xt2005bonbon

It should be more work to remove, rebuild and reinstall the axle than remove the old and insert a new one

I slightly disagree. Well yes it is technically more work but it is really not that much. It is basically an extra 30mn max to get rid of the old boot, clean up the parts, add the new grease in and put the new boot. Plus the boot+grease only cost like 40$ for genuine subaru parts online I think. So I would encourage to go that route. But there is still an important assumption to take into account: the cracked boot has to be noticed or caught very early with the grease noticeably still fresh (and stinky too). Then you know it should be just fine to change the boot with a new one. My two cents..

Hey, just a note, mine developed a bit of a rattle this afternoon. I went in & checked, turns out the axle nut wasn't quite tight enough. I've now torqued it to the point that I worried the breaker bar would snap.

Did you use a torque wrench? You can rent one from Autozone. That is really important since you could destroy your wheel bearing very very quickly if it was not torqued properly. Oh and did you pinch the nut? Cause it could get loose if it is not pinched. Just a thought..

sorry man. I don't know why the link got posted this way. If you click on the title of the blank 'picture' (i.e. "Photobucket (videos)"), it will bring you to the link.

It should work. I clicked on it several times after I posted it.

What does it mean to "Unstake the axle nut?" Why does this kill a screwdriver? Any pics of this? Something's crimped on there? What?

^check this picture out: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Scorpion101/2702981902_fe14b05b62.jpg

You see how the nut is pinched? Well, you need to "undo that pinch" by using a screwdriver or chizel before you can loosen the nut. It may break your screwdriver head if it is a cheap one.

Was there any kind of retainer ring on the engine-side of the axle?

^I do not recall any kind of retainer ring that came out when I pulled mine out. However, if you look very carefully to the picture you attached to your post, there is a small ring on the edge of the axle (engine side--left side on your picture). That is the only 'ring' that I am aware of.

You should just be able to pull the axle out with a bit of force. When you put it back in, you will have to push a bit hard too until it snaps in the gearbox.

Hope that helps..

When I gave it a hard tug I pulled the axle and the bearings leaving the green cup in the tranny

^If I recall, I never pulled the axle to get it off the tranny. Instead, I used a really fat flat head screw driver, placed it between the green cup and the tranny, then gently got the axle out using the screwdriver as a lever. This way, the axle 'simply' pops out off the tranny.

Another issue I had was with tightening the smaller band because there was not enough lead to wrap it in the tool . I ended up using pliers to pull the band and tightening it.

^I remember that I had to do the same thing you described. That kinna sucked.

GL, like mentioned it was not a major undertaking and WAAAAY cheaper than a new axle.

+1 on that. It's really not that bad at all. I've done mine a 1000 miles ago and it is just fine. no clicking whatsoever, and car is running great.

thanks xt2005. i hope to get mine done next weekend.

You're welcome. Good luck with the boot change. It's really not that bad to do and OEM parts for it are still cheap too.

It is called a CV boot banding tool. looks like this. got one from checker auto parts for 12$.

PS: sorry for this double reply... I thought my first one did not go through (I guess had to get checked by mods first..)

What is the tool needed to tighten the retaining bands assuming I use OEM bands?

The tool is called a CV boot clamp banding tool. It looks like this. It actually took me a while to find one in my city. I was able to get one at checker auto parts. You can also get it from Sears but only available online .

Just a follow-up. I also changed my front right inner cv axle boot today, cleaned up the whole thing. It was actually not hard at all. Your pictures and explanations helped tons. I did use OEM grease, boot and clamp. It went very well. Thanks man.

I took that opportunity to change my transmission fluid as well. It was about time actually! So I am a happy camper now!

great write up Inigo Montoya. I am going to do the exact same thing for my XT this coming week. I already have the new OEM kit (boot, grease,...) on my desk right now but it is snowing and I don't have a garage dang it

I am a bit confused or worried about that "ring on that axle inner spline". I don't remember seeing this on your write up but it has been mentioned by other people here...Any picture of this ring?

Oh, also since I may loose a bit of trans oil, if I need to refill would you recommend any special brand and oil type for a manual trans?

Oh and I am new to this forum. I don't have a Legacy GT but I do have an XT which is pretty similar (apart from ground clearance and other things) I guess