How to fit/remove one piece FWD driveshafts?

[Shifty]

Hey guys

I've fitted a different engine & gearbox combo.

The driveshafts I pulled out were two piece, so I just unbolted them in the middle and the rest was a no brainer.

But the new driveshafts are single piece, having a spline at both the hub and the gearbox end and apparently no way to split them.

What is the correct way to install them... do I have to do something shithouse like disconnect the hubs from the suspension, install the box & shafts then reinstall the hubs?

Go easy, I don't have a lot of FWD experience.

Thanks for your help.

[bungs]

What is the correct way to install them... do I have to do something shithouse like disconnect the hubs from the suspension, install the box & shafts then reinstall the hubs?

Yep.

Or you can just take out the whole front strut. 2 big bolts at the bottom of the strut that hold the hub on and the 3 on the top that bolt the strut to the tower. Just make sure you mark it all with liquid paper or texta so when you bolt it back up the wheels are still aligned.

[sleepy1g]

undo 2 bolts on the bottom of the strut and the steering arm should give you enough movement to remove the shaft if not undo the ball joint also... total of 4 nuts to undo...

[Shifty]

cheers, i'll see how I go undoing the hub.

possibly undo the ball joint? argh I hate ball joints!

[JP]

Unbolt the two nuts and one bolt from the suspension arm to the lower ball joint, lever the arm down so it comes off the two ball joint studs and you can then easily swing the whole hub assembly off the driveshaft spline and of the way. Takes no time at all and gives you a lot more movement than unbolting the hub>strut bolts.

[sleepy1g]

if all else fails consult a friend ......

[sleepy1g]

Hey shifty how did it go....

you could ask chipper or jon they will know the best way.

[takai]

Yeah, easiest way is to drop the balljoint off the LCA and just pull the strut outwards.

[wagonist]

Yeah, easiest way is to drop the balljoint off the LCA and just pull the strut outwards.

Ditto. And usually won't require a wheel alignment afterwards.

[sleepy1g]

nor does undoing the steering arm, if you drop it off at the ball joint on the end of it

[takai]

nor does undoing the steering arm, if you drop it off at the ball joint on the end of it

Same concept, only difference is that you dont have to muck around with releasing the taper on the balljoint.

[wagonist]

nor does undoing the steering arm, if you drop it off at the ball joint on the end of it

How does this provide enough clearance to remove the driveshaft though? You've still got to remove the lower ball joint to swing the assembly far enough out.
I've never owned a car where this wasn't the case anyway.

[Talasas]

JP/wagonist/takai etc are correct, I've done this a fair number of times, just last week in fact, took me about 2 minutes with a rattle gun and a crowbar to remove the drive shafts.

Luckily on all the FWD Toyotas I've seen they have the 2/3 bolts holding the ball joint to the LCA, just unbolt that and you're fine (some other cars aren't so lucky, then you have to stuff around with ball joints). I didn't even bother to unbolt the steering tie rods, you actually get enough movement after you drop the control arm to lift the hub off the spline and swing it out of the way. Just turn the steering wheel to push the tie rod out enough to give you slack.

Prising the spline on the diff side is always a little more tricky, I use a nice wide bladed flathead/crowbar and gently prise it loose then pull the cage by hand. Careful not to damage the lip on the shaft or damage the gearbox casing.

Let us know how it goes.

[sleepy1g]

i give up on offering genuine mechanical advice

good luck leigh

[wagonist]

^^^^

Anyway, if you have trouble getting the shafts out of the gearbox (like I did recently), here's a little trick that most people will tell you not to do

I had the lower ball joint & the tie rod ends removed.
grab the hub & pull it out until it will come no further (puts the inner CV on its full extension)
give a short sharp tug directly outwards
shaft that had stumped me for about 4 hours popped straight out, and with a lot less force than I expected.

The passenger side shaft is generally shielded behind the diff & so there's not much room for leverage.
The worst damage you can do is to wreck the spring circlip holding the inner cage within the outer cup & pull the CV boot off

Also, my shafts had some kind of dustshield where you normally would stick the screwdriver to prise them out, so that method simply served to bend them