Drive Axle Replace

1. Remove wheel cover, cotter pin and drive shaft nut.
2. Raise and support vehicle, then remove front wheel and tire assembly.
3. Drain transaxle oil into suitable container.

Fig. 1 Disengaging axle spline snap ring from differential side gear:

4. Using a suitable screwdriver or tire iron, pry inboard joint away from transaxle to disengage axle spline snap ring from differential side gear, Fig. 1. Do not attempt to remove axle shaft at this time.
5. Remove steering knuckle and hub assembly. Refer to ``Front Suspension and Steering'' for procedure.
6. Remove drive shaft from differential side gear by pulling inboard joint away from transaxle. Do not pull on axle shaft. After axle shaft removal, do not allow axle boots to contact other parts as damage may occur.
7. Reverse procedure to install. Torque drive shaft nut to 137 ft. lbs. and install cotter pin. If cotter pin cannot be installed, drive shaft nut can be tightened up to an additional 1/6 turn.