How to Replace Front CV Axle Assembly 2011-2018 Ram 1500

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This video shows you how to install a front CV axle assembly on your 2011-2018 Ram 1500. A CV axle has flexible joints. Often, these joints wear out, or seize from contaminants due to the protective boot tearing open. A worn joint is prone to breakage, or other hazards. If your vehicle needs a new CV axle, install a quality TRQ axle that is engineered to your vehicle’s specifications.

This repair was done on a 2016 Ram 1500 Big Horn 5.7L Crew Cab Pickup 4-Door 4WD and the process should be similar on the following vehicles:
2011 Ram 1500
2012 Ram 1500
2013 Ram 1500
2014 Ram 1500
2015 Ram 1500
2016 Ram 1500
2017 Ram 1500
2018 Ram 1500

Tools you will need:
• 22mm Wrench
• 21mm Socket
• Pliers
• Brake Parts Cleaner
• Bungee Cord
• Copper Anti-Seize
• Hammer

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⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While TRQ strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. TRQ is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[Rockwolf]

These dudes really do kick ass. Shop quoted me 750 to do my passenger side and said it would take 6 hours. Bought the parts and the tools I needed for half that and had it done in an hour in my parking lot.

These guys really are a money and life saver.

[HometownPlumbing-gpxv]

Dude kick ass. Two hours per side. Thank you. It helps to know what to expect.

[smoothdancer]

Very great video. Torque specs, socket sizes, specific tools to use. Most vehicles that need this repair aren't as new and you might need a C-clamp to retract the caliper piston. Having said that, it is a very instructional video.

[yorriamo]

Instructions were so clear it only took me 1 hour to remove and put everything back

[burnham]

Wanted to thank you so much for this video. followed your steps to a T and did my very first CV axle job in less than an hour all thanks to your attention to detail in this video. Thanks so much.

[paulpopp]

I have to replace my passenger side cv axel on a 16 ram1500 and didn't kno you could do this without removing my strut. That's awesome, that'll save some time. Great video.

[corygoingto]

“Careful as the rotor is now floating”

Crying from rusty West Michigan 🥲

[victorortega]

You just saved me 800 bucks man i love you

[MPECSInc]

FYI: While we were changing our 2016 RAM 1500 half shaft my son pointed out that there's a channel running up the knuckle's top ball joint arm.
That channel is there so that we don't need to remove the bottom ball joint to pull the knuckle off entirely. We need only remove the top ball joint and the tie rod end.
A little pry pressure on the half shaft to pop it out of the knuckle with the knuckle turned fully outwards and we're able to pry the half shaft up the channel with very little force.

Out it came. Reverse is true for putting the new one in.
A pickle fork with the right width tines is great for popping the tulip off the intermediate shaft with a couple of gentle mallet hits.

[darrelgoulet]

Thank you so much! Clear, concise directions. Only problem was I was working on a 12 year old truck, with original equipment, and you clearly had recently installed aftermarket parts to work with. So, I had to watch other videos as well on how to get some of that stuff apart, but I still probably went through this video 15 times during my install. And we had nearly a foot of snow last night, so it’s great to have 4WD again!

[bquade]

Thanks. Best vid I've seen on this, great photography!
Lake Havasu 🌞 Az

[nathanielking]

Great video! Very precise on all the instructions. Sizes of bolts and tools needed. Thank you especially for the torque specs, it's piece of mind. Amazing job! This is gold. Saved me 600 bucks. 🙏

[calidrummin]

Buddy, great video! And with torque specs. Man, if only all instructional videos were this concise!

[isaiahaguilar]

Perfect detail bro love it 💯 saved me lots of money I replaced entire front end including sway bar

[katw]

Thank you for the video. Clear instructions and unobstructed view made this job super simple and fast. Was exactly what I needed!

[mamacamano]

This was very informative! Thank you!❤ Can you please tell me approximately how long it took you to do this job and is it necessary to change both cv arms?

[glenonroad]

This is the best instructional video I've ever watched. Thanks.

[jeremy]

Just a friendly reminder to anyone doing this themselves. Some advice that you might want to be aware of before starting. This video covers the “perfect world scenario”. Typically on Rams down south where corrosion isn’t an issue, or a vehicle that doesn’t have 200k mileage. Ya better have a good source of heat. A heat gun won’t do in all cases. Also, a cutting device that can cut the passenger side shaft from the front axle. Because in a lot of cases, when doing this job it’s absolutely absurd to not do the front axle housing end shafts. Or as he calls it in this video, “stub shaft”. It’s relatively easy to do and not expensive. Plus the fact that if your front axles are bad, so are the splines on the front axle housing. Typically, on the passenger side you will need to unplug your front drive fork actuator, undue the front drive axle housing (4 bolts on the housing, 4 bolts on the housing end that bolts up to the front passenger side motor mount), and pull it out as a single unit. Like mentioned above, if there’s a lot of corrosion or miles, you’re possibly going to cut the old axle from the passenger housing. If doing that you’re definitely going to at least get that stub shaft. The bottom line is I have done this job numerous times. It can take a couple hours, or….. some frozen or extremely bad ball joints, axle stubs, or bad wheel bearings will turn this job into an all day affair. You’ve been warned lol…

[karlmelnychuk]

Just finished doing the bearing, and CV Axle on the driver side. And had done the left-side passenger last year CV Axle.
Had the shop do the bearing on the passenger side think it was under $500.00

Screw that, did it myself.

"Great Flick Sir"...

[Hoppy]

Thank you for teaching this old man and on this 30th of August 2024, I just discovered my driver side axle boot was just starting to leak and slinging the axle grease. I must have driven nearly 700 miles when the boot began to sheet the bed and left a bit of 💩 around it.