastic description Andy.....

When I get round to doing mine, this will be an invaluable source of reference, many thanks.

Thanks Ant, I have loads of fots to add and I'll edit it into a better layout when I get chance over the next few days.
The ODM brand £25 CVjoints looked identical to the original apart from the rust but only time will tell.
I do have what I suspect is rattling air struts still so will investigate that also

Continued....
I had to really clean up my nuts with a wire wheel in my drill to ensure the sockets located properly and i had to link two spanners together to be able to access one of the lower ball joints and to give me enough leverage.





Using a wooden drift, and if possible an assistant holding the hub towards you i.e. away from the car, after removing the hub nut I hammered the cv joint spline out of the hub which takes some doing.

I got it to start moving using my sealey socket and a biggish hammer, just wind the nut on until it touches the hub then back off a turn and give it a whack with the socket in place and then back off another turn and do the same, checking each time that the hub nut is moving up to the hub. Once the thread has all gone just use a wooden drift or similar to drive the CV joint out of the hub spline.



Make sure you don’t deform the end of the spline or it won’t go through the hub and if you get stuck and have to reassemble, if you have biffed the end of the thread over its more hassle time again. I did start to make up a tool and laser do one which clamps to the wheel studs and a big threaded pusher winds through the centre to push out the spline which would have been nice to have.

I then dropped out all the ball joints and twisted the hub right around and out and removed the CV joint from the hub.



Home made syrup sponge and a wet



Now this next bit was a right royal pain and I must have wasted 3 hours or more by doing it the wrong way I think.
Rave says to remove the complete drive shaft and hold it in a vice but I didn’t want to take out the drive shaft from the diff as I would then need to replace the seal and the oil but that is probably an easier and better way to go so you can inspect the inner joint also.
The method that worked for me was to cut off the old CV boot and clean out all of the grease using loads of blue roll.



Get and assistant to pull the suspension leg / hub towards the front of the car with a length of rope, and then holding the cv joint so it is straight out from the diff with one hand, let the CV joint tilt down slightly to reveal the inner race that Is actually connected to the spline and give it a sharp hard tap towards you.



I fecked around for probably 2 hours on the first side using a puller I had made which wouldn’t not move it and eventually I cleaned out all the grease and removed the boot and gave it a tap and it just popped off.

You can see the groove in the end of the shaft which is where the snap ring sits and it is this that you are trying to dislodge.



Great, I’ll do that on the second side, but I clouted the thing for nearly two hours and tried the puller again and it would not shift a mm. I then realised that the CV joint was turned towards one side as I had the suspension leg towards the rear of the car so I swapped it around so the suspension leg was towards the front of the car and driveshaft and CV joint were straight out of the diff, gave it a whack and it popped straight off.

While I remember, my back plates had all but rotted through again so I had removed the 3 bolts and oversize washers so I could rotate it out the way. It then becomes a large rotating razor blade that is always in the position you don’t want it so practice swearing at mine now if you like to get it out of your system. When I replaced it I increased the size of my penny washers to the size of dinner plates and I needed them on both sides of the hole.

Now that was out the way I set to work on removing the bottom ball joint. I cleaned up the torx head bolts with a wire wheel in the drill and tapped home a torx driver, if you think the you have found the correct size, try the next size up and give it a tap home as there is a lot of rust around.

Anyway the bolts came out easy. The ball joint however, the manual says ‘remove the ball joint’ in reality the damn thing is rusted into its own interference fit and is not going anywhere without a big fight.



I chiselled it from the back to try and pry it out, sprayed it and heated it with my small blow torch although oxy / acetylene would work better but I was weary of overheating the wheel bearing and I hammered it while it was supported from underneath by my trolley jack.

When hammering from the top side, try and hit it inwards as well as downwards to stop it splaying out.



Eventually the thing moved but I reckon over an hour a side for me but more heat is the key I reckon. Copper slip in the bore and must use new torx bolts and torqued them up. Had to drop the steering arm back in to stop the hub spinning while tightening the bolts

Clean up the spline and fit a new circlip and boot (I turned mine inside out and pushed as far up the shaft as possible to give more room to see the circlip) and load up the grease into the new joint by moving the inner race to its max travel in lots of different directions while forcing grease into the ball races and balls etc. wipe a clear area where the spline goes in so you can see the circlip to start it
Push the CV joint up until it touches the circlip where it will stop.
Get a flat screw driver and while putting the joint under a bit if pressure inwards, push the circlip into the groove to give it a start as although it says to give it a tap, that won’t work with the driveshaft in place as the inner joint just compresses. Once the clip is seated, the CV joint will then tap home until it clicks into place and cannot be pulled back off again.
I used the old hub nut to pull the spline all the way through the hub and then replaced the hub nut just hand ratchet tight as I had to torque this up with a small amount of weight on the wheel to stop it turning
Fix the CV boot clips in place using old style pinchers or CV pliers.

Cleaned up the taper faces in the hub for the ball joints, loosely fitted the bolts in the subframe for the suspension arms, put the ball joints in place and torqued them up leaving the subframe bolts just nipped up.

I replaced my brake pads, wear sensor and ABS sensors; purchased a large g clamp form B&Q to push back the caliper after removing a little brake fluid from the reservoir to stop it over flowing when returning the piston

Disc back on, back plate and dinner plate washers back on and caliper, wheel back on.
Lowered the car on to the wheel to stop it turning and then ‘torqued ‘ up the hub nut. Now my torque wrench only goes up to 250 nm and rave states 420Nm, so I calculated using my weight (mass) of 88 Kg multiplied by acceleration due to gravity which is 9.8 m/s2 to give 862 N. The required torque is 420 Nm. So if I am correct in my thinking I should position myself just under 0.5 metres from the pivot point, I actually calculated 487 mm) along my breaker bar and stood on it with all my weight to torque it up. Now it’s a while since I drank my way through college so that could be total bollox but the wheel are still on for now.

I dove the car up onto my two stage sleeper system to give me some clearance, lowered the car to normal height and torqued up the inner suspension arm bolts to 165 nm I think but check rave and then gave them another ¼ turn after marking the nuts / bolts. Now that sounds easy and I do have a pretty long torque wrench but that extra quarter turn is a lot when you are lying under a car with a breaker bar that is just too long in every position but I managed it using my torque wrench that has a ratchet.

Now I am bound to have missed something and this is my first attempt at writing something up and generally I was smothered in grease so picking up my camera was tricky at times and I do get a bit stressed when things are proving very very awkward .
Hope this is of use to somebody and feel free to point out anything that requires editing.

This is by no way a full and accurate account of how to do the job so if you are unsure, get some help or take it to a garage that knows as these are fairly critical parts to change.
The rave manual is by far the best set of instructions to follow.
In other words, if you follow this and your wheels fall off don’t blame me, I am just must telling a story…………

holidaychicken said:

Continued....
I had to really clean up my nuts with a wire wheel

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