1995 Ford Aerostar Removal of front half shafts

EDTHEUY47

MEMBER
1995 FORD AEROSTAR
6 CYL
AWD
AUTOMATIC
155,000 MILES

Can anyone direct me to a sight or explain the difficulty in removing the fron half shafts on my 1995 All wheel drive Aerostar? It's getting pretty noisy on corners.
Can I unplug the connection (under the front seat), will this disable the front end drive? Can I remove the half shafts and leave them out?
And with replacement---How tough of a job is this for the average alley mechanic?
Trying for a cheap fix and not concerned about going to just rear wheel drive.
Thanks

3 Replies

RACEFAN966

MECHANIC
5,029 POSTS

Ok first off I do recomend getting a Haynes or Chilton repair manual as it will help alot to see what is and isn't. With that said first remove the axle nut at the wheel. Then loosen the lug nuts and then lift and support the car. Remove the front wheel. Unbolt the lower shock mount and then remove the bolts that hold the axle to the inner stub axle (this may require a special tool called a sheraded bit) this bit is much like a Torx bit but with more points. Then you will need to turn the wheel to get some space to remove the inner part of the axle from the flange plate then pull it out of the hub and it is done. Here is a pic of what you are replacing hope this helps.