Driveaxles — general information and inspection
1. Power is transmitted from the transaxle to the front wheels through a pair of drive axles. The inner end of each drive axle is connected to the transaxle, directly splined to the differential side gears. The outer ends of the drive axles are splined to the front hubs and locked in place by a large nut. The left side drive axle is shorter while the right-side drive-axle is longer and equipped with an intermediate shaft that is supported in the middle by a support bearing.
2. The inner ends of the drive axles are equipped with sliding constant velocity joints, which are capable of both angular and axial motion. Each inner joint assembly consists of a tripod bearing and a joint tulip (housing) constant velocity joint in which the joint is free to slide in-and-out as the drive axle moves up-and-down with the wheel. The joints can be disassembled and cleaned in the event of a boot failure, but if any parts are damaged, the joints must be replaced as a unit (see Driveaxle boot replacement).
3. Each outer joint, which consists of ball bearings running between an inner race and an outer race (housing), is capable of angular but not axial movement.
4. The boots should be inspected periodically for damage and leaking lubricant. Torn CV joint boots must be replaced immediately or the joints can be damaged. Boot replacement involves removal of the drive axle (see Driveaxle — removal and installation). The most common symptom of worn or damaged CV joints, besides lubricant leaks, is a clicking noise in turns, a clunk when accelerating after coasting and vibration at highway speeds. To check for wear in the CV joints and drive axle shafts, grasp each axle (one at a time) and rotate it in both directions while holding the CV joint housings, feeling for play indicating worn splines or sloppy CV joints. Also check the drive axle shafts for cracks, dents and distortion.