Have you read the factory workshop manual's method of removing the front axle? It's a nightmare. Here's how I do it- this way preserves your wheel alignment and, because I'm fundamentally lazy, involves the least amount of work.
Before jacking the van up:
Turn steering to the left, and on the left front suspension, remove the sway bar link/bolt and bushes (14mm spanner)
Turn the steering all the way to the right, then on the left front suspension, insert a piece of wood between the upper wishbone and the upper bump stop (rebound stop).
Loosen left front wheel nuts, jack the van up and put on axle stands.
Remove undertrays/bash guards (12 and 14mm sockets). Drain diff oil (24mm socket.)
Remove the left front wheel. Undo and remove the sliding bolt(s) (17mm) and tie the brake caliper up so it’s not dangling from its flexible hose.
Loosen the *left side* 17mm nuts holding the rear subframe/cross member to the chassis- don’t remove them entirely, but undo them as far as they’ll go without coming off.
Now remove the steering knuckle- a ball joint splitter is the easy way to do it, otherwise use a hammer like grandad used to.
Remove the four bolts (17mm) holding the lower ball joint in place. Extracting the bolts can be a pain, if you can't get them past the CV joint then just remove the nuts and spring washers and take them out later.
(Ignore the anti-roll bar bushes- this photo is clearly staged.)
Undo the Auto Hub cover (chain wrench?) and remove the blind circlip inside (blind circlip pliers). Hopefully you'll need to excavate lots of grease (not pictured) to find it. Also remove the tiny shim that lives behind the circlip.
Now undo the 3 bolts holding the top swivel joint to the upper wishbone. Push the lower wishbone down, let the upper swivel joint fall forwards (this is where you extract the four bolts if you couldn't get them out earlier) and remove the swivel hub, leaving the driveshaft behind.
Now remove the driveshaft. Take care to pull it straight out towards you so you don't damage the oil seal in the diff housing. There's a weak spring clip holding it into the diff, you might need to wedge something between the CV joint and the axle housing to get it to pop free. Avoid pulling on the driveshaft too hard, it's possible to pull the CV joint apart and it's *messy* to reassemble.
Mark the driveshaft and remove all the bolts, slide the driveshaft backwards as far as it’ll go.
Mark the right side CV joint and remove the nuts- the bolts will stay in place, but the CV will come loose.
Remove the 17mm bolt from the front mount,
the four 14mm bolts from the end mounts,
and the two 14mm bolts from the bracket thing that goes over the diff. (Those last two 14mm bolts are a complete pain.)
You axle should now fall out.
It’s heavy. Don’t be under it when it drops. If it hangs on the CV joints, you might need to slide it sideways a bit to make room to clear the CV joints.
Reassembly is vaguely the reverse of removal, but with more swearing as you try to lift the heavy axle up while guiding the CV joints into place.
Before jacking the van up:
Turn steering to the left, and on the left front suspension, remove the sway bar link/bolt and bushes (14mm spanner)
Turn the steering all the way to the right, then on the left front suspension, insert a piece of wood between the upper wishbone and the upper bump stop (rebound stop).
Loosen left front wheel nuts, jack the van up and put on axle stands.
Remove undertrays/bash guards (12 and 14mm sockets). Drain diff oil (24mm socket.)
Remove the left front wheel. Undo and remove the sliding bolt(s) (17mm) and tie the brake caliper up so it’s not dangling from its flexible hose.
Loosen the *left side* 17mm nuts holding the rear subframe/cross member to the chassis- don’t remove them entirely, but undo them as far as they’ll go without coming off.
Now remove the steering knuckle- a ball joint splitter is the easy way to do it, otherwise use a hammer like grandad used to.
Remove the four bolts (17mm) holding the lower ball joint in place. Extracting the bolts can be a pain, if you can't get them past the CV joint then just remove the nuts and spring washers and take them out later.
(Ignore the anti-roll bar bushes- this photo is clearly staged.)
Undo the Auto Hub cover (chain wrench?) and remove the blind circlip inside (blind circlip pliers). Hopefully you'll need to excavate lots of grease (not pictured) to find it. Also remove the tiny shim that lives behind the circlip.
Now undo the 3 bolts holding the top swivel joint to the upper wishbone. Push the lower wishbone down, let the upper swivel joint fall forwards (this is where you extract the four bolts if you couldn't get them out earlier) and remove the swivel hub, leaving the driveshaft behind.
Now remove the driveshaft. Take care to pull it straight out towards you so you don't damage the oil seal in the diff housing. There's a weak spring clip holding it into the diff, you might need to wedge something between the CV joint and the axle housing to get it to pop free. Avoid pulling on the driveshaft too hard, it's possible to pull the CV joint apart and it's *messy* to reassemble.
Mark the driveshaft and remove all the bolts, slide the driveshaft backwards as far as it’ll go.
Mark the right side CV joint and remove the nuts- the bolts will stay in place, but the CV will come loose.
Remove the 17mm bolt from the front mount,
the four 14mm bolts from the end mounts,
and the two 14mm bolts from the bracket thing that goes over the diff. (Those last two 14mm bolts are a complete pain.)
You axle should now fall out.
It’s heavy. Don’t be under it when it drops. If it hangs on the CV joints, you might need to slide it sideways a bit to make room to clear the CV joints.
Reassembly is vaguely the reverse of removal, but with more swearing as you try to lift the heavy axle up while guiding the CV joints into place.
