Drive Axles: Reassembly

Inspect all tripod joint components for damage or wear. Replace tripod joint assembly as necessary. Using a wire brush, clean any rust from drive axle shaft. Install, but DO NOT crimp, small boot clamp onto boot. Slide boot onto drive axle shaft, positioning boot neck in groove of drive axle shaft.
Ensure small clamp is properly positioned on boot. Using Axle Boot Clamp Installer (SA9203C ), crimp boot clamp onto boot. Clamp ear gap should measure .085" (2.15 mm). If small boot clamp ear gap is not as specified, recrimp. Install spacer ring onto drive axle shaft past second groove on drive axle shaft.
Install tripod joint, with counterbored surface facing end of shaft, onto drive axle shaft past shaft retaining ring groove on drive axle shaft. Using snap ring pliers, install shaft retaining ring in groove of drive axle shaft. Slide tripod joint toward end of drive axle shaft, and reseat spacer ring in groove on drive axle shaft. Pack inside of boot and tripod joint housing with grease.
NOTE: Tripod joint assembly must be installed with convolute retainer in position.
Install convolute retainer, supplied with service kit, over boot. Install, but DO NOT crimp, large boot clamp onto boot. Install tripod joint housing onto drive axle shaft and slide over tripod joint. Slide boot over outside of tripod joint housing, positioning lip of boot in groove of tripod joint housing.
Ensure boot is not dimpled or stretched out of shape. Carefully reshape boot by hand as necessary. Measure length of assembled tripod joint assembly. Right tripod joint assembly should measure8 5/8" (220 mm). Left tripod joint assembly should measure 11" (280 mm). Ensure large clamp is properly positioned on boot. Using axle boot clamp installer, crimp boot clamp onto boot.
If dynamic damper was removed, measure 7.15" (182 mm) from outboard end of drive shaft. Mark this location with a piece of masking tape. See Fig 1 . Tightly wrap drive shaft splines with vinyl tape. Lubricate shaft with liquid detergent. Tap dynamic damper onto shaft, aligning inboard edge of damper with edge of masking tape. Remove masking tape and vinyl tape from drive shaft.

Fig 1: Installing Dynamic Damper Onto Drive Axle Shaft
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
Inspect all inner race joint components for damage or wear. Replace inner race joint assembly as necessary. Lubricate inner and outer race grooves with grease. Insert and rotate inner race into cage. Install cage and inner race into outer race with windows of cage aligned with lands of outer race.
Install balls using a brass drift to gently rotate and position cage and inner race. Install race retaining ring into inner race. Pack inner race joint with grease.
Install, but DO NOT crimp, small boot clamp onto boot. Slide boot onto drive axle shaft, positioning boot neck in groove of drive axle shaft. Ensure small clamp is properly positioned on boot. Using axle boot clamp installer, crimp boot clamp onto boot. Clamp ear gap should measure .085" (2.15 mm). If small boot clamp ear gap is not as specified, recrimp.
Pack inside of boot and inner race joint housing with grease. Install, but DO NOT crimp, large boot clamp onto boot. Install inner race joint with race retaining ring side of inner race facing drive axle shaft. Push inner race joint assembly onto drive axle shaft until race retaining ring is seated in groove on drive axle shaft.
Slide boot over outside of inner race joint housing, positioning lip of boot in groove of inner race joint housing. Ensure boot is not dimpled or stretched out of shape. Carefully reshape boot by hand as necessary. Ensure large clamp is properly positioned on boot.
Using axle boot clamp installer, crimp boot clamp onto boot. Clamp ear gap should measure .102" (2.60 mm). If large boot clamp ear gap is not as specified, recrimp. Position NEW deflector ring onto outer race. Using Axle Deflector Ring Installer (SA1960C ) and a M20 x 1.5 nut, tighten nut until deflector ring bottoms against shoulder of outer race.