Also replaced the right front axle on the C30. The inner boot was torn and from the age of the grease sprayed everywhere it wasn't a new tear. The car is new to me (76k miles), from my brother-in-law.
Lessons learned from the project:
But to brighten my day, I was the second C30 at the local garage today. The mechanic had never seen one and now he had two.
![Automotive parking light Car Tire Wheel Vehicle registration plate]()
Lessons learned from the project:
- It took much longer than 26 minutes
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c4mtwS6uHA - The gearwrench ball joint separator - 3916D is too thick for the C30 ball joint (21mm). What separator works best?
- After trying everything else, I just used a punch and a hand drill hammer to tap the ball joint out. It took only the gentlest tap.
- failed alternative method #1: Disconnecting the outer tie rod end doesn't give enough play in the hub to remove the axle.
- failed alternative method #2: I couldn't figure out how to pull out the front bolt that connects the control arm to the body. The pipes (oil cooler?) are too close. (see photo)
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- I didn't remove the fender liner and should have - my forearms are all scratched up from reaching into the tight opening to remove and reinstall the bearing clamp.
- The splines on the wheel end of the axle were slightly rusty so I had to reinstalled the axle bolt and gently tap it out.
- There's no clearance above the ball joint. Tightening the ball joint required a 6mm hex bit (1/4" drive) and a small 1/4" box end wrench to hold the center.
- Everything else went like the videos show, but slower.
But to brighten my day, I was the second C30 at the local garage today. The mechanic had never seen one and now he had two.
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