I am actually gonna be replacing my passenger-side halfshaft this coming monday. It's not too difficult of a repair, and yes some tools are needed. I had my driver-side shaft replaced last year. You will need to get an axle socket to undo the big ol' nut on the end... not sure on size (sorry), but someone here can back me up, or call a parts store. First off, drain the tranny fluid. This way, when you dislodge the shaft from the tranny, you won't flood the ground!

Once the axle nut is off, unhook the brake lines, and dislodge the rotor/caliper from the axle. From here, it isn't too bad. If I remember correctly, the driver-side will have a "circlip" around the splines on the part that inserts into the tranny. This requires a screwdriver or pointy object to put pressure on the clip to release the halfshaft. It will take some work, so don't be afraid to man-handle it a bit. I believe the passenger-side does NOT have a circlip (I'll find out monday). Once the shaft is out, just replace it with the new one and reinstall everything in reverse order. When setting the new shaft in, make sure the splines meet up with the inside of the tranny --- easier said then done. Also, put the axle nut partially on the axle and, if handy, put a piece of wood on the end with the nut and wack the wood with a hammer... to set the axle in the tranny. Sometimes there is a "click!" sound, other times you just tug on the shaft if it is in. You can always opt to buy a repair kit for the boot, but most people (I found this out) say it is worth it to do the full shaft install. There is a write up on how to do the install on SE-R.net (Archives), but unfortunately I don't have the link handy. Hope this helps... I don't have that much mechanical experience, but it's not one of the more difficult replacements. Let us know how it turns out! And sorry for the long post. LOL
