DIY Front outside CV boot replacement / axle removal C4S

I just completed the cv boot replacement on my C4S and documented some of the key points along the way for anyone that may be undertaking this project in the future. Overall it wasn't terribly difficult, but I definitely wouldn't call it easy. The biggest bump in the road that I ran into was re-assembling the inner CV joint properly + dealing with the huge mess associated with working with grease. A few tools that are required that may not be in everyone's garage: CV band crimp/clamping tool, 2 ton puller, really long breaker bar and/or high torque impact gun. I'd also highly recommend buying a box of nitrile gloves - they help tremendously when dealing with messy projects. To start with - removing the axles. Here is a quick overview of what I had to loosen/disconnect in order to get them out. Once the car was up on jack stands, and underbody tray removed, it took about 30-45 minutes per side to remove them. You Tube Reassembling the inner CV joint. In order to get the new boot on, you need to completely remove the inner CV joint - and in most cases this means it will come apart. Watch this video first so you can note correct orientation of parts. There seems to be some wild inconsistencies with how these are assembled from the factory regarding the orientation of the cage and inner race. I can tell you from my personal experience that the inner race goes on with the raised shoulder facing the axle. If you don't have a raise shoulder, look at the inside splines and there will be one side with slightly recessed splines - this goes on the axle first! I've tried both ways, it goes on smooth and fully one way - the other way, not so much. You Tube CV Boot bands. In general this should be easy, but I found the larger band for the inner boot was a SUPER tight fit. Just getting it locked on to be crimped was a challenge that I spent about an hour working on. Finally, I made up a trick using a quarter for leverage - I documented putting the band on the other side and while it wasn't necessarily easy - it went pretty quickly compared to the first try. You Tube I hope this helps someone! Cheers Charlie

Thanks for posting this! Truly invaluable insights in these videos. I'll be doing this on my 997 soon!

Cool videos. The CVs look a lot like ones found in VWs and Audis and the R&R process seems the same to me too.

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Thanks! I'm happy to hear they're going to help you out! Thanks!

Thanks for the video, this is on my to-do list :-)

Just came back to check your videos -- they are truly invaluable for the DIYer doing 996/997 front driveshafts. I came back as I lost track of the orientation of the outer and inner CV races. Seems like it probably doesn't matter. My outer boots were torn, but you have to remove the inner CVs as the outer joints do not disassemble. Removing the center of the outer CV joint was tricky -- I had some cheapie 3 jaw pullers that didn't work, but eventually I was able to repurpose a large ball joint puller to get it off of the end of the axle. Reinstallation of the center of the CV was done with a large brass hammer -- I was able to pound it on 80% and use a large socket to get it the rest of the way over the axle end. Good God this job makes a mess. Lots of gloves, paper towels, and better yet, use microfiber towels -- they sop up the grease better than paper towels. One down, one to go. Thanks again for the videos.

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Nice work! Glad they helped you and good luck with the other side.

I'll be doing mine soon as well - I'm sure I'll be referring to your video, and making sure all the pieces are in their proper places before putting the CV joint back together

I completed an axle swap on the passenger side today with your help and several reviews of the video.

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Awesome! So glad this helped you out!

Thanks for the posting! Very helpful. With your tutorial I swapped all four boots on the turbo today. 3 of 4 were leaking badly - although leaking less as a percentage than the crowd in DC. This is a super messy job - one of the messiest I can ever recall. To remove the axle nut, I used an impact 1/2 drive 6-sided 32mm socket upsized to fit my 20" 3/4 drive breaker bar. I had a 24' galvi pipe on the breaker bar and it took very little effort to remove the nuts. On the flip side, my impact gun (now 36 years old) didn't come close to being effective. Thought I was going to have to ask to borrow yours ;-) Regarding the passenger side (starboard for you go-fast lake boys) inner bearing race, the machined-in bevels were even on both sides, and slight, whereas the drivers side inside champfer or bevel was about double the outside (the outside being the same size as both sides of the passenger side inner race. I suspect this is just a manufacturing inconsistency - maybe a Monday or Friday product ;-) On the drive gear, I had to use a five ton puller to get these off and it still took moderate effort. The inside (the side on the shaft first) has a shoulder and the outside is flat. The shoulder is machined in during production and acts like a thin washer. For what purpose, well, that's for someone above my pay grade to chime in. The operation took a chunk of the day but I was mostly just putzin around. And I had to make a couple trips to the auto parts store because a couple of my specialty tools (gear puller and snap ring pliers) apparently grew legs. Thanks again!

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I did all four boots last week - a couple thoughts: a) removing the inner race is MUCH easier if you use a little heat! b) ^^This also applies to the reinstall. Heat the inner race separate from the axle - hold it with adequate pliers. It doesn�t have to be glowing or anything. Get it to the right temp and it�ll slip halfway down the splines under its own weight... Two or three shots with a hammer and a good socket will get it all the way home. c) Charliefs video is really helpful...

Awesome - thank you both for the added tips + taking the time to let me know the video helped. Cheers Charlie

One more update...I used a dime instead of a quarter. I found it easier to grab and its thinner, so the dime easily slides under the clip tang. Under the dime, I rolled up a six inch piece of painters tape, set the dime on it and aligned the dime to the last tang. The process took all of about fifteen seconds and I didn't have to perform the acrobatics. Sure, there's likely a tool out there, but look at the creative fun we'd all be missing out on. Two final notes, and I nearly made a huge booboo. Make certain BEFORE you crimp the stainless steel boot bands full of grease, that your crimp is BETWEEN the bolt holes. I narrowly escaped this fatal mistake only discovered at install. Next, make sure to install the control arm to sub frame member BEFORE you set the driveshaft in place and tighten the six M6 cap screws to the front differential. A messy job but given all the time we have these days, no biggie. On a slippery side note, I used an entire roll of the big box wholesaler paper towel. Not such a bright move in these times, given paper product shortages ;-)

"Make certain BEFORE you crimp the stainless steel boot bands full of grease, that your crimp is BETWEEN the bolt holes. I narrowly escaped this fatal mistake only discovered at install." ^^^ I actually made this mistake on the last boot I did (in other words, I already knew not to leave the crimped part of the clamp in front of one of the bolts...). Fortunately, I was still able to turn the clamp enough to slip the bolt past the crimp and all was well in my mechanical world...

If you make that mistake it's not the end of the world. Replacement clamps are sold in every parts store.

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I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one that found the bands/straps to be too short. Based on some of the comments on my video it made me feel like I was totally missing something obvious. Cheers

So incredibly helpful......Thank you man!! *** If you are doing the outside front boots you have to remove the inside boots as the outside set up does not come apart easily. The inside boots grease could be very old, thin and messy. BE PREPARED FOR A WATERY GREASY MESS!! I used all 3 of your videos about 300 times! I had to keep coming back for reference so thank you so much for the detail. -my 2 cents... 1. Do not attempt this without 2 full rolls of paper towel and a box of gloves right beside you. Make sure you are wearing clothes you dont care about and make sure you have a trash bin within arms reach because there is gonna be ALOT of greasy mess. 2. Everything went smoothly but I also had problems getting the inner race separated from the little spindle on the inside end that the ***** sit in. I did not have a puller so I taped some washers (smaller then the diameter of the inner race) on the end of a punch, sprayed some moovit in the splines on the spindle and pulled off the circ clip. I then stuck the axel in a vice vertically and loosely so that it was just resting on top with the outside end hanging below and the spindle and top of the race on top. I stuck some foam pads for the outside end to fall on so it would not hit the ground. I then heated it up with my tiger torch just a bit then stuck some wood under the spindles edges and carefully hammered the top of the race axel down with the punch and stack of washers taped together. Took a few hits and reapplication of lube and heat but it finally cracked and I was in buisness. 3. "Watch those *****.....uh huh...huh huh" we share the same humor! I ended up putting a little grease on the ball bearings before attempting to put them in. I kept dropping them out and then having to stop everything to clean the debris off and start again. I reccomend putting a clean towel under your work space and making a little bowl out of it to catch the ***** as they fall out accidentally. Again great videos and I think it's safe to say you saved me a ton of cash so thank you once again. After doing this I definitely understand why someone would want to just buy a whole new CV axel and swap it out. However if you're a porsche owner on a budget and dont mind getting a little messy it was good fun and I would say give it a shot. Bugz

Does anyone have the torque specs for the bolts in all the arms and stuff removed in "Video 1" I also wanted to put this video in here for some more reference. Not as well done and his little spindle popped right off but still helpful info for those of you about to attempt this yourself. You Tube

The torque spec is "Good n' Tight".

The torque specs are all over the place on the front suspension, from pretty low (34 ft lbs) to pretty high (like 85 ft lbs). If in doubt look them up! "Good 'n tight" will work, but I like to follow the engineer's recommendations...

Figured I would check if anyone had em on hand and save myself the time. I tracked them down though.

And just to make it easy for the next guy..... https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-settings.html

Great write up and videos...thanks. I followed all the advice and it made me join the forum! Whilst removing my torn outer boot, I noticed a circlip holding the CV joint onto the spline and was able to open it up/out after about 30 minutes of trying and the outer slipped off. This saves removing the inner CV if it looks to be in good condition...they have an easier life on the inside.

man, getting all the ***** back in is tough. I have been at this for hours now. The video makes it look so easy. FFS.

Got my ***** back in, but... What is the correct way to install this "clamp"? Is this one as simple as it looks, wrap it around, through the hole and bend it back? or am i missing something here

Yes, it�s as simple as it looks�

I've been doing this project on a 997.2 C4S. There is another posting in the 997 Turbo forum. Some additional insights. If you disassemble the inner CV, after reviewing the videos posted about how to reassemble I found it almost trivial to reassemble if you do the process before mounting the inner race to the axle. Doing it this way allowed for moving the cage out/around with the ability to see or feel how close you are to being too far. Once the CV is assembled, I used a pair of spring clamps to hold the assembly together while pressing the race onto the axle. The boot kit I received has the same style oetiker small clamp as the original on the inner boot, but a different style on the outer. I'll get to the newer style clamp in a moment, but my porsche dealer is only stocking the newer style clamps. It is possible and easy to remove the smaller clamps with minimal damage. From the image below look for the section identified by the arrows. When you squeeze this section it causes the clamp to compress, which will allow for the tabbed section of the clamp to be pulled off its holder. While you can unwind the clamp better to leave it on the axle and take off once the CV is off. There are two small clamps and they are different sizes, inner is smaller than outer. BTW it looks like there is a special CV tool for this style of clamp but I was able to use regular pliers, other postings mentions needle nose but I found they tended to slip. In reviewing other postings on replacing boots, one manual mentioned taping the splines with electrical tape before sliding on the new boots to protect from damage. Some postings mentioned keeping grease off of the boot area that seals onto the shaft or CV. While it makes some sense, other posting mentioned wiping grease onto the same areas if they were making it hard to install the boot. I found it easy to install the inner boot to the metal cover before putting in the grease and also for the inner I put almost all the grease in covers as it made little sense to put excess grease into that boot. This is the newer style small clamp by kit included. Someone already posted a pic of this but I couldn't find any explanation about how to put the damn thing on, nor find any reference to a special tool. What I did was use a screw type hose clamp slightly larger diameter than the axle and ideally same width as the new clamp, but larger width worked fine for me. Grind out a section of the worm clamp like zo: Next bend the new clamp about 180 degrees using a socket similar in size to the desired ending size. I chose to put the dimples facing inside under the assumption they would help prevent the clamp sliding. Slide it onto the boot and put the tongue through the slot and hand press the clamp closer to being round. (I had the boots on before I messed with this clamp, it might be possible to bend the clamp the full 360 using a socket and then sliding onto the axle before the inner boot goes on.) Now slide the worm clamp over the new clamp pushing the tongue through the hole you cut into the worm clamp. Tighten the worm clamp, occasionally pulling on tongue. Once you are satisfied with the tension, bend the tongue a little past 90 degree and try and press down the end of the new clamp at the same time. Remove the worm drive clamp and bend the tongue completely. I choose to cut the tongue somewhat as I can't see any advantage in leaving it long. I hammered it to make it all nice and round. If you notice in the finished pic the clamp could have gone tighter, I have no idea if max tightness is correct it just went by feel of the worm clamp.

Does anyone want a used 996 front CV axle, needs new boots. phoenix az

This job is not for the faint of heart!!!! Currently doing this job with a friend on my 991.1 turbo S. We had to disconnect the steering rack to get the front driver side axle out. It is currently out of the car, in a vice, and we are replacing the boots and applying the clamps and we are dreading having to put it back in the car. While on the bench we decided to slip the boots on from the �inside boot� side so we disassembled everything and your reassembly video was a massive help. We had to apply heat to that nut on the end of the axle to get it off, it was also a massive PIA, and sadly that wasn�t shown in your video how you got it off. Thanks so much for this thread though I will keep you guys updated. We were stuck here trying to get the axle out then decided to disconnect the steering rack which did the trick This is the view from the bottom of the car when we were stuck getting the axle out, hardly any room to reach in anywhere Axle finally out and on the bench this is what it looked like That nut in the center was on so tight we had to apply heat for a longgg time and bang on it to get it off after we removed everything else around it.

I am having the problem of step #1, getting the *%$## Big NUT off the axle. My 35 year old air impact gun didn't budge it. I used a 3/4" 32mm socket and breaker bar+ jack handle and "seemed" to twist the axle flange 90 degrees. So I stopped. Bummer. As a result, a big order of stuff from various folks. Ordered 16mm + 18mm Open/Closed wrenches, ball-joint "popper", HD axle puller, a do-dahs, and the main tool - a 3/4" drive 1950 @120 psi ft/lb Air Impact Gun. The electric impact guns have crazy prices as the power goes up, the air ones are still reasonable cost, besides I have air compressor and all that stuff. I also have 20-ton press, grinder/wire wheel stand, drill press, mini-lathe, standing giant vice, and a welder., useful "accessories". I have done a lot of CV joints in the past, nearly all are the same, just different sizes. On the possible destruction of the axle flange and because parts are out there, I also ordered 2 new complete axles (axle, ABS flange, 2 CVs, etc). The price isn't worth going through more hassle, especially if I have to replace an ABS flange anyway. Cost of complete new axle assembly minus axle boot kit inner+outer cost ~$49, so why not? New axle also has new BIG NUT, so that part is fine. Enough goofing with this damn axle problem, as I may also have to get a used-new-to-me wheel carrier (dcauto or somewhere) Different videos have different ways to get the axle out. Some ways are harder or take more different tools than others. One takes off the caliper/disk, and nearly everything. One suggested to remove the front diff to make it easier. Kind of interesting to see differences. BTW, a couple of internet "Indy Search Places" said there were 2 Indies here. Wrong. Both gone. Local VW dealership won't even call me back about getting the axle nut off. Other shops want to know what year, VIN, blah, blah, blah. Dumb. It is a 32mm nut on there for 20 years at 340 ft/lbs. Rusted, and so on, just get it off, or even loose, then hand tight. Simple request. Anyway, such is life in the fast lane screeching to a halt in the garage. Tools, air lines, shop stuff all over, bumper cover off, and 2 sets of wheel/tires (1 twist/old; 5-spok/new) in corners, along with new cleaner stuff and other parts like water pump+, engine mounts, plugs, etc. for the back end. I may be a while at these "projects". Whatever, a few are already done, and even a little progress per day is still a little progress. Look at the bright side. The C4S will be better in the future. YMMV

Have you looked at the high power battery powered impact guns? Less than $350 will get you a gun/battery/charger that will definitely remove the axle nut....... I've had great luck with the milwaukee -Eric [QUOTE=Siberian14;19962417]I am having the problem of step #1, getting the *%$## Big NUT off the axle. My 35 year old air impact gun didn't budge it. I used a 3/4" 32mm socket and breaker bar+ jack handle and "seemed" to twist the axle flange 90 degrees. So I stopped. Bummer. As a result, a big order of stuff from various folks. Ordered 16mm + 18mm Open/Closed wrenches, ball-joint "popper", HD axle puller, a do-dahs, and the main tool - a 3/4" drive 1950 @120 psi ft/lb Air Impact Gun. The electric impact guns have crazy prices as the power goes up, the air ones are still reasonable cost, besides I have air compressor and all that stuff. I also have 20-ton press, grinder/wire wheel stand, drill press, mini-lathe, standing giant vice, and a welder., useful "accessories". /QUOTE]

The axles will absolutely come out without removing any driveline or suspension parts, I just had to remove the straps under the fuel tank and the plastic shield. Apply some serious heat to that nut as well.

I have never gotten an axle nut of any car with an impact, even my 3/4" 1200 ft lb unit. I have gotten every axle nut off with a 3/4" slide bar handle and six feet of 1-1/2" black iron pipe. Have some one hold the brakes on. That helps.

How hard is it to push the stub axle out once that nut is off?

Give the end a good whack with a small sledge or a hammer, ensuring that the nut is being struck and not the threaded portion of the axle.

@Siberian14 if by step 1 you are referring to removing the axle nut that connects the axle to the wheel carrier, we used a massive electric Makita impact with a 6ah battery on it, it made easy work of that axle nut. I also just found out the entire axle, brand new, from GKN Lobro is only $500. I definitely would not do this job again, and would just purchase the entire axle.