WARNING: the following is an informational article, and in no way am I responsible for any damage you cause to your vehicle from following this.
ok, so this isn't a super detailed article but it should serve as a decent reference for someone that wants to tackle replacing their own axle. i didn't have any torque specs in front of me, so you will need to look those up before you attempt this. this was my first time replacing an axle, so if you would like to add anything to this feel free to chime in, and i'll add it to the article in the tech section.
tools needed:
(not all are required, or necessarily correct but it's what i used)
17mm lug wrench
jack
jack stands
17mm allen socket
1/2" 6" extension
1/2" breaker bar, or long ratchet
3/8 ratchet
V-10 12 point socket
assortment of various length extensions
the V-10 12 point socket is the only "special tool" required for this job. here's a (terrible) picture in case you don't know what it looks like.
ok, now the first thing your going to want to do is remove your center cap and loosen the axle retaining bolt using a 17mm allen socket, and a breaker bar. if you attempt to do this after the wheel is off the ground it might spin the axle instead.
you may need to use a pipe to extend the length of your breaker bar if this is the first time the axle bolt has been removed. before you go reffing on the bolt though, it would be a good idea to tap the allen socket with a mallet to make sure it's seated in the bolt all the way. YOU DO NOT WANT TO STRIP THIS BOLT!
after you have the axle bolt loose, go ahead and jack up the side your changing the axle on and remove the wheel. turn your wheel away from which ever side your changing. so if your doing the passenger side turn your wheel all the way to the left. this is so you can get the axle out later without removing the pinch bolt. oh, and make sure you use a jack stand for safety.
a little evidence that the inner CV is shot... shooting grease all over my suspension.
go ahead and finish removing the axle retaining bolt.
there are six V-10 12 point bolts holding the inner cv flange to the transmission. I positioned the axle so i could remove three bolts at a time. after the fist three were out, i jacked the other front tire off the ground and spun the axle so i could get at the remaining three.
after you wrestle the inner flange bolts out the axle is free from the car. slide the outer cv joint out of the wheel bearing assembly, and carefully sneak out the axle.
side by side of the new axle, and the old floppy worn out axle.
assemble your axle in reverse order and you're all set!
now go enjoy your new, noise free, vibration free car
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