**911**CV axle damage during Ball Joint Replacement?

[Left_coast*9]

Please help, the sube is on jacks at the moment and I gotta get it fixed. Car is an 86 turbo wagon, 4WD 5 spd. I was in the process of changing driver's and passenger's side ball joints and tie rod ends. All the parts were installed, but when I go to taker for a test drive there was a terrible sound from the drivers front CV axle. Not grinding, but I knew instantly that I must have torqued too hard on the hub/strut assembly during the process -- because the axle came out of the CV knuckle near the wheel. AAARRRHRHHGHG! Long story, but again it appears that the actual axle shaft coming from the tranny side has come out of the CV mechanism near the hub. You can't see it of course because it under the rubber boot, but you can actually feel how it's come dislodged, and see how the boot has an abnormal shape to it. What the @#$%? It looked strange putting it back together, but I just assumed it was a creased boot or something. (duh)

DOES THIS MEAN MY CV AXLE IS WASTED? Is there any way to easily get it back together?

Note: I have already removed the tire, jacked it back up, dissasembled the ball joint (but still in the control arm) and tie rod. I tried to fit it back together as it sits in the car to no avail. WHAT NOW?

[baccaruda]

that sounds extremely strange. can you post pictures?

 

It's pretty hard to overtorque the axle nut (if that's what you're referring to?). Some of our biggest members just use their body weight to torque that nut down, to no ill effect.

 

Were you doing any prying on the knuckle?

 

That joint in the axle is not meant to be disassembled so I doubt you can put it back together. If you have a 4WD turbowagon, you could leave the stub in the spindle and remove the axle from the transmission and still get around OK until you get another axle...

[naru]

Please help, the sube is on jacks at the moment and I gotta get it fixed. Car is an 86 turbo wagon, 4WD 5 spd. I was in the process of changing driver's and passenger's side ball joints and tie rod ends. All the parts were installed, but when I go to taker for a test drive there was a terrible sound from the drivers front CV axle. Not grinding, but I knew instantly that I must have torqued too hard on the hub/strut assembly during the process -- because the axle came out of the CV knuckle near the wheel. AAARRRHRHHGHG! Long story, but again it appears that the actual axle shaft coming from the tranny side has come out of the CV mechanism near the hub. You can't see it of course because it under the rubber boot, but you can actually feel how it's come dislodged, and see how the boot has an abnormal shape to it. What the @#$%? It looked strange putting it back together, but I just assumed it was a creased boot or something. (duh)

DOES THIS MEAN MY CV AXLE IS WASTED? Is there any way to easily get it back together?

Note: I have already removed the tire, jacked it back up, dissasembled the ball joint (but still in the control arm) and tie rod. I tried to fit it back together as it sits in the car to no avail. WHAT NOW?

 

Not a big deal,but,you`ve got a little extra work.Your axle is not WASTED.

You have managed to pull the inner tripod assy. past the sorta flimsy snap ring in the inner CV cage.You need to undo the large end of the boot to refit the ring.

[Turbone]

This has happened to me before. When removing the axle from the hub did you beat on the end of it? Sometimes this will pop the clip loose inside the CV basket. You will have to remove the axle from the hub, sometimes while trying to get it back out it will reseat itself. Not very often, but its happened to me a few times. I might have just gotten lucky tho. Otherwise you will need to remove the boot in order to get access to the ring clip and seat it back into the groove.

[[HTi]Johnson]

I think he pulled the shaft out of the DOJ (cup looking thing at the end of the shaft) on the tranny. In theory, he could spin the axle and hold the DOJ and try to push it back in...and then lower the car back on its wheels and drive with it. For while.

I don't think he pulled the outside cup off the axle shaft. That takes A LOT of force, I had an old axle and I wanted the outside cup, so I beat it on the ground as hard as I could. It didn't break or budge. I'm an Iron worker and I was surprised with the sturdiness.

[baccaruda]

I read it as if he popped the CVJ (outside joint on the front axle).. and those are not serviceable as DOJs are.

 

I had an episode a while ago where I swapped in a "new" junkyard front axle and went to drive off, and it sounded worse than the "old" axle. Since it was dark and I was angry, I grabbed my grinder and sawed through the axleshaft and pulled the inside 1/2 off of the trans, and then took off the outer boot and with a chisel and sledgehammer shattered the cage and pulled out the outer 1/2 of the axleshaft, then drove home in 4wd. I kept the outer section that held the front wheel on for an emergency piece.

[Left_coast*9]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Apologize for the lack of clarity -- tougher to write when it's late, and you're pi$$ed off and frantic.

HTI -- you said "I think he pulled the shaft out of the DOJ (cup looking thing at the end of the shaft) on the tranny." I pulled it out on the hub side.

Turbone and Naru, I think you're on to something. Snap ring has come off perhaps.

 

Ok, to clarify (or muddy the waters more, sorry), the tranny side joint is fine; the shaft has come out of the outside joint. I can grab the shaft in between and move it all around the outer boot, just can't get it in the joint.

So now I have to decide whether to buy another axle if this thing is toast, or fix what I've got. So sounds this is fixable, correct?

Assuming it is, I need to pull the large end of the outside boot back and try to replace the ring. Sound right? Do you recommend I take the axle out of the car to do this, or leave in place and try and roll back the boot, or ?

Thanks again. Won't be around a computer till 5 pm PST , at which time I'll dive into this rat's nest again. :|

thanks all

[Turbone]

Give me a call when you get home today, I might be able to drop by.

[WoodsWagon]

The axel is most likely junk. If it pops out of the outboard joint, the joint is toast. I tried to pop one of those out before and ended up using a sledgehammer to shatter the cage that holds the balls in. The circlip is only on the inner (tranny side) joint. The force it took to break the joint also bunged up the threads on the end of the axel. Get a J/Y axel and swap it in.

[Left_coast*9]

Yup, the axle was junk, just thought I would close out this thread. In fact the outside joint was jammed to one side and a hammer wouldn't budge it!

 

The axel is most likely junk. If it pops out of the outboard joint, the joint is toast. I tried to pop one of those out before and ended up using a sledgehammer to shatter the cage that holds the balls in. The circlip is only on the inner (tranny side) joint. The force it took to break the joint also bunged up the threads on the end of the axel. Get a J/Y axel and swap it in.