CV Joint replacement
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From: New Mexico
CV Joint replacement
Recently I discovered a torn CV boot. Unfortunately I think it had been torn for a while before I discovered it. Most of the grease was on the inside of the wheel. It seems to be steering a little differently.
1. Can I assume that the CV joint is bad and needs to be replaced if it was without grease for probably a few months?
2. Does anybody know of a good place to purchase a new CV joint?
3. Is this a job to even attempt myself if I am not a very experienced mechanic and only have basic tools? Thanks.
1999 F150 5.4 V8 4x4
1. Can I assume that the CV joint is bad and needs to be replaced if it was without grease for probably a few months?
2. Does anybody know of a good place to purchase a new CV joint?
3. Is this a job to even attempt myself if I am not a very experienced mechanic and only have basic tools? Thanks.
1999 F150 5.4 V8 4x4
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,946
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From: Right Coast
Man this is dejavu..........I seem to remember a post worded almost IDENTICAL to this not too long ago. You're going to need to replace the joint and boot at minimum, might have to buy a whole new halfshaft too depending on how bad stuff is screwed up. You can get the whole shebang from Napa for $140, so go somewhere else and pay $100 or less for the same part (I love Napas vigrous pricing 
) To replace the CV you need to pull the old one out and this required tearing down the front suspension to the knuckles.
To start jack up the offending side, put some jack stands under the truck (remember safety here, a truck falling on top of you hurts). Then take out the pin that holds the cap on the wheel nut. Then you need a very large socket (don't remember offhand what size, but 1 1/16" comes to mind) to take off the wheel nut. Usually when you get to sockets that big they're 3/4" drive, but if you have 1/2" drive you can get a 1/2 to 3/4 converter. Then go around the back of the rotor and take out the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on, then pull that off and hang it up out of the way. Then while still back there disconnect the wire that runs to the front wheel bearing assembly (the connector is up on the innner fender so you need to go in under the hood to get to it). This is the ABS sensor line.........keep in mind that you may not have this. Not all F150s got four wheel ABS so look for a wire and if you have one disconnect it. Then on the back of the wheel bearing assembly itself are 3 bolts. They're close to the center of the assembly. Take these out and you can then slide the rotor/wheel bearing assembly off. If you plan on rebuilding the CV then you need to keep pushing the CV back as you pull off the rotor. Otherwise you'll over extend the CV and can ruin the other end that may still be good. Then once all that is off there are some bolts that hold the CV to the axle housing. Remove those and the CV should come off. I'm not 100% sure how it is on the F150 since its one of the few things that I've never had to fix on my truck. If they're like the ones on the IRS Merkurs then you can get basically a rebuild kit. You'll need a screwdriver, pliers, and a pair of snapring pliers. Then there should be directions with the rebuild kit so follow them. Then installation is the reverse of disassembly. Just make sure you torque stuff down right, like the bolts that hold on the half shaft to the axle housing and the axle shaft nut. All in all, its a pretty simple job if you have the right tools and have a decent mechanical aptitude. If you take it to Ford be prepared to pay $200-300 for this fix.
) To replace the CV you need to pull the old one out and this required tearing down the front suspension to the knuckles.To start jack up the offending side, put some jack stands under the truck (remember safety here, a truck falling on top of you hurts). Then take out the pin that holds the cap on the wheel nut. Then you need a very large socket (don't remember offhand what size, but 1 1/16" comes to mind) to take off the wheel nut. Usually when you get to sockets that big they're 3/4" drive, but if you have 1/2" drive you can get a 1/2 to 3/4 converter. Then go around the back of the rotor and take out the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on, then pull that off and hang it up out of the way. Then while still back there disconnect the wire that runs to the front wheel bearing assembly (the connector is up on the innner fender so you need to go in under the hood to get to it). This is the ABS sensor line.........keep in mind that you may not have this. Not all F150s got four wheel ABS so look for a wire and if you have one disconnect it. Then on the back of the wheel bearing assembly itself are 3 bolts. They're close to the center of the assembly. Take these out and you can then slide the rotor/wheel bearing assembly off. If you plan on rebuilding the CV then you need to keep pushing the CV back as you pull off the rotor. Otherwise you'll over extend the CV and can ruin the other end that may still be good. Then once all that is off there are some bolts that hold the CV to the axle housing. Remove those and the CV should come off. I'm not 100% sure how it is on the F150 since its one of the few things that I've never had to fix on my truck. If they're like the ones on the IRS Merkurs then you can get basically a rebuild kit. You'll need a screwdriver, pliers, and a pair of snapring pliers. Then there should be directions with the rebuild kit so follow them. Then installation is the reverse of disassembly. Just make sure you torque stuff down right, like the bolts that hold on the half shaft to the axle housing and the axle shaft nut. All in all, its a pretty simple job if you have the right tools and have a decent mechanical aptitude. If you take it to Ford be prepared to pay $200-300 for this fix.