HOW TO: 8G front end rebuild HAND TOOLS EDITION

Hey guys, recently had to fix pretty much everything on the front end of the titanium pearl car I picked up as a daily. Since I was there already I figured I would post a write-up and share my information with you guys. THIS WRITE UP INCLUDES BALL JOINTS, TIE RODS, SWAY BAR LINKS, AND CV AXLES. I did not use a traditional ball joint press, rather some spare parts from the metal shop and a large clamp. I would recommend either a ball joint press or a shop press to do the whole rebuild. You can rent a ball joint press at your local parts store, or buy one at harbor freight.
Now, on to the tutorial!

First, use your tire iron to break loose the lug nuts on the front wheels, before lifting the car off of the ground, if you have an impact, you can skip this step.
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Second, lift the car off of the ground and place it on jack stands.

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Now, remove the wheel!

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Voila!

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The first thing I did was remove the outer tie rod end, which is a fairly simple task. First, use a 19mm socket to break loose the nut on the stud which goes through the hub assembly, after removing the pin holding it in place (if it's there). Do not completely remove the nut. You will need it to hold the tie rod in place.

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After you break the nut loose, use a 13mm wrench on the hexagonal part of the inner tie rod to break the threads loose on the inside of the outer tie rod. I did not mess with the captive nuts on the inner tie rods, except to check snugness, because I was planning on having a shop align the car afterwards. You can choose to do so if you wish, but I did not, to attempt to preserve some modicum of alignment.

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Once the inner tie rod is loose, you can completely unbolt the tie rod end from the hub assembly and it should spin off from the inner tie rod. Try to avoid spinning the inner tie rod more than you have to.

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If yours looks like this, it's bad.
Simply follow instructions in reverse for assembly, or carry on to step two, which is sway bar end links.

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If you're still here congratulations, it's only gonna get worse. The nut holding the sway bar to the strut is a 14mm (I think?) Or 15mm and I do not remember the size of the Allen key in the middle, but if yours are very worn out, you'll have to use that to hold it in place while turning the nut with a wrench.

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Make sure you pay attention to which direction the link came off, as it is possible to install it upside down, and it will not fit properly.

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I used an aftermarket replacement supplied by Rock Auto, which ended up actually being Moog parts in carquest boxes. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...bf6888f5b1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0708a8e9ec.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5ee6489c45.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7996a4b4e1.jpg


As you can tell, the replacement is much larger than stock and therefore stiffer. This car handles amazingly with the new front end, and I feel like this single mod helped.
A few notes on reassembly:
My particular replacement end links used a hexagonal section on the shaft of the ball to hold it still while you tighten it. My replacements used a 14mm wrench, with a 14mm nut on the end. Otherwise they go on exactly the same, so follow the instructions in reverse to install them properly.


Read on for BALL JOINT FUN!

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Welcome to hell. All of these bolts are hard to get off, and none of them are small.
Start by loosening the two bolts on the strut housing, which connect to the top of the hub assembly. I believe they are 21mm. Do not remove them completely yet, as if you do, this will happen:
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Which is why we're replacing these!

Next remove the pin and nut holding the axle into the hub assembly. This is a 32mm nut and is a bitch to get off by hand.
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Once it is unbolted, you can tap it lightly with a rubber mallet, and it should move into the hub a little. Remove one of the bolts in the strut housing and you should be able to knock it looser, hitting gently to not damage the transmission.
The next step is to remove the bolt holding the ball joint in, which is a 17mm. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a783580e5c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...9a2852b567.jpg

Once the bolt is loose, use a pry bar to separate the two halves of the mount, and then pry up against the control arm to push the hub assembly off of the ball joint. This part is easier with a friend to hold the hub assembly, because it's pretty heavy.
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Now remove the two bolts holding the strut housing and hub assembly together, and the hub will be free!
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I used a rim to hold the hub assembly, because I did not remove the brake line out of simplicity.
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Pry up the boot on the ball joint boot, and you'll see a c-clip holding the ball joint in to the control arm. Use a pair of snap ring pliers in reverse to remove this, or a pair of flathead screwdrivers.

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Place something under the control arm to hold it still, and smack the ball joint a few good times with a hammer, and it should pop right out. If not, use your press to remove it! And you're done getting it out. :)
Replacement procedures? Read below for more.


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IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING BALL JOINTS!

If your ball joint falls out of the control arm, or wiggles around in the hole, your ball joint has been bad for a LONG time. At this point you will have to replace not just the ball joint, but also the complete control arm. I did not have to do this, but if you do, it would be a good opportunity to replace the bushings with aftermarket polyurethane bushings. My 2001 had this issue, and even a good set of used control arms is a worthwhile investment, as long as the ball joints are secure in their mounts.
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Replacing the ball joints is where special tools come in. You must use a ball joint press or similar to press the joint into the control arm. If it isn't a tight fit, see above.
Ensure the grease fitting is not in the bottom of the ball joint, and press! You should get this:
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Most replacement units come with a standard snap ring, which goes into a groove on the joint body. Place it in, and make sure it is secure.

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Place the plastic washer on the shaft:

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And place the hub back on the ball joint, with the control arm supported. Make sure you don't place it too low, or the captive bolt will not go through the hole.

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Now, you've gotten most of the parts off to remove the CV axle, so let's keep on rolling to that!

You are at the point where all you have to do is pry the CV axle to remove it, so do so! Gently pry between the transaxle housing and CV knuckle with a pry bar or tire tool, applying pressure to one side, then the other. Using two tools works well, but I managed to do it easily with one.

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Ta-da!

Now, my axle seals were in excellent shape, so I didn't replace those.
Note that my car did not have ABS, and I ordered non-abs axles, and they still came with abs hub rings. Not to worry though, I'm here to tell you that it doesn't matter! They fit just fine, and they don't hit anything. So install, away!
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To install, a little pressure is necessary. Place the castle nut on the end of the axle, and thread it down to the end of the axle, to avoid damaging the threads on the axle. You have to tap it a few times, to pop the snap ring through the transmission to hold the axle in place.
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Once you have that in, you can replace the bolt on the ball joint, the two bolts on the strut housing, and the tie rod end bolt. Reattach the wheel, and go get it aligned! Good job.

Note that I used the driver side to do this tutorial, but that the only difference in sides is that you pry against the center shaft housing instead of the transaxle housing to remove the CV axle. I had one hell of a bad time with mine, so I didn't bother using it. All I can say is that you need to make sure you pry BEHIND the silver ring on the axle, or you won't be able to get it all the way off. Also, be careful not to damage the center bearing for the intermediate shaft.

That's it, guys! Any questions? I'm here. Anything else you wanna see? Ask! I've got five Galants. I can show you.

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Great Job! Thank you

This is an awesome write up!!

Thanks guys, I try not to suck at life too much. :) Like I said, if you have any questions I'm here. In the coming weeks and months I'll be doing a bunch of write ups as I repair this car, my 2001, and my new 2003 four banger car I picked up for the wife. So stay tuned for more.

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