2001-2009 Volvo S60 Axle Shaft Replacement

2001-2009 Volvo S60 Axle Shaft Replacement. In this video, I have to change out the axle half-shaft on the right side of my 2009 Volvo S60 FWD. I'm taking you guys along for the ride to show you that you can do this in your garage as well. If you have a good selection of tools, this really isn't a difficult job. This same half shaft would go in a 2001 to 2009 Volvo, but this process can be used on many front wheel drive axles.
The inner plunge joint assembly on the shaft was noisy. When I started the car and put it into gear, that little "lurch" as the car is going into gear would cause the assembly to clunk loudly. It sounded like there was no grease inside the assembly. It was a really dry sound, so I decided it was time to replace the half shaft before I found myself stranded somewhere.

[@dimitarjordanov9945]

I just did this job, on the right side, to replace the outer boot. All you need to remove is the abs sensor, sway bar link, and the 2 strut bolts, the entire hub will be able to move enough, especially if you have your steering wheel "unlocked". I wonder if you could get away without even removing the sway bar link, as the hub itself moves to give you more than enough space to clear the axle out of the way.

[@BobC777]

I have seen other videos that removed only strut bolts but not sway bar link,

[@Hdogdog7]

@@BobC777 Just did this job, you don't need to remove anything but the abs sensor, brake caliper, and strut bolts.

[@luisrivera468]

Thanks for this post! Just did mine thanks to your video! You explained everthing to the "T" and that's exactly what I did and I was able to complete job in no time! Thanks again brother!!👍

[@quisqueyains]

Thanks For That. I was scared of the job... more like hesitant but now after seeing you do it, its very doable even in the driveway in a 35 degree weather. Sunny though, definitely not in the rain.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

It won't be fun at 35 degrees but it's doable. The hardest part of the whole thing is just moving the strut out of the way to get the shaft out. Don't be afraid to push things around firmly. Watch the boot on the CV joint putting the new one in. It's pretty tough, but you don't want to slide it past a sharp edge. Other than that, it's really not that bad of a job as long as all the bolts come off OK. Having an impact wrench really helps. They are cheaper than you think if you've never priced them.

[@keithhicks3100]

Thank you sooooooooooooo much you saved me 575,00 a mechanic wanted 700,00 and told me the part alone was 500,00 thank you again God bless you

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Thanks! Glad that I could help someone out. Thanks for sharing too!

[@phillipcrump5731]

Really appreciate you posting and detailing this! Very helpful! Wish you only good things in life my man!

[@jerryc.3593]

I’m going to do this soon .Both sides .Also replacing the entire front suspension components.Thanks for the video .

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

These things will last a long time if you keep them up to date on wear parts. Just to make sure everything was like new, over the last 3 or 4 years I've replaced almost the whole front end as well. Lower control arms (for the bushings), struts, brakes, sway bar links, Inner and outer tie rods, and axle shafts. Haven't had to replace the wheel bearings surprisingly. None of it is difficult at all on these cars, and parts are very reasonable priced.

[@omarndow5367]

Thanks for the video Floyd, it is really educative.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Thank you. It may not be perfect, but hopefully it can help someone decide they can do it too.

[@Ace-gl9zi]

Ace 1 second ago Some videos show the ball joint being disconnected. I think your approach might be easier to reassemble. Nice job. Thank you for posting.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

I've never had to remove the ball joint for the axle shafts. I remove it at one point when I removed the whole spindle just to clean it up, but I didn't have to do that, I just did it because I wanted to.

[@jamesmccue6945]

good video and explanation. I might add to slightly crack loose the hub bolt while the wheel is still on & on the ground and later tap the axle out of the hub with a deep socket to avoid distorting threads if you simply use the partly threaded axle bolt. Also on some s80 s there is the PING issue and there is an axle bolt that has a hard rubber washer integrated into the bolt's head/washer to dampen the ping impact. A "slight" bit of anti seize on the end splines will keep it lubed and reduce rust potential. Some details of torque on these bolts would be helpful - especially the hub axle bolt. Being under the car( even on jacks), on my back with an axle almost dropping on my face is bothersome, so the tip to first loosen the carrier bolts was helpful.

[@dereknichols3921]

What brand did you buy? If you don’t mind me asking because mine just broke and I’m not sure if the left side or right side yet

[@dave1135]

Thanks for the video. I'm a 30 year tech but have never done a Volvo. Wanted to see a quick overview to see what the procedure was.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Pretty easy really. If you do work on cars in any other capacity, this should be a piece if cake, assuming something isn't stuck trying to get it out. I've been impressed with how easy the front end is to work on with these P2 Volvos.

[@dave1135]

@@FloydNashFixItDad yeah, they are pretty simple. I'm retired now due to osteoarthritis so getting down under a car is a little difficult. This was nice to see what fasteners are involved and sizes so I can be prepared with all the tools I'll need from the start

[@austintx2255]

Helpfull video. Thank you. Can you give us the name of the brand of the new cv axle and where you bought it and can you give us an update on how well the new part is performing?.....Thank you again !!

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Thank you. I used a Cardone shaft from Rock Auto. It's still performing like new. I've used Cardone parts a few times and so far I've really liked them. Good quality at a good price.

[@willjr2520]

@@FloydNashFixItDad How have these held up after 2 years? did you change the driver side with Cardone or is it another brand?

[@texwiller9337]

Great job and very detailed explanation. Was it the driver side shaft that you were replacing? My S60 (automatic) cabin and seat vibrates when accelerating at 60mph. The drive shaft on my car driver side is more noisy than the passenger side when shaken up and down by hand. I wonder if you had the same vibrations problem with your issue. Thanks for the video.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

This is the passenger side. The driver side is similar. There is no middle attachment on the driver side because the shaft is shorter. Also, where the shaft goes into the transmission may not come out as easy, or it may come out just fine. If it doesn't come out easy, use a LARGE screwdriver or wedge of some sort to get between the side of the transmission where the shaft goes in, and the back side of the plunge joint and drive that wedge or screwdriver between them to help pop that shaft loose. Usually it's not too hard to do. On a rare occasion, it can be a pain, but normally it's pretty easy. I originally had highway vibration I couldn't get rid of no matter how much I had the tires balanced or aligned, and replacing the axle shafts eliminated that totally.

[@texwiller9337]

@@FloydNashFixItDad Thanks Floyd, i will follow your advice. Its great to have people like you on KZbin.

[@lynxman531]

A mechanic near me wanted around 415 for it and I'm happy I can do it for less than half that

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

These aren't that bad really. I used to be terrified to work on suspension stuff, but this Volvo is great to learn on. It's very well designed and generally pretty easy to figure things out.

[@garymaple3387]

Thanks, super helpful, good work sir.

[@darylthomas1276]

You made this look so easy ! Wanna come to Florida and help with mine?! Lol

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

It's 19where I'm at in Michigan right now so that's really tempting!

[@dananit4693]

@FloydNashFixItDad Sooo glad we found you. Hubby is getting ready to do this on driver's side of my '04 S60. What brand part replacement do you recommend (or did we miss that somewhere in the vid) ??? The price of OEM is scary, but I'm a little afraid of aftermarket...any advice? Thx!! Mari

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

I've used Cardone parts and never had an issue so far... knock on wood. Rock Auto has some good ones too.

[@dananit4693]

@@FloydNashFixItDad thanks!! I read further into the comments can't seem to find the Cardones. What's your opinion of the Sur Tracks for driver's side? Do they hold up?

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

@@dananit4693 I can't say how any part for sure is going to hold up. I went back and looked at what I have in this car. The driver side is a Sur Track I installed in 2018 and it's still fine. I had put a Sur Track in the passenger side and it was noisy and I didn't like it, so I replaced it with a Cardone and have had no issues since.

[@r-ma.8810]

16:10... how did you get wheel end of the axle out of hub bearing ??

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

The axle retaining bolt on the end was already out from earlier. When I removed the tie rod end, the sway bar link, and finally the strut bolts, the spindle wants to lay back a bit and the end of the axle will just slide right out of the hub bearing on it's own. If yours doesn't, hold the spindle up, put the axle bolt back in a little, just enough to engage 1/4 inch or so of threads, and tap the bolt with a hammer, harder as needed, to pop it loose from the splines in the hub bearing. If you're not re-using the bolt (and you shouldn't be) or the axle, then you don't really have to worry too much about damaging those. Mine just slid right out without even trying. I literally had to do nothing and it was out on it's own.

[@r-ma.8810]

@@FloydNashFixItDad thanks

[@AirwaveMustang]

If you only have one jack, there is a liftpoint in the centre front of the car. You can see it @4:10

[@willjr2520]

How have these held up after 2 years? did you change the driver side with Cardone or is it another brand? My Volvo has a GSP brand (also from RockAuto) on the passenger side and in less than a year I noticed the same play like yours in the video. Also I have found axle grease on the axle bolt when I removed it. I'm assuming that is not normal since the driver side is dry and still has the original Volvo brand axle. REPLY

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

The Cardone one has held up perfect. No issues. The other is a SurTrack I got in 2018 and it's been fine also. No troubles so far and hoping to keep it that way.

[@willjr2520]

@@FloydNashFixItDad Thank you for the reply. I just ordered the Cardone brand from RockAuto. I know your videos are old but any updates on what have been fixed or replaced?

[@archstanton126]

Will a CV axle going bad cause a bad vibration between 35-60 mph? Bout to change mine, feels like axle went bad and became unbalanced

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Yep it sure will, or at other speeds as well. Had that happen on this car at highway speeds and it was an out of balance axle

[@archstanton126]

@@FloydNashFixItDad changed passenger axle and it fixed the vibration between 35-60 mph . It had gotten worse. So bad I thought the engine was missfireing till I seen your video. I grew up in a Subaru family and this is my first Volvo, but I do love my s60 . Different signs for a bad axle I suppose, Thanks again

[@JBKinh15]

Guys, remember to lift the both ends of the car, if you only just lift the front end, you'll end up draining trans oil from the side that you remove the driveshaft.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

No, that shouldn't happen. I've never seen or heard of that happening on any properly operating transmission. The only time you may see any fluid come out is if the transmission is overfilled that I know of.

[@dereknichols3921]

Is it the same process on the driver side as well? Does anybody have anything on that? As of right now I’m getting ready to get under there and decide if it’s the left or the right side I’m not sure I was going down the road and next thing you know start a red lining and I had no pedal and it started Coastin and that’s where I’m at my mechanic said it’s either left or right side since I had a lot of wobbling and bouncing on the left side, he thinks it’s the left side. If anyone has any helpful, hints or tips, let me know.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Drivers side is pretty much the same minus that intermediate bearing. The shaft is shorter. It should be easy to tell which side it is. That wheel will spin freely

[@bessarion1771]

I have seen people just undoing the lower ball joint, popping it out of the lower control arm, and that's it.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Hopefully I don't have to do this again but if I do, that's a good trick to try. These ball joints usually come out of the control arm pretty easily.

[@bessarion1771]

@@FloydNashFixItDad I'll be doing it with my son shortly. I'll let you know. Ridiculously, the right hand CV axle is $70, but the axle carrier bearing is $300.

[@moemoneysouth]

What about the drive side ? Did the original have a Counter balance ?

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

The shaft on the driver side was much shorter. I don't remember it having any kind of actual balancer on it. I think if the shaft is out of balance for some reason, you may see balance weights applied, but I don't remember the original or replacement shafts on this car (the driver side has indeed been replaced) having any weights.

[@moemoneysouth]

Floyd Nash . Yeah , I have a 2005 s60 base model that had a counter weight on the driver’s side original axle. I’ve replaced the axles and the new driver side axle didn’t come with a weight. The only issue I read about and have experience was, when going above 80 mph the drive train shakes. I don’t know if it was a fix or a standard design for the base model s60 . I will do a little more research to see where the counter weight set up came from . Thanks .

[@315Boss]

@@moemoneysouth did you find out what made the drive train shake?

[@otrtrucker9688]

Dam, this definitely the long way!

[@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323]

I had my boyfriend install my axles due to my CV boot being bad and now my car is anytime I go around a corner or accelerate into a corner I almost lose control of the car is that due to the sway bar not being installed

[@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323]

Please if anybody can get me feedback my car field extremely dangerous to drive I've almost lost control of the vehicle multiple times due to this problem I've actually taken it into the shop told them what was going on and charged me money and told me that there was nothing wrong I needed my alignment and new tires I had all 4 tires replaced and malignant done and it got worse so any feedback would be Really appreciated

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

@@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323 without more info on how it was acting it's hard to say for sure. When you brake, does it stop straight and evenly? When you accelerate from a stop, is it even or does it pull in one direction? Do you have a way of jacking both sides up to get the front tires off the ground, put it into gear, and make sure both tires spin? Can you see anything that doesn't look like it's connected properly, if at all?

[@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323]

So stopping I feel no issues but accelerating yes bad it pulls to the left.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

@@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323 Jack both sides up in front, set the parking brake, put it in gear, and see if both tires spin. I bet they don't. One of those axles is bad. Either that or you have a bolt in one of the control arms missing, or something along those lines. With it in the air, wiggle each tire hard by hand in all directions to see if there is any movement.

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

@@devonsuzanneharlowcrawford7323 also, if one sway bar link wasn't reinstalled on one side it may cause that too, not certain but likely.

[@braneflac3391]

Ali je mogoče zamenjati samo homokinetični zglob

[@FloydNashFixItDad]

Verjamem, da ja. Celotna gred je tako poceni, da jo je lažje zamenjati

[@braneflac3391]

@@FloydNashFixItDad Thank you