How do i remove and replace the c.v. axles in my 2004 audi outie
With a little difficulty. Google online for the video, but I'd have to know your exact car model, A4, A6, A8, whatever.
Why are you replacing the CV axle assembly? Most of the time all you have to do is replace the outer joint (rzeppa) or clean it and replace the boot. Rarely does the inner joint fail unless the boot has been gone for awhile and dirt/water has contaminated and the grease has gone.
The general procedure is to break loose the axle bolt in the center of the wheel before you take the wheel off with the car on the ground. You'll need a 17mm or so socket hex key or a socket that fits the hex head on the bolt. You should get a new axle bolt with the new CV joint..I prefer the socket head cap screw type because the socket hex key doesn't slip out as easy as a socket will slip off a hex head bolt.
If you don't understand the difference between a socket hex key, socket, hex head cap screw or socket head cap screw look it up on google.
Then jack the car, remove the wheel, remove the axle bolt. Do NOT put the car on the ground without the axle bolt in there!
There is a pinch bolt above the hub on the axle carrier..remove the pinch bolt and you may have to remove the tie rod end from the carrier. You may have to remove the sway bar link from the axle carrier as well...just disconnect it from the sway bar.
Swing the carrier out while holding the axle in towards the transmission. If the rzeppa joint is frozen into the hub you can screw the axle bolt almost all the way in but ½" out, then rap the bolt with a BF hammer/hand sledge until it moves...then back out the axle bolt as necessary, rap it again if it still sticks, until you can get the joint free from the carrier.
Now you have to remove the axle assembly from the transmission output flange...you'll need a 10mm triple square tool here and it's a lot easier with an impact wrench. It's not a torx or an allen socket, there are 12 points on the female socket head bolt.
Get the old axle assembly out, put the new one in, install the triple square bolts to the proper torque (look it up....there are two sizes bolts and the torque is different), put the rzeppa joint into the hub and run the axle bolt finger tight, hook up the pinch bolt (you need a new one and nut) as well as the TRE (don't mess with the top bolt...it adjusts bump steer and if you change it you need to do an alignment) pinch bolt, the tighten the axle bolt to something like 90-140 ft lbs (varies upon size of axle nut...look it up or buy a bentley service manual), put the wheel back on and lower the car. The axle bolt is then tightened an additional 180 degrees with the wheel on the ground...you'll need a breaker bar with a 4-foot cheater pipe unless you're the incredible hulk. I use a ¾" drive breaker bar..it doesn't bend with the cheater pipe.
Hook up the sway bar and you're done.
There are a few critical torque values that I don't have because I don't know what audi you're working on, but you really need to invest in a Bentley service manual for your car.
6/25/2015 6:08:17 PM •
2004 Audi A4
•
Answered
on Jun 25, 2015