ACCESS
Raise vehicle front end and support both sides with jack stands. Place tires under the frame rails and shim with large wood planks as protection if the jack stands shift and the vehicle falls.


Unbolt exhaust flange from manifold (2 nuts.)

Remove splash guard from wheel opening.

Disconnect anti-lock sensor & place wire near radiator and out of your work area.

Unbolt driver's side tie rod from steering knuckle. Bashing the knuckle with a sledge hammer is one way to free the stud. BEWARE not to twist the stud or you may split the rubber boot.


Unbolt and remove sway bar link from lower control arm.


Loosen spindle nut to the end of the drive shaft but leave in place to protect threads. Use either a large drift pin or a scrap cylinder head bolt and sledge hammer to pound the shaft inwards & break it free of the hub.

Unbolt the caliper pins but leave the caliper mount in place on the steering knuckle. Carefully remove the caliper and use a loop of scrap wire to hang it off the suspension spring through a bolt hole. Set the brake pads aside. Remove cotter pin and castle nut from lower ball joint. Break ball stud joint free of steering knuckle similar to the tie-rod stud removal.


Now remove transmission pan and drain transmission fluid. Temporarily put the pan back in place with a few bolts.

Place a pry bar as deeply as possible against the inner CV joint's shaft and pry against the transmission housing to force the CV shaft out of the transmission. It should click out of its seat with moderate force. (If your pry bar is too far from the shaft centerline the shaft will not release from the transmission.)

Swing the front strut & steering knuckle assembly outwards as required to remove the drive shaft from the wheel hub. Support the shaft ends while removing it. Set aside in a clean spot.


You MUST disconnect the steering shaft from the steering rack when lowering the subframe.