Right, muuuuuch later than I'd planned, here's the pics from yesterday's CV joint change, first time I've done serious maintenance since we moved into the new house I can report the conrete pad outside the garage doors is nie and flat and a breeze to jack on

Now I used squidy's 'Replacing CV joint - The Easy way!' thread in BA Guides as a reference as its a while since i've changed a CV, never hurts to refresh the memory in his thread he unbolts the hub from the ball joint rather than the strut as I do, in my opinion unbolting the ball joint is the more fiddly method, so in case anyone wants to do it the alternative way, I took the following....

Once the car is jacked, on stands and chocked at the rear, wheels removed I took a reference shot because I have adjustable camber bolts...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_144431_zps5441373c.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_144431_zps5441373c.jpg[/img][/url]

I removed the caliper and hung it from the spring using a butchers hook I had handy and removed the disc.

Next I popped off the hub nut with my 32mm socket and breaker bar then...

Historically my CV joints have usually been easy enough to push out of the hubs with my fingers I borrowed this beastie from Lee and Nathan just in case, cheers guys, we first used it on the GTR when it was defeated by the indestructable drive shaft since repaired and ready to go...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_152310_zps065c0b98.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_152310_zps065c0b98.jpg[/img][/url]

Once the joint is out of the hub, rest it on the control arm so as not to damage the inboard end and snip the cable ties retaining the CV boot, then slide the boot up the drive shaft out of the way for the moment...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_152318_zpsd1fffc91.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_152318_zpsd1fffc91.jpg[/img][/url]

Use some tissue/rag/cloth to wipe off the excess old grease from the driveshaft and joint and then, using a hammer, tap off the old CV joint from the drive shaft, don't be shy, is only held on with a small circlip which you can see just back from the end of the shaft in this pic...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155048_zps315b65ce.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155048_zps315b65ce.jpg[/img][/url]

Put the old joint to one side, the new one I bought has a £5 exchange value when you return the old joint for reconditioning...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155106_zps6d977ab4.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155106_zps6d977ab4.jpg[/img][/url]

Unpack the new joint kit and test fit in the hub and the drive shaft to make sure it fits, I'm quite lucky, Chi's old 1.8 hubs have the same number of splines as Meanies old hubs do...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155314_zps4c158657.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155314_zps4c158657.jpg[/img][/url][url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155420_zpsfc09e5de.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155420_zpsfc09e5de.jpg[/img][/url]

Next, remove the old circlip from the drive shaft, I used a carpenters awl for this, remove the old CV boot, this was in pretty good nick and i'll keep as a spare especially since the drivers side is pretty badly perished, its also the boot I drove to Driffield to fit using Stu's wonderful CV boot gun, but thats another story Clean the rest of the excess old grease from the drive shaft and splines. Then. grab your new circlip...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155604_zps43d3da0b.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155604_zps43d3da0b.jpg[/img][/url]

and fit it to the driveshaft...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155900_zpsb47cfd16.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_155900_zpsb47cfd16.jpg[/img][/url]

Then, get distracted like I did and fit the new CV joint to the driveshaft, realise what you've done, swear for a bit, roll a smoke...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160052_zpsd792a1a9.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160052_zpsd792a1a9.jpg[/img][/url]

...curse some more and take the previously mentioned hammer to your lovely, shiney new CV joint and knock it back off the driveshaft

Once you've stopped kicking yourself, slide the new boot overthe driveshaft...

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160423_zps1e067ad7.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160423_zps1e067ad7.jpg[/img][/url]

Fit the new CV joint to the driveshaft, again

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160518_zps90e51926.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_160518_zps90e51926.jpg[/img][/url]

Grab the sachet of CV grease and squeeze it into the back of the joint and inside the boot, the easiest way to this I find is to hold the boot up to the joint and hold it so the bottm lip of the boot is over the joint and the top has about an inch gap. you may find disposable glove are useful at this point because you'll need to push the grease in to once or twice to make it all fit Once you've got most ofthe grease in, slide the boot over the joint and secure it with a cable tie or the supplied metal ring clip, put a cable tie around the driveshaft/small end as well

Pop the splined end of the new joint into the hub, refit the hub to the strut, recalibrating the camber as in the guide shot, refit the steering arm, and screw on the new hub nut, tighten it up nice and tight, nip it into the slot in the end of the shaft with very blunt screwdriver and...

Hey presto, all done

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/andym323/media/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_162148_zps01f334f1.jpg.html][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/andym323/CV%20Joint%202013/20140104_162148_zps01f334f1.jpg[/img][/url]

Replace the brake line, hose retainer, disc, caliper and wheel, drop the car off the stands, remember to tighten the wheel nuts, pack your tools way, have a cup of tea and a smoke and enjoy silent cornering again

No dogs were used in the making of this guide

squidy's guide is here... viewtopic.php?f=19&t=50529