Was it like this guy?

http://www.wimp.com/screwdriver/

Hi,

I did not mean to sound I am cleverer than you.  It just brings back
memories ... :-)

I assume you only need to change the boot.  In the following procedure
you remove the complete drive shaft and hub assembly.

Disclaimer ... don't drop the car on yourself, it hurts.

Jam up the upper wishbone using SAAB clever part or piece of wood or ...
as long as you don't collapse the inner wing.  I always used a piece of
wood *and* a pair of spring compressors (so the pressure on the inner
wing was not at the full strength of the spring) whilst I had two spare
spring compressors in case things went wrong.

Remove brake caliper etc and suspend from spring above etc.

Remove the two bolts from upper and lower ball joint to wishbone
connections.  Note that in both a 1979 and a 1983 cars I had the bolts
had a fine thread which after that many years has probably gone south.
I got replacement bolts for my 1983 car (a few years ago mind you) which
had the same oversize shoulder but a normal metric thread.  Also note
that the heads of the bolts (i.e. the stronger part of the bolt, go in a
particular direction ... uhmmm I have to think about this .. they have
to counteract the rotational direction ... uhmm maybe).

Separate steering knuckle ball joint (is it called track rod end ?).

Undo circlip of inner cv joint boot where it connects to the transmission.

Unless I am forgetting something important (?) you should be able to
pull out of the car the complete drive shaft + CV joint + hub.

To separate drive shaft (half axle another name) from CV joint there is
a circlip.  The circlip is like a capital "O" with a bit missing (may
not be called a circlip).  If you wipe the grease off the top of the CV
joint you will see it.  The idea is ... you need a pair of circlip
pliers (when you compress the handles the points open ...) try to open
the circlip when you manage it ... tap the cv joint away from the shaft
using a soft hammer.  Half a dozen attempts (you will only get one hit
at a time as the pliers will move off the circlip) and you will move the
CV a bit away ... the rest is straight forward.

The only catch with refitting always was trying to align the holes of
the ball joints with those of the wishbones to put the bolts through.  I
remember me using a jack to push the hub assembly up against the car to
give me room or similar improvisations.

If all you need is a boot it is probably less work to do what I am
suggesting than replace the shaft/CV joint.

If you choose to remove the CV joint from the hub you will need a torque
wrench capable of more than 200 ft/lb to refit, and technically a new
nut as you have to hammer a notch on it against the protruding drive
shaft.  To remove you may need to compress the CV joint off the inner
bits of the wheel bearing to remove it ... hammering is not advised as
you may end up needing a new bearing.

If in doubt as to what you may need ... take big nut off first and
remove drive shaft + cv joint.  You can separate them as above.  You can
wash the cv joint to remove all its dirt (sand usually that got in
because of the split boot).  If it has not run for long with a split
boot ... you will probably be ok if you repack it with grease (is it
molybdenum something or other ... black stuff).

Having done many boots ... eventually I came to the conclusion (when I
got a new (it was only 10-12 yo at the time) 900, it had SAAB boots.
The after market replacements I fitted did not last the 6 or so years I
had the car.

Go on replace just the boot.  Once you done it a few times it is easy.

Charles

PS.  Now you probably knew all this and I fell for a wind up :-D

Dave,

Just loosen the nut while the car is on the ground and the wheel is
still on. Trust me.

Charles