How to Replace CV Axle Shaft 1986-2007 Ford Taurus
Created on: 2010-11-10
Watch this video to learn how to fix a worn or groaning drive axle. The experts at 1A Auto show you how to replace the CV axle on your 00-07 Ford Taurus.
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step 1 :Removing the Hub Nut and Wheel
- Use a screwdriver to pry off the center cap, exposing the hub nut
- If you are using hand tools make sure the car is on the ground with the wheels on the ground
- If you are using air tools go ahead and raise and secure the vehicle and use a 30mm socket
- Remove lug nuts with a 19mm socket and the wheel
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step 2 :Disconnecting the Tie Rod
- Remove the cotter pin that holds the bolts for the tie rod end
- Use your 18 mm to remove the tie rod end bolts
- Use a tie rod end and ball joint puller to disconnect the tie rod
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step 3 :More Disassembly
- Apply penetrating oil to the upper stabilizer link bolt and the strut clamp bolt
- Remove the 10mm bolt securing the brake line bracket while those soak
- Pull that brake line bracket out
- Slide the bracket that has the ABS sensor and pull that clip off
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step 4 :Removing the Upper Stabilizer Bolt
- Use an 18mm and a 10 mm wrench to remove the upper stabilizer bolt
- Remove that link and put the bolt back on for safe keeping
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step 5 :Disconnecting the Lower End of the Strut
- Use an 18mm wrench to hold the bolt and use a 21mm to remove the nut, and a small hammer to drive the bolt out
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step 6 :Removing the Axle
- Pull the wires out of the way and down
- Remove the washer from the hub bolt and move everything out of the way
- Use a pry bar and pry the axle from the hub
- Use your hands to pull the axle the rest of the way out
- Use a pry bar to pull out the other end
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step 7 :Checking the Seals
- Make sure to change any seals that may be leaking before replacing the axle
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step 8 :Installing the New Axle
- Install your new 1A Auto axle, checking to make sure it is seated properly all the way in.
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step 9 :Reassembling
- Push your suspension down and pull your strut over to line it back up
- Ensure that your bracket is going down into its slot in the steering knuckle
- Once you have everything lined back up, jack it up and it will come together
- Replace the nut and bolt, tighten to 100 foot pounds
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step 10 :Reinstalling the Stabilizer Links
- Re-clip and slide that ABS bracket back into place
- Tap the stabilizer link with a hammer to secure that into the strut
- Put the bolt on and use your wrench to get it good and tight
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step 11 :Reinstalling the Tie Rod
- Tighten to 50 foot pounds. Pull it a little tighter to put the cotter pin back in
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step 12 :Reassembling the Wheel
- Replace the washer and hub nut, wheel and lug nuts.
- Torque the hub nut to 130 foot pounds
- Replace centercap
- Torque your lug nuts to 80-100 foot pounds making sure to use the star pattern
Tools needed
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20mm Socket
Pry Bar
Jack Stands
10mm Wrench
Tie Rod Puller
Large Hammer
Floor Jack
11mm Wrench
12mm Wrench
13mm Wrench
11mm Socket
14mm Wrench
12mm Socket
13mm Socket
15mm Wrench
14mm Socket
16mm Wrench
17mm Wrench
15mm Socket
18mm Wrench
16mm Socket
17mm Socket
18mm Socket
19mm Socket
21mm Socket
Flat Blade Screwdriver
10mm Socket
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com- your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
Hi, I'm Mike Green. I'm one of the owners of 1A Auto. I want to help you save time and money repairing and maintaining your vehicle. I'm going to use my 20 plus years experience restoring and repairing cars and trucks like this to show you the correct way to install parts from 1AAuto.com. The right parts installed correctly, that's going to save you time and money. Thank you and enjoy the video.
In this video we'll be showing you how to replace the front axle or the half-shaft or CV joint in this '01 Ford Taurus. Same as pretty much any '96 to '07 Taurus. Tools you'll need are: jack and jack stand; 10- to 21-millimeter sockets; ratchets and extensions; 10-millimeter, 18-millimeter wrenches;am d a 30-millimeter socket. You will need a tie rod puller, which is kind of a special tool; a large hammer; and a pry bar or large screwdriver.
Start by using the screwdriver and pry off the little cap and try not to fumble it like I do. If you have the benefit of air tools, the air ratchet's the best way. This is a 30-millimeter hub nut and you want to remove it with the air tools. If you don't have air tools, you want to have your car on the ground, wheels on the ground, and then you can remove this with hand tools. You're going to need a large breaker bar because it is on here tight. Now, use a 19-millimeter socket to remove the wheel.
Next, remove the cotter pin that holds the bolts for the tie rod end. This is 18 millimeters, now you're going to use a tie rod end and ball joint puller or pusher. Try to make sure it's lined up as straight as you can. It pops. Now it's disconnected. Put penetrating oil on the upper stabilizer link bolt and the strut clamp bolt, and yes, you'll notice that the tire rod end is connected again, because I shot out of sequence. Below is a 10-millimeter bolt right here that you can remove that holds the brake line bracket. We'll speed through that.
Then you pull that brake line bracket out and then you slide the bracket that has the ABS sensor up and pull that clip off. The upper stabilizer bolt you'll need an 18-millimeter wrench. Then you can see I've got a 10- millimeter wrench on there in case I need to hold that shaft still and it turns out that this actually comes apart without even having to hold that in place. You can pull that link out. I'm just putting that bolt back on there for safe keeping. The bolt that holds the lower end of the strut, it's an 18-millimeter wrench that I'm going to use to hold it and this is a 21 millimeter. I've just taken and pulled the rest of it off by hand, and I actually didn't accidentally drop it, actually. Then a small hammer or a hammer and just drive that bolt out. You have to drive it all the way out until that bolt actually does hold onto the strut. Once you get it out, you can usually pull it out right by hand.
Then you need a good-size hammer. You just hit the top of the steering knuckle. If you look real close, you can basically see the disc sliding down off of the strut. We'll speed it up a little bit here. The big red arrow- that is the axle shaft coming through the hub. Usually, I give that a nice big rap and it loosens right up and that's the case. It was actually loose on this Taurus. Usually just a nice big hammer works. Give it one big rap and it'll loosen it up. Now, I'm ready to separate the strut from the steering knuckle. I'll just pull the wires out of the way and down and then the washer from the hub bolt. Actually, it just fell down. Then move everything down. Totally different angle here. Use a smaller pry bar or a big screwdriver and basically just pry your axle up out of the hub.
Obviously be careful of that one line right there. That is the brake line. There's generally enough slack in it to do this. Pry it up and pop it out. Then you'll grab onto it with your hands and pull it up. This route does require some strength and some force, so you can pull it up and out. Underneath, on the business end of that axle, just put a pry bar in there. It's just a snap ring that holds that in place, so just pry it right out.
Back again from above, just take the axle right out. Before you reinstall your axle you want to just- if your seal's been leaking- you may want to replace this seal, right here. Axle pretty much goes in like it came out. You want to put it right up and in. Just give it a good push, make sure it goes all the way in. Check it from down below here. Make sure there's no shininess showing there. It's all in. Then take your axle and push it right into the hub. Now you want to pull these, your brake line and your ABS sensor wire. Actually, push your suspension down and pull your strut right over so it's in.
Make sure your bracket is going down into the slot in the steering knuckle here. Then push it down. Again, make sure that that gets lined up with that slot. As long as you have that bracket lined up into the slot in the steering knuckle, you start jacking it up and it goes together. It goes right on. You want to keep lifting. Put this bolt in and once that bolt goes through, you're all set. Now here I'm going to put the nut on the other side of that. That bolt you want to tighten up to 100-foot pounds of torque. Put your stabilizer links back in. Put this clip back on. Just be careful of your fingers when you slide this down over. Now, on the back side this little tab goes right through the hole in this clip in the strut and holds everything together. Then the bolt will bolt it together.
We'll fast forward through tightening that up. There's no specific torque, just make that bolt tight. Here, we'll use a little tapping of the hammer. Doesn't usually take much to get that stabilizer link through the strut. Then put the bolt on and then use your 18-millimeter wrench, and possibly your 10 millimeter. Get that link nice and tight again. No specific torque specification, just get it good and tight. Now you want to reconnect your tie rod end, put that bolt on. We're going to torque this to 50- foot pounds then pull it just a little tighter so we can get the cotter pin in. Speed through putting the cotter pin in here. Using a hammer beat it in there. Then I just bend it over with my hand to make sure it stays.
Here, I'm going to put the washer and the hub bolt back on then I'm going to grab my impact wrench. If you don't have impact tools, put your wheel back on and lower the car down on the ground. When you do that, you can see I'm looking in behind. Basically what I'm doing is watching the axle go into the hub. Once I see the axle pretty much get all the way in hub and the wrench slow down, that's when I stop because I will want to torque it by hand with the car on the ground. Save you all the details of putting the wheel back on. But put it on there, put the lug nuts on. I tighten the lug nuts preliminary with the impact wrench and then let the car down to the ground.
Now with the car on the ground that 30-millimeter nut, we'll tighten it up to 130-foot pounds. Now I'll put the little cap back on and the center cap. Just get it positioned right and get give it a good tap with your fist or with a little hammer. Then I'm going to torque my lug nuts to anywhere from between 80- to 100-foot pounds. Use a star pattern, so cross, cross, cross, and cross. When you road test, just be careful. Go slow the first time out. You should be all set from there.
We hope this helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com- your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the internet. Please feel free to call us toll free 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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