How do you replace the nearside driveshaft gaiter on your vauxhall corsa?

Answer 1

Suggest you borrow a manual from the Library. as Torque settings for the driveshaft nuts are detailed. Instructions refer to a 1995 Corsa This is the same and ranges I think from 94 M - T reg but Check!

remove split pin on driveshaft and slacken drive shaft nut. needs to be on Ground in gear or if in air needs to be in gear with a friend pressing the brakes on Will need an extension bar suggest you do not use your ratchet but a solid extn bar

with the drive shave nut reversed and screwed on so that the nut is even with the drveshaft end (nb you are protecting the threads when you tap the end of the shaft) tap the driveshaft loose and back towards the engine again this will be stiff and it your judgment whether you start it off before you loosen the bottom ball joint Note This is not to push it all the way back It won't go just to break the rusty splines hold between Driveshaft and Caliper assembly) so just a few mm say 1/4".

once slackened Jack up support on stands for ease of access make it as high as possible. Slacken and remove the two bottom ball Joint nuts, you can't remove the bolts yet as the drive shaft is still in place. On front of car remove the three bolts that support the Tie rod that goes diagonally from bottom wishbone to body mount on front of car behind bumper Needs lots of penetrating oil access is behind radiator You may be able to see the tops of the bolts poking through the bodywork from through the grill I was taking the engine out so I had access as the radiator was out.

Take care in getting a accurate fitting socket as these bolts are usually rusted and a pig to loosen once the bolts are removed put one back screwed in a few threads to support the strut. you should be able to push down on the wishbone and wiggle the bolts from bottom ball joint loose and out.

Pull on the disc assembly and then tap the drive shaft back towards the engine with the drive shaft nut still screwed on reverse way round Keep tapping it backwards as it start to move keep slackening the nut and tapping it in eventually the nut is removed and carefully tap the driveshaft loose. I found this next part Hard! awkward really. Pull on the Disc and Pull the driveshaft out bend the shaft at the CV Joint! and swing both the Disc caliper out away from the car and pull the drive shaft toward the front of the car and it will come out. To remove the driveshaft out of the Gearbox/engine remove the 10 mm bolt and locking castlelated washer (you'll know what I mean when you see it!) that locks the driveshaft into the differential use a long metal bar or long screw driver and from underneath the engine tap with a sharp blow the driveshaft on the solid body there are ridges to tap against close to the Gearbox and you will feel the shaft come free (a circlip clicks in place and needs to be dislodged) There are oil seals so be careful as you remove and when you replace. Replacement is the reverse and easier as you are tightening everything and that is so much easier than loosening!

Put the driveshaft Gearbox end in first, Support and tap it in place you can feel it engage. Once done Pull on Disc and insert the driveshaft splines into the wheel assembly in the reverse way you removed Don't push in fully as you need to wiggle the bolts into the wishbone then align with the bottom ball joint. all very fiddly but with carefull alignment it goes together OK You are supposed to use new nuts on the bolts as they are locking ones on the new nuts (they used to use locking compound) once all the bolts nuts are tightened remember the 10mm bolt and washer that is on the Gearbox dif and driveshaft there is a series of tightening procedures you need to do.

1) Using a torque wrench tighten the Driveshaft nut to 130nm This tightens every thing up.

2) slacken the nut right off so its loose.

3) tighten to 20nm

4) then tighten through 90 degrees ie 1/4 turn

5) Use new Split Pin bend and lock in place

See my caveat below as Ive only removed and replaced the driveshafts as part of an engine removal and change So I'll finish my experience and quote the gaiter change from the manual

changing the gaiters follows

That's where my experience stops I've just removed four in the last week as I've replaced an engine and Gearbox from a donor vehicle into my car. But the manual says

you need to remove one of the CV joints to replace one or both of the gaiters.

put the driveshaft in a vice

remove the 2 clips that hold the gaiter move out of the way to show the cv joint

locate the circlip with circlip pliers expand and remove out of its groove and off the shaft tap with a soft mallet the CV joint of the driveshaft remove the damaged gaiters

Haynes says clean the cv joints of old grease with paraffin and dry check for wear for cracks in the cage and pits and wear in the tracks if worn the balls will be a loose fit if damaged replace the CV Joint

re assembly is reverse of dissasembly using with a CV repair kit comprising of Gaiter, grease pack, circlip and gaiter locating clips.

put tape around the splines to ease assembly and protect the gaiter put a new circlip in the CV Joint and assemble in correct order.

tap the cv joint until the circlip engages in the shaft pull on the joint to make sure it is locked

Use all the grease and make sure the grease is worked well into the joint

make sure the gaiters are in their grooves and clip in place

Check that the joint can move in all directions,

Hope this is of help Graham