2002 V70 X/C rear axle removal

[Manic Mike]

I am preparing to remove the rear axles from a 2002 V70 X/C for C/V boot replacement. I tried (really hard) a few years ago when the car was not mine and the axles did not want to come out, so I left well enough alone. Now I own the car (they did not pay their mechanic) and both front CV boots needed replacement, so I am going to do the rear C/V bots, before they fail at a bad time. Does any one have any tricks for getting the rear axles out, short of BRUTE FORCE. BRUTE FORCE works, but it breaks things. I am thinking of fabricating a puller if possible. Tried putting on bar bell type weights, then the axle bolt and slamming it hard; nothing moved.. Manic Mike

[sjonnie]

Rear axles come out easily with a pry bar between the final drive (rear differential) and the inner CV joint housing but to access that you need to drop the final drive. The boots on my '02 axles looked just fine after 260k mi, if I were you I would leave well alone and not bother.

[dejanaleksov]

If u use the same axles, be sure to mount the tripod joint the same way in as it goes out,or u feel a vibration on heavy acceleration. Do not rotate the shaft mark it first, before disassembly. My rear boots are OK after 155k miles.