Passenger side driveshaft removal

1. Equipment

Gather the following equipment in order to complete this guide. The links below direct you to the exact products I used.

• 21mm Socket
• 32mm Socket
• Breaker bar
• WD40 - optional
• CV moly grease (optional)
• Drip tray
• Club hammer
• Crowbar
• Punch
• Flathead screwdriver
• 1/2 inch impact wrench
• 1/2 inch torque wrench

2. Nuts

1. Loosen all lug nuts with a 17mm socket.

   

2. Using a club hammer and flathead screwdriver, pry out the inset driveshaft nut indentation so the nut can be easily removed with an impact wrench.

   

3. Loosen the driveshaft nut with a 32mm socket and impact wrench.

   

4. Chock the rear driver's side wheel and jack up the front passenger side corner of the car.

   

5. Remove the lug nuts and wheel.

   

6. Remove the driveshaft nut.

   

7. Apply some WD-40 to the lower ball joint nuts, wait a few minutes, then remove them with a 21mm socket and impact wrench.

   

8. Pry away the ball joint bracket with a crowbar.

   

3. Driveshaft

1. Starting gently, begin hitting the driveshaft spline with a club hammer until it loosens. Then hammer it with a punch to remove it the rest of the way. Please note, these can be really stubborn to remove. Since I was replacing the whole driveshaft and discarding the old one, I hammered it quite aggressively, mushrooming the threads and damaging the brake disc slightly in the process.

   After the outer joint is loose from the wheel hub, pull the right side of the wheel hub towards you and carefully remove the spline, then rest the outer joint on the lower suspension arm.

   

2. Switching to the transmission side of the driveshaft, grab your drainage bucket and place it under the driveshaft seal to catch any transmission fluid. Carefully pry out the inner joint with a crowbar. If it's being stubborn, hit the other end of the crowbar while prying to help break it free. Once loose, you should be able to pull the whole driveshaft out.