OEM 2008 Cadillac CTS CV Boot

2008 Cadillac CTS CV Boot Parts and Q&A

• Q: How to replace the Rear Wheel Drive Shaft Outer CV Boot on 2008 Cadillac CTS?

  A: First remove the wheel drive shaft from the vehicle before commencing rear wheel drive shaft outer joint boot replacement. To maintain safety when working with the Axle Shaft you should wrap a shop towel around it before setting the wheel drive shaft horizontally in a bench vise. Start by removing large and small boot clamps from the outer joint boot using a side cutter so you can slide the boot off from the joint face at the large diameter end. Locate the inner race of the joint and align a horizontal drift to the inside edge before hitting it with a hammer to release the Axle Shaft retaining clip. At this point remove the outer joint housing from the Axle Shaft. Use a screwdriver to remove the narrow retaining ring from the outer ring groove of the wheel shaft while removing the wide spacer ring from the wheel shaft's wide ring groove. Next, detach the axle boot from both shafts. Wash all components of the wheel drive shaft including the inner race, outer race, cage, balls and exposed end of the wheel drive shaft with solvent then let them air-dry before checking components for damage and wear. To assemble the joint start by inserting 60% of service kit grease onto ball tracks and balls cage and inner race before putting the remaining grease at the outer race bottom. Start by routing a shop towel around the Axle Shaft and placing the wheel drive shaft in a horizontal position within a bench vise. Then install a new small boot clamp onto the wheel drive shaft before fitting the boot. Set the new narrow retaining ring in the outside narrow ring channel followed by the placement of the new wide spacer ring into the wide ring slot. Use the wheel drive shaft splines to engage the inner race and after applying pressure to the Axle Shaft ring spacer press the retaining ring into the groove while directing the inner joint onto the wheel drive shaft splines. Drive the outer joint onto the wheel drive shaft using a wood block block on its end and a hammer until the inner joint boots reach their full length along the wheel drive shaft. Place the small boot clamp into the boot groove then adjust its tightness using j 42572 until it develops a 1 mm (0.039 in) gap between its base and the clamp. The boot requires grease from the service kit before fitting the large boot clamp properly. Check that no damage exists to either component during installation. Use the j 42572 to crimp the large boot clamp so it has a 1 mm (0.039 in) gap. Examine the outside joint movement by rotating the wheel drive shaft four or five times when it is vertically positioned before reinstalling the drive shaft.