CV Axle

Last year, the original CV axles went out of White Horse. Not wanting to mess around, I just had a shop put them in. I like to go with GM parts when I can, but they were just so much more expensive and the Napa ones we went with had a lifetime warranty. Well, a year later the boots on them cracked out. So.... what to do? As I looked into it, changing them didn't look too bad. So I just got some upgraded axles from Napa under the warranty and went to work.

The inside boot on both axles split out. The joint was still good, though. I actually think it was the brutally cold weather last week that did them in. 

First step was to break the lug nuts loose. No air tools here, just armstrong. 

Then jacked it up and pulled the wheel off. Safety first. 

Next, we pulled the cap off that covered the axle nut. 

And busted it loose.

After we took out the eight bolts that held the axle to the deferential, she slipped right out. 

The new axle is what they call an extreme condition axle. Hopefully that means that the rubber on the boot will hold up in tough Wyoming weather. 

Putting it back together was just about as smooth. 

Then just rebolted the two hubs together. 

And wrenched them down. 

The other side was just as easy. But on that one I never even took the wheel off. Once unbolted, the axle just drops out. On trucks that I've changed in the past, we always had to bust a ball joint or something to make room to pull the axle. Not this one, thankfully. 

CV (constant velocity) joints are interesting. Their point is not to loose any revolutions as they rotate. With U-joints there is always a speed up, slow down scenario to their revolution. 

Back in business. 

I was really surprised how well this went. I bet I had two hours in the whole ordeal. Gotta love Chevrolets. They are meant to run and the are meant to be repaired when needed. Were back in the saddle again!