ATV axle removal

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Nov 9, 2008
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Looking at the service manual it indicates that a bearing splitter and a slide hammer is required. Apparently there is a small clip that holds the inner joint into the front diff. While doing some googling I found one link that said to push the axle as far in as possible, then give a good yank to unseat that clip. Is that good/bad? I'm not against buying tools but if it's a one time use thing... Theoretically I could always try, and if I fail, just buy the tools and try again some other weekend.

1994 Suzuki LT4WD quadrunner. Both inner cv boots are torn so the plan is to reboot both.
 
I remove steering knuckle so that the axle is free. I used a slide hammer 1 time. Now I put the nut on the end and tie a rope around the axle with about 2 feet of slack with the other end tied to a cement block. A light tap is all it takes. If a light tap does not pop it out then go a little harder. Crude but I can have the axle out fater with a cement block than going to rent slide hammer

You will need to remove the boot clamps and open up the joint. On mine - both will come apart with the snapring but I believe the outer joint is easier to work with. The inner joint has lost the balls before when taking apart

You need a boot - cv grease - clamps THe clamps can at times be difficult.
You may have to replace the bearing and seals in the steering knuckle
I have good luck with cheap parts on ebay.
Look for a video on your specific ATV
 
Rope and a weight, that sounds like a good path. I'll try that. Shopping around for the boots right now, ebay looks about best for prices. Will have to get the tool for the bands but that appears pretty cheap.

I'll be sad if they have lost anything but that'll be life. One step at a time! I figure, if I find bad parts, other than the one time use bands, most of it can be put back together and then apart again; unlike a car it's pretty easy to lift and get around.

I might opt for a new brake cylinder, one brake is dragging for some reason--it's a drum, I released the automatic adjuster and it still just won't give up all the drag. The piston/whatever does not come out on both sides of the cylinder (so as to push on both shoes) so I know that is bad already.

Thanks.
 
one time i put a vise grip on the middle of the CV shaft and while pulling the shaft tight i tapped on the vise grip with a hammer to pop it out.


another time I used a flat bar for removing nails that had the right 90 degree angle on it that i could slip it inbetween the diff housing and cv axle enough that when i pulled the shaft tight i was able to just pop it out prying it with the flat bar
 
Ugh, what a pain. I did get them; I found a 15lb weight, the sort for weight lifting, and put it onto the shaft, using the castle nut to loosely retain. So the weight could slide maybe 2 inches, then there was the 2 or 3 inches in the inner joint. Spent an hour getting the first one off, only to have it finally fly off and smash into my ankle!

On the second one it dawned on me: each pull probably brings it up onto the circlip just a little bit, so keep at it, resist temptation to take a break. Second one came off much easier. Well, sorta, I still didn't like the task all the same.

Both boots replaced, no real drama there; it helped that I've done this before (on a car axle). Messy!
 
Doah! Aftermarket boots failed on me, after like 6 miles.
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