How to change driveshaft boots

Here's a description on how to change one or both of the front driveshaft boots. I have only changed the right side, but I suppose it's the same on the left side. If it isn't let me know.

  1. Get the car up on a jack or other lifting device so you can get easy access to the underside.
  2. Remove both frontwheels.
  3. Remove the stabilizer bar from the lower track control arm as described in changing suspension bushings.
  4. Either remove the lower track control arm from its inner mount, or remove the outer ball joint of the lower track control from the spindle carrier.
  5. Turn the steeringwheel all the way to the right if you're working on the right side, to the left if you're working on the left side.
  6. Clean the driveshaft and surrounding components, so you won't get any dirt into the new boots.
  7. Remove whatever holds the boots in place and slide the inner driveshaft boot to the middle of the driveshaft and pull the driveshaft out of the inner constant velocity joint.
  8. Remove the circlip on the inner side of the ball-bearing cross at the inner end of the driveshaft. Remove the ball-bearing cross with a bearing puller or some other pulling device.
  9. Remove the zip-ties or metal rings that holds the boots in place and slide the boots off the driveshaft and clean everything throughout.If you change the outer one be sure not to destroy the inner boot as you will reuse it (or maybe it's just as easy to change both at the same time, then it'll take longer before you'll have to take it apart again).
  10. Slide the new boots(s) in place and fill them with the supplied grease or other high-quality grease if you're reusing a boot. About 110ml for the outer boot and 180ml for the inner boot.
  11. Press the ball-bearing cross back onto the driveshaft and secure it with the clip, be sure that the cross is all the way onto the driveshaft and that the clip is securely fastened in it's groove.
  12. Push the driveshaft with the ball-bearing cross back into the inner constant velocity joint
  13. Fasten the driveshaft boots with zip ties or the metal rings that may be supplied.
  14. Fasten the lower track control arm to the chassis with new nuts ,or the ball joint to the spindle carrier with new nuts.
  15. Insert the stabilizer bar into the lower track control arm and secure it with new nuts. Fasten the stabilizer bar to the chassis.
  16. Put the wheels back on and turn the wheels to ensure everything is functioning correctly.

The reason that one has to buy new nuts every time one takes apart something with locking nuts (nuts with colored plastic inserts) is that the plastic gets deformed and will not lock the nut to the bolt after one has removed it. Then if one uses them again, they may work themselves loose.

Here's the tightening torques that you will need:

 Lower arm pivot nut  45 Nm, slacken to 0, then 15 Nm +90°
 Stabilizer bar clamp to chassis  70-97 Nm
 Stabilizer bar to lower arm  70-110 Nm
 Wheel bolts  100 Nm
 Lower arm ball end to spindle carrier   Nm

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