intermediate (half) shaft bearing remove and replace

[ff_drift_lol]

so my half shaft bearing was screwed from when i broke an axle. i never replaced it cause i couldnt get it that day but i had to replace the mount so i re used the old one. they do go bad occasionally, and it involves changing your tranny fluid on an mu3 f35 tranny along with removing your passenger side axle and half shaft and replacing them, so it should be a good resource.
it's an extensive repair so please feel free to correct me if i am doing anything wrong or left anything out.

you will need:
impact gun
impact sockets metric
torque wrench
3/8 ratchet
a healthy amount of extensions
pry bars
manual transmission fluid
2 quarts of this saturn stuff (gm p# 21018899), or 2 liters of the saab stuff (saab p#93165290)
lump hammer
snap ring pliers
awl
8mm hex socket
8mm hex key
cheater bar
magnetic tool
beer
cigs

assuming you know how to jack up a car, remove both front wheels.

here's our half shaft and mount. there's 3 bolts around it. this is what we need to remove

start by removing the axle nut. i used an inch and 3/16 socket but it wasn't as snug as i'd like it to be (it's actually a metric nut). worked just fine either way. you can put the car in gear and do it by hand or just use an impact gun.

use a magnetic tool to remove the washer behind the nut.

bang it with a lump hammer it should pop out on the first swing. there's an indent on the end of the shaft for an air chisel with an awl attachment which is the right way to do it. most of my good tools are at work so this will do.

pry out the cv joint with a pry bar. use the bolts for leverage, not the mount. the mount is aluminum and pretty weak. if you cant get it out this way, take a big half inch extension and bang the end of it onto the cage of the cv joint it should pop out easily.

over to the strut now. remove the abs connector.

now zip out the nuts on the strut with an 18mm socket

bang that sucker out. careful not to hit the abs connector.

pull the rest of the axle out and remove that rubber shield

this is all you should have removed from the car so far.

remove the half shaft mount via the 3 15mm bolts

get a pan ready unless you want tranny fluid on your driveway. remove the half shaft.

money

 

[ff_drift_lol]

clamp the shaft into a vice. remove the 2 10mm bolts from the retainer.

there's our bearing

remove the snap ring or retaining ring with snap ring pliers.

flip it upside down and bang the mount off the shaft using a piece of wood and a light hammer. remember this piece is aluminum so be light on it.

alakazam

take a socket the same size as the inner ring on the bearing and bang out the bearing from the back.

clean out the mount with a wire brush

apply a light coat of anti sieze lubricant for future servicing.

start off the new bearing by applying even force with a block of wood and a light hammer.

keep it going with the socket

use a small awl to finish the job. be very careful not to slip and rip the seal on the bearing.

make sure it is flush from the back. shine a light in there to look for gaps.

replace the mount onto the half shaft by lightly and evenly tapping it on. it should go on with ease. if not, clean the shaft with a wire brush and apply anti sieze.

make sure that suckers on there all the way.

replace the snap ring

snug the 10mm bolts back on with the retainer in place. snug, not even quarter turn. it's aluminum be careful it will strip easily.

---------- Post added at 05:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:55 PM ----------

replace the half shaft. line up the splines in the differential and push it in. it should go in very easily. make sure the splines are clean as a whistle before hand. no anti sieze required.

apply a dot of thread locker blue to the 3 mount bolts.
tighten the bolts to 37 ft/lbs

over to the driver side now.

here's your drain plug (driver side). remove that with an 8mm allen KEY. you can't fit a socket in there. if you are lacking leverage, use a cheater bar.

the drain plug has a magnet. clean it off, that's syncro dust lol
cycle through the gears a few times to let loose that extra fluid in there. replace the drain plug.

now that your tranny is drained, let's open the fill plug. use an 8mm hex socket for this one.

you should have 2 quarts of this saturn stuff (gm p# 21018899), or 2 liters of the saab stuff (saab p#93165290)

I rigged up a little contraption of my own to fill the tranny

level out the car by adding 2 more jack stands to the rear of the car. we want it level so we can add an accurate amount of fluid.

capacity is 1.5 quarts or 1.8 liters
you can also just fill it up to where you can stick your finger in the hole and feel that it's level with the hole. it should leak out a tiny bit.
replace the fill plug.

 

[ff_drift_lol]

replace the rubber shield

replace the axle. apply anti sieze to the splines first.
there's a little trick to it now since there's a retaining ring on the end of the splines. line up the splines first, now grab the axle by the center shaft and push it in, banging the cv joint together and applying the force to the inner splines. it should pop right in.

apply anti sieze to the outer splines.
replace the axle in the hub. use a jack under the control arm to level it out with the axle, and you can work the splines into the hub.

replace the steering knuckle into the strut. (don't forget the abs connector mount)
replace the axle nut (don't forget the washer!)
re connect the abs connector.

replace wheels. torque specs for wheels is 100 ft lbs.

done-zo. hope i was helpful!

 

[ls1fbody]

Great write up Mike.

 

[BlackCobalt707]

i hope i dont ever have to go thru this shit

 

[ff_drift_lol]

lol this is my second time doing it too. thank ya will. if anyone has torque specs to strut-knuckle bolts, axle nut and drain plugs that'd be great too.

 

[ls1fbody]

Strut-Knuckle bolts: 89 lb/ft.

Axle Nut: Couldn't find it. (it's a 32mm nut btw)



Transaxle Fill: 37 lb/ft

Transaxle Drain: 37 lb/ft

Transaxle Level: 37 lb/ft

Mike, this is where i get my torque specs from:
http://www.ecotecforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=95

 

[ff_drift_lol]

ooooh everyone keeps flaming me there lol it's funny they no likey me ricey

thank ya

 

[ls1fbody]

haha, just like .nub

i understand where you're coming from though ahah

 

[Cobalt Tom]

if anything cant be found there, or someone need something else i have the serv manuals for 05-06 here