Lots of serious clicking and clunking coming from my Felicia's front when turning: a quick check reveals a split CV boot. So I'm going to need to put a new one on (maybe even a new joint but hope not).

My Haynes manual makes this sound like quite a nasty job. ie drain gearbox oil, replace hub nut and ball joint nut, take drive shaft out, tap off the old joint etc...

Does all that HAVE to be done? Is this a job better left to a garage?

Also - what size socket will I need to remove the hub nut?

Any advice/tips appreciated before I embark on this myself...

Thanks.

Sam.

if you have to remove the driveshaft, then yes, the gear oil does need to be drained out. and the only way i can think of to describe the nut on the end of the driveshaft is '******* tight', a halfords ratchet and a socket wont be good enough to undo this i'm afraid

my advice is, if you dont feel confident enough to do it yourself, then take it to a garage to get it done, otherwise you might break something and it will end up costing you more!

My advice is to take it to a garage and get it done.........this is likely to end up as one of those 'wish I never started this' jobs.

Also, it's likely that a new joint will be required as the boot will have split a long time before you noticed the clunking and the damage is what you are hearing.

Lance

Thanks for advice - it's not sounding too promising really. Looks like I'll be calling a garage tomorrow!

Sam

did you call a garage? whats it guna cost? mine need doing, last time i did it myself. but if it dont cost to much will probly save myself the hasle and get the greeas monkys to do it.

Cost

normally when you buy a cv joint it will have the boot and the grease included

The bit that can be a real pain is getting the bottom ball joint out.

It's fairly easy. You need an impact wrench though. 

 

Remove wheel.

Use 30mm socket on center bolt with impact wrench to remove it's nut.

Remove the three bolts that holds the ball joint.

Pull it all towards you. Carefully pushing the center bolt out. If not careful the whole driveshaft may fall out of the gearbox, adding work.

Remove CV joint and install new. 

Refit ball joint.

Tighten center nut with impact wrench. Refit wheel. 

 

You're good to go!