How do you change CV joints on a 2002 grand prix?

Answer 1

much easier way is to change the whole shaft.

Hang cars front end and put stands under the frame by the front doors or engine cradle. remove front tires and possibly calipers/rotors if easy enough. DONT undo brake flexhoses.

remove cotter pin and nut in lower ball joints and separate/remove ball joint stud from lower control arm.

remove large nut in center of hubs (38mm) plus or minus a few sizes. without wrecking threads, hit the cv shaft stubs through the hub towards the tranny and pull it away from the hubs.

now, tricky part, put drainpan under tranny where each cv shaft goes into the tranny.

pry between cv joint cup and tranny (preferably on a bolt head and not the tranny case) and whack the opposite side of the cup with a hefty hammer a bunch of times, it should pop out. keep pressure on the cup when hitting it.

pull shaft all the way out of tranny.

changing cv joint involves cutting the rubber boot off. remove any internal snaprings, pull bearing cross out of cup, clean it all, put new parts together, grease it all, reverse removal procedure, dont forget to clamp/ziptie the boot shut.

p.s., the boot is probably going to be he toughest part. very resilient rubber.

good luck,