Inner Tripod Joint Sealing Boot Replacement

REMOVAL
To remove sealing boots from driveshafts for replacement, the driveshaft assemblies must be removed from the vehicle.
The Delphi-Saginaw inner tripod joints used on the LH platform vehicles use no internal retention in the tripod housing to keep the spider assembly in the housing. Therefore do not pull on the interconnecting shaft to disengage tripod housing from transmission stub shaft. Removal in this manner will cause damage to inboard boots.

1. Remove the driveshaft requiring boot replacement from the vehicle.

Inner Tripod Joint Sealing Boot Clamps:

2. Remove large boot clamp which retains inner tripod joint sealing boot to tripod joint housing and discard. Remove small clamp which retains inner tripod joint sealing boot to interconnecting shaft and discard. Remove the sealing boot from the tripod housing and slide it down the interconnecting shaft.

CAUTION: When removing the spider joint from the tripod joint housing. Hold the rollers in place on the spider trunions to prevent the rollers and needle bearings from failing away.

Spider Assembly Joint Removal From Housing:

3. Slide the interconnecting shaft and spider assembly out of the tripod joint housing.

Spider Assembly Retaining Snap Ring Removal:

4. Remove snap ring which retains spider assembly to interconnecting shaft. Then remove the spider assembly from interconnecting shaft. If spider assembly will not come off interconnecting shaft by hand, it can be removed by tapping the end of the spider body with a brass drift. Do not hit the outer tripod bearings in an attempt to remove spider assembly from interconnecting shaft.
5. Slide failed sealing boot off the interconnecting shaft.

Seal Boot Correctly Positioned On Interconnecting Shaft:

6. Thoroughly clean and inspect spider assembly, tripod joint housing and interconnecting shaft for any signs of excessive wear. If any parts show signs of excessive wear, the driveshaft assembly will require replacement. Component parts of the LH platform driveshaft assemblies are not serviceable.

INSTALLATION

NOTE: The inner tripod joint sealing boots used on the LH platform vehicles are made of silicone rubber. The silicone sealing boots are soft and pliable. The replacement sealing boot MUST BE the same type of material as the sealing boot which was removed.

1. Slide inner tripod joint seal boot retaining clamp, onto interconnecting shaft. Then slide replacement inner tripod joint sealing boot onto the interconnecting shaft. Inner tripod joint seal boot MUST be positioned on interconnecting shaft, so only the thinnest (sight) groove on interconnecting shaft is visible.
2. Install the spider assembly onto the interconnecting shaft. Spider assembly must be installed on interconnecting shaft far enough to fully install the retaining snap ring. If spider assembly will not fully install on interconnecting shaft by hand', it can be installed by tapping the spider body with a brass drift. Do not hit the outer tripod bearings in an attempt to install spider assembly on interconnecting shaft.

Spider Assembly Retaining Snap Ring Installation:

3. Install the spider assembly to interconnecting shaft retaining snap ring into groove on end of interconnecting shaft. Verify the snap ring is fully seated into groove on interconnecting shaft.
4. Distribute 1/2 the amount of grease provided in the seal boot service package (DO NOT USE ANY OTHER TYPE OF GREASE) into tripod housing. Put the remaining amount into the sealing boot.

Spider Assembly Installed In Housing:

5. Slide the spider assembly and the interconnecting shaft into the tripod joint housing.
6. Install inner tripod joint seal boot to interconnecting shaft clamp evenly on sealing boot.

Crimping Tool Installed On Sealing Boot Clamp:

Sealing Boot Retaining Clamp Installed:

7. Clamp sealing boot onto interconnecting shaft using Crimper, Special Tool C-4975 and the following procedure. Place crimping tool C- 4975 over bridge of clamp. Tighten nut on crimping tool C-4975 until jaws on tool are closed completely together, face to face.

CAUTION: Seal must not be dimpled, stretched or out of shape in any way. If seal is NOT shaped correctly, equalize pressure in seal and shape it by hand.

Boot And Clamp Positioning:

8. Position the sealing boot into the tripod housing retaining groove. Install seal boot retaining clamp evenly on sealing boot.
9. Clamp sealing boot onto tripod housing using Crimper, Special Tool C-4975 and the following procedure. Place crimping tool C-4975 over bridge of clamp. Tighten nut on crimping tool C-4975 until jaws on tool are closed completely together, face to face.
10. Install the driveshaft back into the vehicle.