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Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace a front axle on this 2003 Chevy Monte Carlo. We show you on the passenger side, but the driver's side is the same procedure. The items you'll need for this is a new front axle from 1AAuto.com, a 19mm, 21mm, and 35mm socket and ratchet, a pry bar, a drip pan, a torque wrench, jack and jack stands, and a hammer.
Start off by just loosening up these lug nut caps. Then just pull your hubcap free. Now, you want to loosen up this 35mm hub nut. You can see we use a piece of pipe for some extra leverage to help break it free. You want to do this while the vehicle's on the ground. Then we're just going to use air-powered tools to get it off the rest of the way. You don't want to remove it entirely, though. You want to just keep it just a few threads on still. Just like that. Now you can remove your lug nuts. If you don't have air-powered tools, you want to loosen these up while the vehicle's on the ground, then raise the vehicle, and remove them the rest of the way. If you do have air-powered tools, you can just remove them right here. Now you can just pull your wheel off.
Remove that hub nut, and then just hit in the axle with a hammer. Then remove these two 21mm bolts at the bottom of your strut. You can see he's using a piece of pipe for some extra leverage here. We'll just fast-forward as he removes those the rest of the way. Now just hammer the bolts out. Then pry from the back of the axle using a pry bar and your hammer. You do want to make sure you have a drip pan underneath it, because it will leak. Then hammer again on the axle to loosen it up. Then pull the wheel knuckle forward, pull your axle free, and then tuck it off to the side.
After you do that, just start hitting the axle out of the wheel knuckle with a hammer. Now you can angle the axle up and out. Up front is the old axle; behind it is the new one from 1A Auto. You can see they're identical, and they'll fit exactly the same.
Put your new axle into place and tuck the back end of it back into that corner, so that you can angle the front down into the wheel knuckle. Then just push the wheel knuckle back onto the axle, and then feed the other end of the axle back into place. You kind of shake the axle up and down and turn it a little bit until it goes into the transmission.
Now push your wheel knuckle back into the strut and replace those two bolts. Twist the nuts back into place, and then tighten them up. Then torque both of these bolts to 130 foot-pounds. Replace your hub nut. Then replace your wheel and each of the lug nuts. You want to just tighten them preliminarily, and then lower the vehicle and tighten them the rest of the way. Then tighten up the hub nut. Now torque the hub nut to 159 foot pounds. Then torque these lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing pattern. Replace your hubcap and tighten up those lug nut caps. Then you're all set.
Now start your car to warm up the transmission. Pull out the dip stick, wipe it clean, replace it, and pull it out again to check it. You can see we're a little low, so we're just going to replace the amount we need, and then replace our dip stick. It's a good idea to check it one more time.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.