The Haynes manual suggests that if any of the cv boots are torn or otherwise
busted, good chance the joint has gone south. The manual goes on to say
the fastest and easiest repair may be to get a rebuilt driveaxle. The
passenger side outer cv boot was history on our 90 accord. We had a new
boot kit for our passenger side, but closer examination and a careful
scrutiny of Haynes convinced us to just get a rebuilt driveaxle and go with
it. A core charge will probably apply when you buy the part. We had
already removed the steering knuckle, and this is what we did to replace the
passenger side driveaxle...

You have to get down and dirty. First take your oil change pan and
drain the transaxle (that's the part the driveaxles fit into) of its oil.
Looking at the transaxle from the passenger side, there will be a plug at
the lowest point which takes a 3/8ths socket. You may want to use your
1/2x3/8
adapter to enable use of the larger ratchet. Once the transaxle is drained,
replace the plug and remove the oil.

Take a pry bar and put it between the transaxle and the metal end of the
driveaxle and pry the driveaxle off. It should come out pretty easily.
Slide it all the way out of the way. Get your replacement driveaxle and
check to make sure the spring clip is in the goove on the end. I found it
best to keep
the outer end of the driveaxle tied up with wire while I worked on the inner
part. Slide the end of the driveaxle into the transaxle as far as you can.
If you can shove it in until it seats, well and good. I couldn't. There
were no round wooden dowels close by at the time so I used a wooden 1x2
about fifteen inches long and a rubber mallet, placed the 1x2 verrrry
carefully on the lip of the metal end of the driveaxle on the boot side and
gave it a few light taps with the mallet. It seated as I tapped. You can
tell if the driveaxle seats because if it does, you can't pull it back out
with your hands. That's it, and it's pretty simple, really.

On reassembly of the steering knuckle, coat the part of the end of the
driveaxle that fits into the hub with a light coat of grease. You may find
it easier to to fit the end of the driveaxle in the knuckle as you hold the
knuckle, then you can lift the knuckle and put the end of the lower ball
joint down in the lower control arm. It's almost a downhill run from here
on in. Once the knuckle is back in place, replace the lower ball joint nut,
fit the upper control arm ball joint and the outer tie rod end into the
knuckle, replace the nuts, torque them and replace the cotter pins.

prvtlewis