The boots on my outer CV joints are both torn. Amazing coincidence. They both tore at the same time.

Anyway, I plan on buying new axles from FCP Groton and replacing both axle assemblies. I haven't really had a chance to get under the car and take at look at the job. But, clicking on the pictures of the axles on the FCP web site shows that the axles seem to have splined ends on both sides. This is a little different than the few cars I've done this job on before - not Volvos. I seem to remember the inner sides of the axles bolting to flanges on the outside of the gearbox, as oppose to sliding the axles in to it.

Anybody have any tips for me before I do this job? Anything I should look out for? I assume there are seals where the axles slide into the gearbox which should be replaced.

 

The seals are good idea, but usually we dont replace them doing these. Some of these casr I believe it is easier just to remove the 2 bolts on the lower control arm on the subframe.

 

Check out this post for a little info.
https://volvoforums.com/forum/volvo-850-16/removing-c-v-axles-2414/

 

I did my passenger side cv axel and it wasn't to bad. I had to rent the giant socket from the autoparts store, and buy a good sized half inch breaker bar. Basically if I remember correctly it was pretty pain free job. Cracked the big nut while the car was on the ground, jacked up the car, took the wheel off, took off the two bolts holding the control arm off, knocked out the axel out of the hub with a rubber mallet, supported the hub so it didnt hang, took off the two bolts for the one bearing, then removed the axel and put the new one in.

 

I just replaced the outer left cv boot this weekend. You will need a 36MM socket for the axel nut. The hardest part of the job is the axel nut. To break it loose, I put the socket on a 1/2 breaker bar and put the long metal handle from my 3 ton floor jack on the breaker bar. Since I was doing the driver side, (left) I put the car in reverse and very slowly went backwards and used the ground to loosen the axel nut. This is with the car on the ground, tires still attached. Do this prior to jacking the car up and removing the tire(s). You may also remove the two strut bolts and support the front spindle (to keep from damaging the brake hose) so you can get the axel out of the front spindle - if you do not want to remove the lower control arm bolts or the lower ball joint. I was also changing my struts, so I did it that way.

 

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I did the job a couple weekends back. It was easier than I expected. I chose to disconnect the lower control arm at the ball joint. I replaced the lower control arms less then a year ago, so once I removed the bolt it came right apart.