Drive Axle Boot Changing on all H-body Vehicles except modified
    Posted by: "Larry schoppe" lauri_schoppe@yahoo.com lauri_schoppe
    Date: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:17 am (PDT)

Boot changing.  All H-body Vehicles 

  This is the way I remember doing this operation, ensure you do it safely, 
  jack stands, good hydraulic jacks, flat hard surface etc.
  
  No special tools are required other than a ball joint tool to seperate the 
  ball joint from the axle carrier and the service of a garage or machine shop 
  to press the axle out of the hub, if required and to press the axle out of 
  the spider gear..  Sometimes pressing the axle out of the hub is not needed, 
  the axle may be loose enough after removing the wheel nut. 
  
  Loosen the nut first, have someone hold the brakes, otherwise it is very 
  hard to break loose if the axle is not connected).
  
  Follow the instructions for Drive Shafts-Removing - Reassembling
  
  Locating the spring pins/roll pins is tricky if you don't know where to look.  
  These hold the axle/cv joint to the final drive unit.  
  They are right up next to the final drive on the inboard end of the inner CV.  
  Punch them out with a suitable punch, this releases the inner joint/axle.  
  
  Follow the book on the  Driveshaft Removal and Reassembling steps--
   Overhauling the spider gear step in the book show how to remove and 
   replace the boot. 
   
   VERY important, when you remove the yoke from the axle, wrap tape 
   around the rollers to prevent them from coming off their shafts.  
   
   Mark the yoke / spider gears to insure that they gets back in the same 
   way they came out. Be very careful when pressing the spider gear off, 
   no marks on any bearing surface, etc.
  With the  spider gear off and taped to prevent loosing the rollers, 
  remove the boot.  If you are changing both boots, slide both boots on 
  the shaft, both boots install from the inner end of the shaft.. 
  
  Remove all the grease you can.  
  DO NOT clean any part of the yoke with solvent, any getting into the 
  rollers with their needle bearings will cause failure from lack of lube. 
  Before reassambling, stuff the yoke with spec.grease (CV Joint grease) 
  and also put some in the bellows (boot), then reassemble. 
  Put the spider on the shaft,using a suitable driver, then stake the 
  axle splines in at least three places to prevent it from seperating 
  from the shaft.
  
  When stretching the boot to mate with the yoke, be careful, no sharp 
  instruments used that could pierce the material. Secure with whatever 
  is used to keep the boots in place. Differs from early to late and from 
  commercial sources.  Once done, reinstall in the vehicle, line up the axle 
  with the stub shaft from the final drive and install the roll pins 
  (there are two, one inside the other).  
  Complete according to intructions, observe torque values specified.  
  
  A special high strength Lock Tite is specified when reinstalling the 
  front axles in the bearing carriers.  Do not disturb the front double 
  row bearings unless you are going to change them.
  
  Reguards. Larry S.