Outer CV Joint: Disassembly

1984 Plymouth Horizon Base, 1.6 ASECTION Disassembly
  1. Cut boot clamp on boot and discard. Wipe grease away to expose joint. Support shaft in a soft-jawed vise, support outer joint, and using a soft hammer, give a sharp tap to top of joint body to dislodge joint from internal circlip installed in groove at outer end of shaft.
    NOTE: DO NOT  remove wear sleeve from housing, unless damaged.
  2. Remove circlip from shaft groove and discard. Unless shaft is damaged and requires replacement, DO NOT  remove heavy lock ring from shaft. With joint separated, proceed as follows:
  3. If outer CV joint was operating properly and grease does not appear to be contaminated, just replace boot. If outer joint is noisy or badly worn, replace entire unit.
  4. Wipe off surplus grease and mark relative position of inner cross, cage and housing with a dab of paint. Hold joint vertically in vise by clamping on splined shaft, with soft jaws to prevent damage.
  5. Press down on one side of inner race to tilt cage and remove ball from opposite side. If joint is tight, use hammer and brass drift to tap inner race. DO NOT  HIT CAGE. Repeat this until all 6 balls are removed.
    Fig 1: Removing Cage and Cross Assembly from Outer CV Joint Assembly
    G26197
  6. Tilt cage and inner race assembly vertically and position 2 opposing elongated cage windows in area between ball grooves. See Fig 1 . Citroen joints have alternating 2 short, 1 long cage windows. ACI joints have all the same length cage windows. GKN joints have alternating short and long or all identical cage windows. Remove cage and inner race assembly by pulling upward away from housing.
  7. Turn inner cross (driver) 90° to cage and align one spherical land of race with elongated cage window. Raise land into cage window and remove inner race by swinging out.
Fig 2: Exploded View of Outer CV Joint
G26198
RENDER: 1.0x

NO RELATED

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When to See a Mechanic

Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:

  • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
  • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
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