There are two types of CV Joints you may encounter in vehicles: the Rzeppa and Tripod. Some axles come equipped with Rzeppa joints at both ends; other models have an Rzeppa joint at the outerboard and a Tripod joint on the inner board (see "Resources"). Both can be rebuilt at home with the appropriate kit.
Mount the axle on a vise being careful not to damage the shaft. This may cause the axle to vibrate when the car is moving. Cut the boot straps and slide the boot towards the center of the shaft to expose the CV joint. Then remove the spacer ring at the base of the joint assembly using a brass punch and hammer. Also, remove the snap ring on top of the assembly using a pair of snap ring pliers and remove the component from the shaft. Be careful not to damage the shaft as you remove the spacer ring.
Secure the joint assembly on the vise and tilt the cage and inner race inside the housing with your thumb to remove the ball bearings. If the cage seems stuck, use a wooden dowel and a hammer to tilt the cage, then pop the bearing balls out using a screwdriver. Now rotate the cage and inner race 90 degrees so that it stands on its side inside the housing and align the cage windows, where the ball bearings ride, with the housing inner race. Pull the cage and inner race out of the housing.
Finally, rotate the inner race inside the cage 90 degrees so that it sits perpendicular to the cage and then remove the inner race from the cage.
Apply some of the grease that came with your kit to the new inner race and install it in the new cage following the reverse procedure you used to remove it. Mount the cage and inner race in the housing following the reverse procedure you used to remove them. Install the new spacer ring and snap ring. Now you can tilt the cage just enough to install the new ball bearings.
Remove the old boot from the axle shaft and slide the new boot on the shaft. Fit the assembled CV joint on the splines of the shaft and then apply the rest of the grease to all the moving parts of the CV joint and inside the new boot. Slide the boot over the CV joint assembly and secure it with the new straps.
Secure the axle on a vise but be careful not to damage the shaft or the axle may vibrate during vehicle operation. Remove the rubber boot straps and slide the boot toward the center of the shaft. Scribe match marks on the center shaft and tripod housing to keep the axle balanced during installation. Then separate the center shaft and tripod from its housing. You need to pry the end of the housing slightly upwards to slide the tripod off the housing.
Once removed, roll tape around the three tripod rollers to prevent them from falling off. Then remove the spacer ring at the base of the tripod using a brass punch and hammer. Also, remove the snap ring on top of the tripod using a pair of snap ring pliers and remove the component from the shaft. Be careful not to damage the shaft as you remove the spacer ring.
Remove the old rubber boot from the shaft and install the new one. Then install the new tripod on the end of the shaft and secure it with a new snap ring. Apply some of the grease that came with your new CV joint kit to the tripod and housing and fit the tripod into the housing making sure to match the marks you scribed earlier. Grease the inner boot with the rest of the grease from the kit, slide the boot over the new CV joint and secure it with the new straps.
