Got my rear shaft out with not much trouble but am having a bear of time pulling the CV joint off the shaft. The manual says open up snap ring and tap off with soft faced hammer. How in the world are you suppose to do that and hold the snap ring open? I can get the ring open as fas as possible using two needlenose pliers but then I can't pull it off the shaft. I need a third hand or something but I have no one to give me a hand right now. What is the best process to do this with? Thankfully its cold and rainy so I am not really feelin the urge to go riding. Just wanna get this boot swapped out though. Jay

 

it might be easier to use a pair of snap ring pliers?

 

There are no holes in the snap ring ears so no where to use the pliers. The needle nose are the only thing that seem to grip the ring. Jay

 

Polarisboy, I use a small tip screwdriver and an ice pick and stop the ring from spinning with the screwdriver and then use the ice pick to work the other side out of the groove and then it pops out. If it flys, make sure you see where it goes. AlaskaBoy.

 

Unless you ended up with a freak of nature, that snap ring has ears with holes in it. Sometimes they are hard to see, especially if you haven't cleaned all the grease out. Snap ring pliers work well. You may want to double check that ring. I'm not trying to be condescending, but I have more experience in this area than I would like.....Scott

 

I have checked it several times. I have never seen a snap ring in the position as this one is without holes in the ears. There are no holes. You spread the ring and tap the cv joint off the shaft. I can spread the ring but as soon as I tap on the cv it knocks the pliers off the ring and it snaps back into place. The dealer said he would do them for ten bucks a piece so I may end up taking them down there. All he has to do is pop them off and slide the new boots on I can do the rest. It just irks me that I have gotten through what I thought was the hardest part and I can't figure this silly thing out. Somebody here has had to have done these before what is the trick.

Alaskaboy the ring does not come off it is actually encased by the CV joint. So you can't just work it off like the typical ring.

Thanks for the help guys. The dealer is closed till Tuesday so I have till then to figure this thing out. Jay

 

Reading through your post, it seems that you are having quite the problem. It has been a while since I've done one of those shafts, but memory is wanting me to say that on some of the CV's you actually compress the ends of the ring rather than spread them -

........ but, I am getting old and senile, so my memory may be playing tricks on me.......... if it works I'm not as senile as I thought, - - and if it doesn't work, you have only lost a minute more of your life trying to get it apart [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

I will give it a try but the book says spread them apart. Jay

 

I thought more about what I posted. I think I may have been on crack when I wrote that. Is there two points that curve out towards you? If so, they make snap ring pliers that have two small points that come straight out real close together. I've used them. It is tricky and takes some patience and a sure hand, but it does work. They also have some points that come out and go out away from each other, if they are small enough that would work. We've also used a couple of small screwdrivers. Personally, I think having another set of hands helps. One of you can pry them apart, while one pulls on the joint.

Good luck, and I hope I helped....this time anyways....Scott