Steve S. Posted June 12, 2006 Report Posted June 12, 2006 Good evening to one and all, Whilst visiting the underside of the car this afternoon, I discovered an almost 360 deg. split in the inboard gaiter of the o/s drive shaft. Are these available on their own...where..how much...etc? Can the job be done without getting covered in oily stuff? Your thoughts as usual gratefully accepted! It would appear that new driveshafts are a tad expensive...... to be avoided at all costs! Regards Steve S. Quote
tiny Posted June 14, 2006 Report Posted June 14, 2006 The gaiters are available from all motor factors and come complete with clips and grease. Ive done a few of these but not on galaxys. However most of the time the procedure for replacement is exactly the same. Loosen the large nut on the end of the drive shaft in the centre of the hub with the wheel on the car before you jack it up. Get the car jacked up and suitably supported with the relevant wheel off. Remove the nut now, and unbolt the hub from either the strut base, the lower arm mounting and the steering track rod end or whichever combination of the above is required to allow you to tilt the hub enough to withdraw the drive shaft from the centre of the hub. Taking care to support the brake caliper so as not to stretch or unduly bend the brake line. At the gearbox side of the shaft on smaller vehicles (cars etc) the shaft is normally just a push fit into the differential. If you withdraw the shaft from the gearbox (which requires a solid tap due to an internal spring clip on the end of the splined drive shaft inside the gearbox) you will end up with gear oil all over the drive. You have 2 choice here, if possible split the CV joint on the car by looking for any circlips holding the shaft together and removing as required OR withdraw the shaft from the gear box thereby draining the oil which you will replace later. I always take this opportunity to replace the gearbox oil as it only cost a fiver and is usually never changed during the life of an average car. And its much easier to split the shaft off the vehicle. With the shaft off the car replace the gaiter, grease and clips. Some shafts cant be split in which case you will need a cone to stretch and fit the new gaiter, just ask at the motor factors for advice. Refitting is a "simple" reversal of the above Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 14, 2006 Report Posted June 14, 2006 With new joints available for as little as Quote
Steve S. Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Posted June 16, 2006 Dear all, Firstly thanks to MM for your considered and as usual helpful reply. The reason I asked the question in the first place was to try and avoid any ATF spillage as I thought on my particular model there was a way to do it... and only later on of course did I realise I'd forgotten to say what the model was ....old age I'm afraid it comes to us all! There never seems to be a definitive answer to a particular problem...anyway, what I'm trying to ascertain is whether I can remove the rhs driveshaft without pulling it out of the diff housing and therefore losing oil.. and before I forget again, it's a V6 auto 1997 Ultima! Haynes doesn't deal with this engine and Ford TIS is a little confusing. It states, as I see it, that the shaft can be split just outboard of the supporting bearing by undoing the 6 splined bolts, and by releasing it at the hub end ,as normal, the outer shaft and CV joint(plus the split boot) can be removed.But, it says that this 6 bolted disc thing is particular to the 4x4 4speed auto box. Mine is definitely not a 4x4 (I think I would have noticed!) but it has the 6-splined bolt affair on the drive shaft...Can anyone explain this or am I just "dazed and confused?" And..of course, can I do the job by this method? Thanks again in anticipation, Steve S. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 16, 2006 Report Posted June 16, 2006 I might be loosing the plot here, but does the CV joint not bolt with the flange onto the output of the gearbox? If so then all you have to do is remove the outer CV joint from the hub, Split it off the drive shaft, put the new boot on the inner CV joint, replace the outer joint and put it ball back together again and your done. If you want to clean or change the jont then I think it just unbolts from the flange. I don't thing you will lose any ATF fluid. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 16, 2006 Report Posted June 16, 2006 This is from another manual. Removing drive shafts, vehicles with automatic gearbox 099 The wheel bearings must not be loaded if a hexagon bolt is loose. If a wheel bearing is loaded by the vehicles own weight, the wheel bearings will be stressed and the life expectancy reduced. If a vehicle has to be moved after removing the drive shaft, first install an outer joint and tighten to 50 Nm instead of the drive shaft, otherwise the wheel bearing will be damaged. ‒ Lift vehicle until the load on the front axle is relieved. ‒ Remove hexagon bolt for drive shaft. ‒ Remove wheel and raise vehicle. ‒ Remove noise insulation tray. ‒ Disconnect drive shaft from gearbox drive flange. ‒ → Separate bolted connection for wheel bearing housing to lower swivel joint ‒ → Press drive shaft out. Note:◆ When pressing drive shaft out ensure sufficient clearance is available. ‒ Swing suspension strut outwards and support. ‒ Take out drive shaft. The interesting bit is where it says to remove the shaft from the flange. That would not be possible if it did not just unbolt, as you do it first! The only advice I would add is to make sure you support the joints on the shafts as they are a pain if they fall apart, which should not happen, but why chance it! Quote
Steve S. Posted June 16, 2006 Author Report Posted June 16, 2006 Hi, Thats what I reckon as well...it was TIS seeming to be contradictory that threw me somewhat.Another thought occurs..and it doesn't say specifically anywhere, and that is, that the outer cv boot will have to come off to get the new inner boot over it???.. as it is not going to pass over that flange? So it begs the question does the inner boot kit come with an extra pair of retaining clips and extre grease? Probably not! (I actually ordered this kit from Fords...my local factor didn't list it ...unfortunately they got me the outer one by mistake. not now due till monday.) Good job it's not urgent! About Quote
Steve S. Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Posted June 17, 2006 Hi (again), MM- thanks for your additional info...to which my previous post won't make a deal of sense to , as I was composing whilst you were sending. Anyway it all helps as I am beginning to see a bit of daylight regarding this job..well hopefully! Can anyone help with the exact name and specification of the tool needed to remove the splined bolts on the drive shaft flange?Would " male 10mm splined 1/2 "drive socket suffice or is it called something entirely different?(I'm guessing at the size) If anyone can suggest shop/supplier/web-site etc where I can run one to earth I'd be grateful. Thanks in anticipation, Steve S. Quote
tiny Posted June 17, 2006 Report Posted June 17, 2006 Hi Steve, if the bolt has six splines it is called a torx fitting see this link for guide sizes. Wiha tools torx guide Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 17, 2006 Report Posted June 17, 2006 Splined and Torx are different though. You can get both at Halfords. The parts catalogue describes it as a "Bolt with polygon socket head" which does not help much! EDIT: Elsawin says it is a hexagonal head bolt, which is normally an allen key. It just thickens the plot! Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 17, 2006 Report Posted June 17, 2006 Byt the way, if your removing the whole drive shaft you don't need to touch the CV boot on the outer end, the inside joint is held on by a circlip that when pressed open the CV joint slips off. Quote
Steve S. Posted June 17, 2006 Author Report Posted June 17, 2006 Hi to one and all, Firstly thanks again for all your contributions. The bolt recess is definitely splined , not a torx nor a hex..I've had a very strong light on the job and I've put my glasses on! I've been looking at some catalogues and the web today and the letters XZN keep cropping up with regard to this type of fitting.A VW site I happened upon also mentions this with ref. to a Golf drive shaft.The post also metioned that GSF do a pair of " xzn spline bits" part no98730 sizes M8 and M12 to do the Golf job. Unfortunately I think the Galaxy spline is somewhere between the two!!!!! nobody so far seems to do a seperate 9 or 10mm size I don't really want to buy a whole set even if I can find a suitable one.Trials and tribulations! I might nip down to the the local Halfords tomorrow .. you never know. Otherwise I'll be phoning round on monday trying to locate something.. obviously it would be helpful knowing what size I'm after! Regards for the time being, Steve S. Quote
Steve S. Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Posted June 18, 2006 Hmmm.. Well there's a surprise, the young waif behind the counter in Halfords had never heard of splined bits never mind seen one in the shop or anywhere else.I should've taken bets! Steve S. Quote
NikpV Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 Hmmm.. Well there's a surprise, the young waif behind the counter in Halfords had never heard of splined bits never mind seen one in the shop or anywhere else.I should've taken bets! Steve S. um they don't seem too rare - google 'xzn spline' gets quite a few hits and not particularly expensive and although M10 is listed as you say difficult to find them individually - possibly because they are cheap?? Quote
Steve S. Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Posted June 18, 2006 Hi, back again! Tiny ...there are 12 splines. NikpV...Yes, I've seen them , it's just knowing the correct size.I don't want to fall between two stools as it were..I could try the GSF kit but neither would probably do! I've tried fitting drill bits to gauge the size but it's not an exact science.Also for eg. a Torx T50 bit is a fit but slackish and you wouldn't want to apply any force for fear of stripping it out.The diam. of the T50 is about 9mm, so which XZN bit is it, 8 or 10 and do they do a 9mm? What a dilemma! I'll give Ford and/or VW a ring tomorrow and see if they have the definitive answer.I wonder whose stupid idea it was to use this type of bolt in the first place..we'll probably never know! Regards to all Steve S. Quote
NikpV Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 I'll give Ford and/or VW a ring tomorrow and see if they have the definitive answer.I wonder whose stupid idea it was to use this type of bolt in the first place..we'll probably never know!Regards to all they are listed in several places as 'mechanics splines' so they can't be that rare - while not a mechanic though I've never come across them before :( Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 Well standard splined bit have 12 points. My set is 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 16mm. I would not be surprised if they are an odd size though, some car manufacturers do that to stop DIY work! But I seem to recall that splined are slighty larger than Torx, I will look in a bit.... Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 OK, I pressed a 10mm splined socket into some modeling clay and then tried a T50 bit into the impression left. It fitted loosely with the Torx splines only just catching. Quote
Steve S. Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Posted June 18, 2006 Hi again, Thanks once again for all your efforts! Closer and closer!! MM.. it could well be the 10mm size..at least it's given you a bit of childhood activity you'll be breaking out the Meccano and Hornby Dublo next! Who is the maker/supplier of your bit set by the way? Cheers, Steve S. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 Who is the maker/supplier of your bit set by the way? Halfords Professional range. Quote
Masked Marauder Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 And I just checked on ETOS and it is an M10 spline head bolt so most likely a 10mm splined bit. Quote
tiny Posted June 18, 2006 Report Posted June 18, 2006 I thought I might have been able to help but the only 12 point splined bit I have has a 6.9 mm dia, sorry. Quote
Steve S. Posted June 18, 2006 Author Report Posted June 18, 2006 Hi, Many thanks to one and all. Tomorrow is another day.. I'll see what I can come up with! Steve S. Quote
Mauser Posted June 19, 2006 Report Posted June 19, 2006 It does annoy me when they use all these type of bolts, why bother when they could easily use just allen key which everyone knows and has access to.If you do get them out replace them with some decent Unbrako Alley Key bolts.Simon Quote
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