Vehicles are great for moving people and things around. Unfortunately, at some point, vehicles break down and need repair. To prevent vehicles from breaking down, preventative maintenance is performed. Catching the problem and performing the repair yourself before it becomes an issue saves money over time. Since you are doing the repair, you only have to pay for parts. Although the axle on a 2003 Dodge truck is considered one axle, it is actually in three pieces: two axles shafts and one transaxle. The axles shafts attach to either side of the transaxle. This procedure demonstrates how to change the axle shafts.
Place the vehicle in "Park" on a level surface, and apply the parking brake. This helps to prevent the car from rolling or moving.
Place a block or brick in front of and behind the rear wheels to provide stability, preventing the vehicle from rolling. This is particularly important if the vehicle is rear wheel drive. When the vehicle is lifted, it can roll on the rear tires. Placing a block or brick around the tires prevents the vehicle from rolling.
Turn the valve on the jack clockwise with the handle of the jack to close it and allow air to move into the area and lift the vehicle. The valve is located near the bottom of the jack by the rear wheels. The opening on the end of the handle fits over the valve to turn it.
Lift the right front end of the vehicle by using a vehicle jack. Place the head of the jack under the sub-frame closest to the wheel to be lifted and pump the handle to lift the vehicle. Check the owner's manual to see the safest place to lift the vehicle. Lift the vehicle high enough to place jack stands underneath.
Raise the jack stand to the desired level by turning the locking lever, raising the arm, and turning the locking lever the opposite direction to lock the arm in place.
Place the jack stand under the pinch rail, which is located behind the sub-frame.
Lower the jack slowly by turning the jack valve counterclockwise until the vehicle is resting on the jack stand. Lower the jack down to its frame.
Repeat Steps 3 through 7 for to lift and support the right front end of the vehicle.
Remove the lug nuts on the right tire with a 14 mm socket and a ratchet. Remove the tire from the hub.
Remove the caliper from the rotor brake by removing the two bolts on the back using a T47 Torx bit inside a 14 mm socket and a ratchet. Secure the caliper to the vehicle's frame using wire ties. If necessary, use a pry bar to remove the caliper.
Remove the cotter pin from the hub nut by pulling it with a pair of pliers. Remove the spring washer by pulling it out with the pliers. It may fall out when removing the cotter pin.
Plug the male end of the air hose into the air compressor. Plug the male end of the impact wrench into the female end of the air hose. Turn the air compressor on.
Remove the hub nut using a 32 mm socket and the air compressor. Remove the washer as well.
Hit the post of the axle with a hammer to loosen it from the rotor.
Attach a three-foot impact extension to the impact wrench. Attach the 14-mm socket to the end of the impact extension.
Remove the six bolts around the base of the axle shaft using the impact wrench and 14-mm impact socket to remove it.
Remove the axle shaft. Reach in and grab the base of the axle shaft. Pull the axle down and then hit the post with the hammer again to push it out and remove the axle shaft.
Repeat Steps 9 through 12 and 13 through 17 to remove the axle shaft on the left side.
Place the post of the new axle shaft into the hole in the right rotor. Push it in to make sure the post comes through the hole.
Place the six bolts through the holes into the axle shaft base and into the holes in the transaxle. Tighten the six using the impact wrench and 14 mm impact socket. Turn the axle shaft to make sure it rotates freely. Adjust as necessary.
Replace the washer and hub nut over the axle shaft post and tighten using the impact wrench and the 32 mm impact socket. Place the spring washer over the hub nut and insert a new cotter pin into the hub nut.
Untie the caliper and place it over the rotor and tighten the bolts using the T47 Torx bit inside the 14 mm socket and the ratchet.
Repeat Steps 19 through 25 to replace the axle shaft on the left side.
Place the tires on the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts using the 14 mm socket and the ratchet.
Raise the vehicle, one side at a time, to remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the surface. Torque the lug nuts to the owner's manual specifications using the torque wrench.
