How to change intermediate shaft/axle bearing Gen1 Mazdaspeed3

[pishta]

picture please....or video...

here is my ~2mm bearing play . Also how far should the CV (driver side) be into the case? I can still pull mine out about 3mm before the CV locks. I've hammered these with blocks of wood and a 3lb sledge and cant get them in any farther. Passenger side inboard CV play is CV plus ~2mm shaft play.

 

[pishta]

Another good vid on CV installs and removals. clip opening up! And to remove a stubborn one, push in and rotate it 90 and try again, then another 90. The clip may find its way back to 12:00 and allow it to come right out.

 

[Lex2007]

When I get under my car I'll see if I can move that cross shaft left and right...

 

[pishta]

Check what mm clearance you have from dust shield of passenger CV to shaft. I have like 3-6mm and it seems excessive even if the shaft moves back and forth. I have aftermarket CV axles and am not 100% sure the passenger CV is fully seated in the shaft, even though I compressed it and hit the end with a block of wood and a 3lb hammer into the shaft.

 

[Lex2007]

here is my ~2mm bearing play . Also how far should the CV (driver side) be into the case? I can still pull mine out about 3mm before the CV locks. I've hammered these with blocks of wood and a 3lb sledge and cant get them in any farther. Passenger side inboard CV play is CV plus ~2mm shaft play.

I just saw these videos for the first time now. Not sure why I didn't get an email saying you posted. I will check mine this weekend and send a video.

Thing is I also have an aftermarket CV axle on that side. I suspected the OEM unit with 160k miles on it was making some noises on hard turns but that wasn't the case. Lord knows I'm not putting in back in but the aftermarket unit has a much thinner diameter shaft. And Initially I didnt think the aftermarket unit was the same length either...but it seems to have worked.

Cross shaft is still OEM so I will check that play as well.

Hang tight bruh.

 

[Lex2007]

Another good vid on CV installs and removals. clip opening up! And to remove a stubborn one, push in and rotate it 90 and try again, then another 90. The clip may find its way back to 12:00 and allow it to come right out.

I don't thinks his idea is a bad one but I doubt it makes much difference because the clip doesnt hang down that much and if the bevelled edge helps center it what difference does it make which way the clip is oriented?

 

[Lex2007]

Here is the video I promised eons ago.

 

[Pyrannha]

Just came here to say that i just did this job myself and this guide is spot on, though there's a few workarounds if you want to. I pulled the caliper and rotor, removed the lower ball joint and the outer tie rod end and got the axle out with only that detached and the knuckle still attached to the strut (I hate removing/reinstalling the knuckle to the strut). I just pushed the axle through the knuckle and it comes out and goes in fine. I have a corksport downpipe so the exhaust isn't in the way and it's just the 3 bolts on the carrier housing. I totally cheated the bearing part in a couple ways. One, I only replaced the bearing, not the dust seals - they don't need to be perfect so if you can save them you can reuse them - and I took it to a local machine shop and paid them 50 bucks to do the pres part for me. I don't like dealing with press bearings if I can avoid it and any real machine shop can handle that kind of bearing press in about 10 minutes. I dropped it off for a couple hours but it took no time at all.

Great write up, still very valid in 2025.

And to add, as these cars get older and dealer parts start to get harder to get this is a 6206-C4-FAG bearing - https://www.123bearing.com/bearing-housing/deep-groove-bearing/single-row/6206-c4-fag - 30mm ID, 62mm OD and 16mm thick