The axle CV boots on your Nissan pickup are responsible for providing flexibility in the axle. Without this, you would not be able to turn your truck left or right and going over bumps or potholes in the road could snap your axle in half. Although an inordinate amount of stress could cause the CV joint to sheer off inside the boot, normally CV joints fail because the protective boot rips and the lubricating grease escapes. Once the CV joint is no longer lubricated properly, it begins to grind; then you will hear a clicking sound coming from the axles every time you turn left or right. If you find that the CV boot is ripped and can fix it before it starts clicking, you can repair the joint by changing the axle CV boots on your Nissan pickup.
Cut off both CV boot clamps with snippers and slide the boot out of the way.
Note the position and disassembly order of the inner race, outer race, cage and shaft so that they can be reassembled in the proper order. The inner race sits directly on the splined portion of the CV shaft. The bearing cage--or cage--houses the ball bearings and guides them, while the outer race is where the bearings actually sit, allowing the joint to rotate.
Pry the wire ring from the outer race using a screwdriver.
Pull off the outer race from the inner bearing assembly.
Remove the snap ring from the groove in the axle using snap-ring pliers.
Slide the inner bearing assembly off the axle and remove the stop ring from the axle shaft.
Pry the ball bearings out of the cage using a screwdriver. Be careful that you do not scratch the bearings, the cage or the inner race.
Align the inner race lands with the cage windows and pull the race out of the cage assembly.
Clean all parts with brake parts cleaner. The brake parts cleaner is a powerful solvent for removing all of the grease covering these parts.
Insert the inner race into the cage with the chamfered splines facing the same direction as the small end of the cage.
Using your fingers, press the ball bearings into the cage.
Wrap the splines on the axle shaft with tape to protect them from being damaged while you slide the new boot and boot clamp into position.
Install the stop ring into position on the shaft, and install the inner race and cage assembly onto the axle with the larger diameter side of the cage facing out.
Install the snap ring into the groove. Seat the ring by pressing on the inner race and cage assembly once the ring is in place to make sure that it does not come loose.
Fill the outer race and boot with CV joint grease.
Slide the outer race onto the inner race and install the wire ring.
Equalize the pressure inside the boot by using a screwdriver to gently lift up on the side of the boot that you did not fill with grease. Make sure that you do not accidentally rip the new boot.
Settle the boot clamps into the groove on the new boot and bend the metal tang on top of the clamp down. Then flatten the tang using a screwdriver to hold it in place.
