2001 XC V70 Rear Axle Half-Shaft Help

[jcb02]

I currently have another rather long-running thread ( 2001 XC V70 - About To Pull Drive Shaft Tomorrow ??? ) where I have asked for input on the rear axle shafts but have not received any responses. So I thought that I would post it separately to see what happens.

Very quick recap : Because of elusive noises in the AWD drive train, I am in the final throws of what may be a permanent conversion to FWD. The bevel gearbox is still in place, but everything from there back has been removed - prop shaft, VC, differential, axle shafts. The differential for certain was generating noise, and possibly other components that were removed in steps.

My current problem is that I would like to restore the ABS system which is not operation because the rear axles have been removed. I know that this can be done by installing only the outer splined end of the axle CV joint into the wheel hub so that the ABS sensor will see the wheel rotation. I would like to remove these ends from my two axle assemblies, but I would like to know if they can be separated without destroying the axles for possible future use. At least on my axles, the outer boot has a clamp on the small shaft end, but the larger end has no clamp and appears to be almost molded into the hub. So it would seem that I would have to cut the boot away at a minimum. Even then, I'm not sure of how joint is assembled and what it takes to separate the end from the shaft.

I have looked at a lot of posts and have not yet found anything that shows how the assembly is put together, parts schematics, etc. That being said, I could well have missed it and am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I hate having to destroy an otherwise good axle assembly, but I may just have to do it. As an alternative, I took a trip to my local pick & pay yard and found a 2004 AWD S60. I've read where this model is supposed to use the same axles. However, while their spline ends may work, the boot arrangement on that car was different (factory clamps on both ends of a boot that was definitely different in size than mine). So I'm a bit hesitant about going after them instead of using mine.

Any input would be appreciated - Thanks, JCB

[guymon]

CV joints are pretty easy to separate. They are harder to put together if you don't study it well before you take it apart. Their should just be 6 "ball bearings" holding the joint together. Once you get the boot back or off you'll see how it's held together. You can always go on line and find this information. I've only seen Volvo OEM rear axles for the XC and they are pricey. Unless you can find someone thats done this mod your doing, you might have to experiment a bit. I would think the ABS "ring" and "axle post" would be the same for all 4 wheels ("Just a guess"). So you might be able to find an old front cv joint and disassemble it just for the ring and post and see if that works. I'm sure other people on here will let you know if my assumption is wrong. As a side note about saving the rear axles. If you've gone this far in removing everything, and not replace or repair the final drive , I would suspect you will never put this back together. Like I've said before it might be easier to just fix it the right way ;-)

[jcb02]

guymon,

Thanks again for your input. Your last comment sort of hits home. As I was taking a "noise free" test drive yesterday after replacing the struts, I started musing as to whether I should just get a used differential and start putting things back one step at a time. So I am not completely sold on staying FWD. And your right, I'll probably never go backwards if I don't do it now. Again, my reluctance owes to the fact that the noise systems lessened as things were removed to the point that I almost thought I was only hearing road noise. This was especially the case after taking off the VC. Granted, lessening the load on a problem differential might explain this, but why take a chance when I now have an alternative (the wife's "semi-new" 2013 XC) for the 3-5% of the year I may need it.

So that's why I hate to cut away that boot, but that seems to be the only way to get to the guts. Then once separated and installed, the splined hub will probably never be usable again for reassembly if I change my mind.

I also suspect that the front splines are the same. However, I was surprised to see that the rear does not have the normal exposed "ABS ring" that you mention. The hub is completely smooth hub, so I have to assume that "cog wheel" that triggers the sensor is somehow imbedded inside. So I doubt that the front will work. I mentioned in my other thread that Alex Fiehl, FCP Euro, has done the FWD conversion to include preserving the ABS by re-inserting the axle "cups" as he refers to them. I sent a message asking for a bit more detail on this part of the job, but have yet to receive a reply.

Anyway, thanks for the input. I suspect "more to come".

JCB

[jcb02]

To all:

Aside for guymon (thanks), I received no input on my axle issue. But that's OK because it was a learning experience for me. As it turns out, you do not lose your ABS system just because you remove the differential and axle shafts as I did. Because I had a problem with the thought of destroying two perfectly good axle shafts, I kept at it until I finally realized that my basic assumption was in error - the ABS system doesn't look at the rear axles. To see why, and not to have to write this up twice, see my latest entry on my longer thread - "About to pull drive shaft tomorrow ??? "