Date: Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:24:15 +0100 From: "Charles C." <c.k.christacopoulos.removeme.nospamee.ac.uk> Subject: Re: '85 900 CV/axle replacement
Dave Hinz wrote: > On Fri, 02 Jun 2006 22:39:13 +0100, Charles C. <c.k.christacopoulos.removeme> wrote: >> Dave Hinz wrote: >>> I've got a split CV boot on the left side, on my '85 900. A new axle is >>> only 66 bucks, cheaper than just the CV, so I'll probably be going with >>> that. Any surprises in this process? Seems like it'd be pretty >>> straightforward; pull the bottom ball joint, remove the castle nut & >>> caliper - pretty much all right there, or am I missing something? >>> >>> Dave Hinz >> You assume the CV joint is gone I take it. Because all you need is a >> boot if the rest is OK. >> >> (Good Lord I could do a SAAB boot your vintage with my eyes closed) Hi, I did not mean to sound I am cleverer than you. It just brings back memories ... :-) > > Well, let's talk about that. Is that just lower ball joint, inner U > joint, get greasy as hell, and be done? Or how do I get the driveshaft > out of that CV? I assume you only need to change the boot. In the following procedure you remove the complete drive shaft and hub assembly. Disclaimer ... don't drop the car on yourself, it hurts. Jam up the upper wishbone using SAAB clever part or piece of wood or ... as long as you don't collapse the inner wing. I always used a piece of wood *and* a pair of spring compressors (so the pressure on the inner wing was not at the full strength of the spring) whilst I had two spare spring compressors in case things went wrong. Remove brake caliper etc and suspend from spring above etc. Remove the two bolts from upper and lower ball joint to wishbone connections. Note that in both a 1979 and a 1983 cars I had the bolts had a fine thread which after that many years has probably gone south. I got replacement bolts for my 1983 car (a few years ago mind you) which had the same oversize shoulder but a normal metric thread. Also note that the heads of the bolts (i.e. the stronger part of the bolt, go in a particular direction ... uhmmm I have to think about this .. they have to counteract the rotational direction ... uhmm maybe). Separate steering knuckle ball joint (is it called track rod end ?). Undo circlip of inner cv joint boot where it connects to the transmission. Unless I am forgetting something important (?) you should be able to pull out of the car the complete drive shaft + CV joint + hub. To separate drive shaft (half axle another name) from CV joint there is a circlip. The circlip is like a capital "O" with a bit missing (may not be called a circlip). If you wipe the grease off the top of the CV joint you will see it. The idea is ... you need a pair of circlip pliers (when you compress the handles the points open ...) try to open the circlip when you manage it ... tap the cv joint away from the shaft using a soft hammer. Half a dozen attempts (you will only get one hit at a time as the pliers will move off the circlip) and you will move the CV a bit away ... the rest is straight forward. The only catch with refitting always was trying to align the holes of the ball joints with those of the wishbones to put the bolts through. I remember me using a jack to push the hub assembly up against the car to give me room or similar improvisations. If all you need is a boot it is probably less work to do what I am suggesting than replace the shaft/CV joint. If you choose to remove the CV joint from the hub you will need a torque wrench capable of more than 200 ft/lb to refit, and technically a new nut as you have to hammer a notch on it against the protruding drive shaft. To remove you may need to compress the CV joint off the inner bits of the wheel bearing to remove it ... hammering is not advised as you may end up needing a new bearing. If in doubt as to what you may need ... take big nut off first and remove drive shaft + cv joint. You can separate them as above. You can wash the cv joint to remove all its dirt (sand usually that got in because of the split boot). If it has not run for long with a split boot ... you will probably be ok if you repack it with grease (is it molybdenum something or other ... black stuff). Having done many boots ... eventually I came to the conclusion (when I got a new (it was only 10-12 yo at the time) 900, it had SAAB boots. The after market replacements I fitted did not last the 6 or so years I had the car. Go on replace just the boot. Once you done it a few times it is easy. :-) Charles PS. Now you probably knew all this and I fell for a wind up :-D > >> Will the axle include the bearing (triangular gizzmo) at the gear box end? > > Don't know yet. > >> Remember to loosen the big nut before you ramp up the car and before you >> take the brake off. It is torqued to 240ish feet/pounds pounds/feet (?) > > Yes, I've made that particular mistake before. More than once, in fact. > >> PS. If you decide to remove top and/or bottom ball joints ... remove >> them from the wishbones, a lot easier and less destructive than trying >> to remove them from the hub. > > Absolutely, those 2 bolts are the only way to do it. > > Thanks > Dave -- Please remove _removeme_ to reply.
