Mazda Driveshaft Removal and Replacement
Start By lifting the car securing it with jack stands. Never get under the car supported by only one jack alone. Remove the tire. You will see a big bolt 32mm in the center of the rotor. You will need someone on the car pressing on the brakes while you unbolt it with a long socket bar. Don’t take the bolt completely out, just loosen it and leave in place.
Remove the brake hose metal clip.
The caliber got to go, unscrew the allen 8mm bolt and remove the caliper. Do not leave the caliper hanging only by the brake hose, get a piece of wire and hang it somewhere.
To remove the tie rod end you will need a tie rod end removal tool which is just a metal fork, you can buy it at every automotive store. Remove the pin and unscrew the bolt.
Place the fork between the tie rod and hub and beat the hell out of it with a heavy hammer until it pops out.
Remove the stabiliazer link, it has two bolts and you will have to heat them up to be able to take them out. Usually they are seized for good and 99% of the times they will break on removal. Quite possibly you will need a new one.
Unscrew the lower balljoint bolt and hit the bolt until it comes out.
Then use the same procedure as you did on the tie rod end.
Use a long prybar to press down the control arm until the balljonit comes completely out.
Remove screws of the plastic cover and lower it out of the way. Might as well take this cover off before you start working on the other parts.
Driveshaft has no bolts and it’s kept inside the transmission only by a round clip. To take out the driveshaft use the prybar from underneath, DO NOT pull on the driveshaft itselt because it might comes appart. Place the prybar between the driveshaft end and transmission body and keep shaking and prying it at the same time it until it comes out.
To install the new driveshaft it’s relatively easy, it’s just a plug in type. Put the driveshaft in the transmission hole and push it firmly, holding it by the end part(Not on the boot) until it locks in place. Lift the wheel assembly up and put the other end of the driveshaft in. Using the prybar, push down the control arm, put the lower balljoint in and bolt it in place. The rest is the reverse of the removal.
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