HOW DO I REPLACE THE INNER CV JOINT BOOT ON A 2001 BUICK CENTUR

There are thee ways to do this. The first, easiest, but least reliable way is to use split boot repair kit. This allows you to cut the old boot off, clean the joint as best you can, install new grease, and bolt the split boot into place and clamp it. These boots have a higher-than-average failure rate however. The next ways require jacking up the drivers side of the car, remove the wheel, caliper, and rotor. Then remove the hub nut that secures the half-shaft to the wheel bearing. Using a crowbar or other suitable tool, you must pry the inner CV joint out of the transaxle and maneuver the half-shaft out of the vehicle. You must take care not to separate the inner CV joint as it is easily damaged if overextended. You may have to separate the lower ball joint from the lower control arm to remove this shaft as it is the shorter of the two and has less space to work for removal. Once you have the half-shaft out, there are two options - repair or replace. Repair requires removal of the joint from the half-shaft assembly, and it can be difficult for someone with no experience. The easier option is to replace the entire half-shaft with a re-manufactured one. The cost is not much more than that for the repair parts, plus you don't have to worry about dirt, grit and debris in the joint damaging it since it is already fully sealed. Replacement is the reverse of removal. You simply insert the shaft thru the wheel bearing opening and into the transaxle. You must "pop" the inner joint into place to latch it, otherwise it will cause damage by leaking and binding. You will feel it lock in when you do it. The last thing that is critical is that the hub nut has a specific torque requirement. Too much or too little torque will cause the wheel bearing to fail very quickly. So use a reliable torque wrench set at the correct setting. There is no "feel" for the correct tightness on this nut.

You'll need to extract the end the axle shaft from the hub bearing. There is not enough play in the axle shaft to allow this without at least partially removing the front strut assembly. Sometimes just separating the lower ball joint will allow the strut/spring to move enough to work the spline out the bearing. Once you've done that, then you must "pop" the inner CV joint out of the transaxle. It is installed with a snap ring to hold it in place. This process can be tricky and you can damage the CV joint or the transaxle case if you don't exercise caution while doing this. Be careful not to pull outward on the axle shaft...this will not release the inner joint and will most likely cause the inner joint to separate, making removal more difficult.

It is easier to change the whole half shaft than it is to change just the CV joint.

how to , who can, what are all steps. are there special tools?
sure. if the boot is bad, so be the joint, Yah think?

1. Before servicing the vehicle, refer to the Precautions Section.
2. Remove or disconnect the following:
   • Halfshaft from the vehicle
   • Snapring and bearing
   • Snapring and oil seal
   • Mounting bracket
   • CV-joint boot
   • Circlip and inner joint housing
   • Snapring and spacer
   • Inner joint balls
   • Snapring and inner CV-joint
   • To install:
     
   • Install or connect the following:
     
     • Inner CV-joint and snapring
     • Inner joint balls
     • Spacer and snapring
     • Inner joint housing and circlip. Add 150 grams CV-joint grease.
     • CV-joint boot
     • Mounting bracket
     • Oil seal and snapring
     • Bearing and snapring
   • Install the halfshaft and mounting bracket to the vehicle.
   • Check the wheel alignment and adjust as necessary.

Check engine mounts, Check the hub that retains the wheel bearing and hub assembly to the steering knuckle to make sure the bolts are tight and have not backed out.

Then inspect the front suspension for worn bushings, broken anti-sway bar links, and broken springs and or shock mounts.

Also look for damaged CV joint boots. Especially the inner plunge/Rzeppa joint. If a boot is damaged, remove it and clean/inspect/replace as needed. The outer as well. but check the inner for excess play and inspect half shaft for damage or straigtness.

remove inner cv boot, just on inside edge is circlip which holds inner bearing joint into outer housing remove circlip and separate joint outer housing does not come out of front diff unless you drop or remove whole front diff assembly
will have to remove whole stub axle hub assembly to remove drive shaft from outer wheel stub axle (hub) assembly

raise you vehicle on jackstands. remove front wheel and tire.remove front caliper from steering knuckle assembly, remove rotor from hub by pulling it staright off. remove speed sensor bracket from strut assembly. remove hub and bearing to stub axle retaining nut. dislodge inner CV stub shaft retaining ringon transaxle assembly. insert small pry bar between transaxle case and inner CV joint by prying on it.remove strut assembly to steering knuckle bolts remove top of steering knuckle from strut assembly, then rotate CV assembly out of vehicle. Remove inner shaft from transaxle stub shaft grasp inner CV joint and interconnecting shaft and pull both pieces out at the same time. good luck!

The Constant Velocity (CV) joints are located on the inner and outer edges of the axle shaft. The axle shaft runs through the hub and bearing in the spindle.

remove inner cv boot, just on inside edge is circlip which holds inner bearing joint into outer housing remove circlip and separate joint outer housing does not come out of front diff unless you drop or remove whole front diff assembly
will have to remove whole stub axle hub assembly to remove drive shaft from outer wheel stub axle (hub) assembly

from the front? If so no there is no easy way to do so. I had to drop the differental and then remove the cv shaft.... but this was on a 1993 I would think its still the same...