Hello, I am new to the ATV world. I have some mechanical experience, but I need some advice on one specific problem I have with my KVF400.

The front axle boot is cracked and I want to replace it. I think it is possible to remove the front shaft without removing the front differential as from what I see it is a two part shaft. I removed the locking ring in the middle of it. I believed that afterward I would be able to slide one half shaft into the other, but nothing is moving. I tried to force them by prying with a screwdriver on the transfer case or on the differential side, but nothing is moving... Any advice on what I should do?

Thank you

Martin

 

I think the front axles can be removed without pulling the diff. I had no luck when I tried it.

I thought the whole shaft has to come out. The whole shaft meaning from the axle nut and the whole piece that goes into the diff.

The manual says to give it a good pull outward but I couldn't get mine to come loose. Maybe I wasn't pulling hard enough. I was just doing it by hand.

 

So the entire half should come out from the diff to the axle nut. As the manual says, you must give it a quick tug. You can grab and pull as hard as you can for an hour and it won't move (I tried it). What you have to do is support the wheel end with one hand and then grab the end right up at the diff and give it a short quick jerk. It isn't as much about the strength as it is the quickness. After I popped mine out I was pissed at myself for hurting my hands pulling when it is just a quick jerk.

 

Rag,Wrench and hammer method.

 

I managed to get it off!

Like Mud Slinger said, it was not a matter of brute force!

The front shaft is actually composed of three parts. Two half shaft and one cylinder linking them together. The locking ring prevents the cylinder from sliding and decoupling both half shaft.

In order to remove the cylinder, you need to pull it toward the engine over the first half shaft. There is no real way to pry it so you just wish the guy before you applied some anti rust compound! It was my case so by applying some constant force, and jiggling it a bit I was able to slide the cylinder and after it travelled enough, both half shaft could be removed.

Please note that there is a small spring between both half shaft to keep some constant pressure. Don't loose it!

Thank you all for your answers!