Driver side Cv axle boot leak

[Rockhoundrob]

2009 Rogue AWD 150,000 miles

Last summer the passenger CV axle transmission seal started leaking. I had to replace the seal 3 times due to bad FSM instructions.
While I was at it, I also replaced the passenger side CV Axle. ( you can see what happened if you look back at the topic last summer).

Today, I changed the oil on the car and noticed the driver side CV axle boot is broken.
Obviously I need to change it, but I am thinking I might as well change the transmission CV axle seal since I am replacing the CV axle.
Any suggestions? The passenger side was HELL to work on. I hope the driver side is easier, is this true?

Any tricks so I don't have to replace the seal again due to bad FSM instruction s?
Last time the trouble was due to me pushing the seal too far in.
By the 3rd try, I did my own measurements and got it right.

[VStar650CL]

Yes, the driver's side is much easier because it's a 1-piece axle. There's no carrier bearing to worry about, which is what makes the righthand side such a b****. If the axle itself is healthy then you might want to consider using a split boot, they work very well if applied cleanly and carefully.

[Rockhoundrob]

From my experience...
When a car is about 10 years old and between 100-150,000 miles... best to just replace the whole part.

Ok, so- you're saying if it takes 4-5 hours to do the passenger side, the driver side is likely to take 3 hours or so?

The main issue I had was how much to press the seal into the transmission. I finally figured it out on the passenger side (on the 3rd try).
So I can assume it is the same on the driver side?

[VStar650CL]

From my experience...
When a car is about 10 years old and between 100-150,000 miles... best to just replace the whole part.

No argument here.

Ok, so- you're saying if it takes 4-5 hours to do the passenger side, the driver side is likely to take 3 hours or so?

Probably less, because access to the seal should be a lot less convoluted.

The main issue I had was how much to press the seal into the transmission. I finally figured it out on the passenger side (on the 3rd try).
So I can assume it is the same on the driver side?

Yep. The driver's side just protrudes a little less (and is way easier to get at).

[Rockhoundrob]

Thank you for your input.

Looking forward to this project then!

[VStar650CL]

[Rockhoundrob]

Question...

I remember the FSM manual said to disconnect (on the passenger side) at the lower ball joint.
I was able to do the CV AXLE job by removing the 2 large bolts on the knuckle to Strut, and also disconnect the outer tie-rod. ThIs allowed me to remove the CV axle.

Is it the same on the driver side? Or do I need to disconnect the lower ball joint?

[VStar650CL]

I don't think removing the knuckle bolts will give you enough clearance to get the splines out of the hub. The passenger axle flexes at the carrier and you can get clearance by lifting and kinking it, but you can't do that on the driver's side. We always bust the joint, I've never seen anyone do it any other way.

[Rockhoundrob]

I looked on Youtube and see there is a bolt for the lower ball joint.
That won't be too bad to deal with.

On all the other cars I worked on, there is a nut instead, and it is very hard to disconnect the ball joint without damaging the boot.

Hope to start on this in a couple of weeks.

[Rockhoundrob]

Quick question...
On most other cars I worked on, If I remove the CV axle or the nut for the tie-rod end, etc... I need to replace the nut or bolts and cotter pins.

If I remove the CV axle nut and the bolt for the lower ball joint, do I need to replace them?

[VStar650CL]

Refer to FAX-10 here:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... %2FFAX.pdf

To find out if Nissan specifies a given part as non-reusable, just find the exploded diagram containing the part. Notice there's an "X" next to the cotter pin and the nut for the ball joint clamp bolt. That X means no re-use.

[Rockhoundrob]

WOW! Learned something new!

I been looking at diagrams for decades and never gave it a 2nd thought about the X !

[VStar650CL]

[Rockhoundrob]

I am getting ready to replace the CV axle and seal on the driver side.
Just to make sure I was prepared, I watched a couple of YouTube videos.
Then I saw something that reminded me of something that perplexed me when I did the passenger side last summer.

When I was done with the passenger side, I tightened the CV axle nut, but when I put in the cotter pin, there was a 1/4" gap between the pin and the CV Axle nut.
When I saw the video, I see there is a CV axle nut cage. This is what was missing on the passenger side and therefore created the gap.

I can't seem to find this on Nissan car parts list. Is there another name for it?

[casperfun]

Seems to be the norm. Same year same part missing. I tried to get that piece from an old sentra used on Ebay but it didn't fit in the end.

So left it as is. Missing part and all.

No problems.

[Rockhoundrob]

UPDATE...
I decided to go to a Nissan dealer and I am glad I did.
The nut that came with the CV axle was not something I would use.

So I bought 2 nuts at Nissan dealer and will put them on both CV axles.

[Rockhoundrob]

All went well...
I did have trouble separating the ball joint from the knuckle.

So I decided to remove the strut to knuckle bolts and the CV Axle came out OK. It was a bit tight, but doable.

However, the tire pressure light is flashing 60 times when I start the car and then stays on.
Nothing looked good on the internet.

[VStar650CL]

You can't tell anything from the flashes like you can with an airbag, the flashing just indicates an error someplace in the system. It's a time delay and times out after a minute or so. Unless you ran the axle with the tire off or maybe accidentally whacked the valve stem, nothing about a CV replacement should have affected the TPMS. If it's the former there will be a "no data" code stored in the BCM, just have it erased. Any tire place will have a TPMS reader-programmer that can read the system and tell you what's in there.

[Rockhoundrob]

GRRR!! Now there is a small transmission leak on the driver side.

There is a 2" diameter stain on the driveway and I am sure it is transmission fluid.
I plan to wait a few days to see if the seal will adjust the fit. I did put in a new seal and new CV axle.

I suspect the tool I used to drive the CV seal into the transmission was too small a diameter. I went to 2 stores and both were smaller than I would have wanted.
Looking back, I believe when I tapped it in, I may have bent the inner diameter of the seal and cause to bevel ever so slightly, causing the hole to be slightly larger.

That's when I remember last summer (when I did the passenger side), Vstar recommended using a tailpipe.

So I am waiting a few days to see how the leak goes. I went ahead and got a tail pipe adapter. Here is the size I got and plan to use if I have to redo the seal again.

The red arrow points to where the pipe needs to fit.
The seal driver tool was inside - where the green arrow points.