I have a 2002 polaris sportsman H.O and I am trying to replace a torn cv boot (outer). I though this woul dbe a simple task but I am haveing one heck of a time. I can't figure out how to get the boot off. There is a nut that I tried removing on the hub but when i spin that i spin the other wheel as well. Any help wouldbe appreciated. I want to get it fixed so i can go riding soon. Thanks.

 

Front or Rear?
Front:
put the brakes on and remove the nut that holds the hub on -- the hub is full of on demand drive oil so if you do not drain it first (plug on the hub), then it will pour oil everywhere. There are several bearings inside the front hub so be careful not to lose any (I think 4 total bearings). You will have to remove the a-arm from the chassis or ball joint to swing the strut out far enough to pull the CV joint off. There is a roll pin holding the u-joint on the output of the front differential that has to be hammered out.

Rear:
Same thing, but easier--- put the brake on and remove the large nut (it is on @ ~100ft-lbs). Use a rubber mallet to help pull the drive hub off if it doesn't slide off, then unbolt the upper a-arm. You might have to remove the bearing carrier completely to free the cv joint (I would to keep it out of the way). alight the joint parallel with the output of the transmission and pull hard-- then push it all the way in (it is a plunge joint) and yank on it again. Eventually, it will pop out.

does any of the help?

 

do i need to remove both boots in order to do this or can i install the rear outer boot with the shaft is still on? otherwise your advice is a huge help. thanks

 

I highly suggest cleaning out all the dirt from the CV joint and replacing all the old grease with new grease (comes with the cv joint). Unless you caught it right when it tore, you will need to clean it to prevent damage to the joint.

You will have to separate the outboard joint from the shaft to install a factory replacement boot. Put the shaft of the cv joint assembly in the vice after removing it from the machine and remove the torn boot. There is a ring (kinda like a snap ring) inside the cv joint at the end of the cv shaft that has to be "spread" to remove the outer joint. it can be spread with a flat blade screwdriver or specially modified needle nose pliers (grind the nose so you have 2 flat edges to "separate" the retaining ring).

So... put the shaft in the vice, spread this retain ring, then hammer on the cv joint (preferably with a dead blow hammer) until it has moved ~0.125" -- then the retaining right will be spread on its own because it will be around the splines on the shaft. Now.. just keep hammering the outboard joint until it comes all the way off. If you are hammering the perimeter of the joint, go around it while hammering. I suggest putting a punch on the part of the joint around the retaining ring and hammering--this should take less time to hammer off. Have a wood surface or some cardboard for the joint to fall on (or hold the joint while hammering with the other hand). Do not let the joint fall on concrete or the splines/theads could be damaged.

good luck ! feel free to ask questions.

 

thats alot of work. is an ho a quad ?
an easier fix is one ive done if its just a small hole in boot. use a tire plug in hole if it's small one.
U can go to any auto parts store and get a split boot for an import car and cut bad boot off and replace with split boot. It's cut down center so u dont have to take CV joint apart and it clips together. im sorry but if its a quad or the like whats described is wrong. thers no pins on a cv joint they are in driveshafts. Im confused cause why would u take a arm off? theres one nut on ball joint that will move strut tower. bungee it to the side and take cv out. be careful not to pull on strut end cause u will pull cv apart. as for drive fluid it's in diff the cv should plug in to front diff theres no fluid thats gonna come out unless seals bad.

 

Ok i got the shaft out and now i am trying to remove the outer cv joint so i can replace the boot. I cant find this ring you are talking about and i dont want to just start hammering. Is there a diagram somewhere i can look at that you know of? Is the ring on the outside (wheel) or the inside(trans) of the shaft? sorry for all of the questions. i guess this is something i shouldnt have gotten my hands dirty with.
thanks

 

Ok i got the shaft out and now i am trying to remove the outer cv joint so i can replace the boot. I cant find this ring you are talking about and i dont want to just start hammering. Is there a diagram somewhere i can look at that you know of? Is the ring on the outside (wheel) or the inside(trans) of the shaft? sorry for all of the questions. i guess this is something i shouldnt have gotten my hands dirty with.
thanks

 

as long as you have the shaft out do both boots. To make it easier to see what you are doing and the boot is junk anyway, take a razor blade and cut it off. Now you can clean it up so that you can see where the clip is that holds the shaft on the cv. spray it real good with some parts cleaner and get all the grease out, it will be way easier to work on. Going back together is real easy, make sure clip is in place and slide shaft in to the cv till it locks in place.

 

clean out the grease with a rag and some brake cleaner. The clip should be very evident as there is some steel that was machined away when the CV joint was made.

The assembly--- the outboard joint doesn't always slide on-- sometimes it needs a hammer. Be careful not to damage the threads on the cv joint where the nut holds the hub on (a block of wood or plastic end hammer helps).

 

I was able to complete my task thanks to your help. I took it out for a ride yesterday and now its overheating. The fan never kicked on. Anyone have any suggestions as to what it could be. Thanks again for the help and tips with the cv boot.