Re: passenger side axle slipped from bearing

Bill <wtjohnston@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in news:1190509205.539207.318910
@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> I was changing the shocks.  I failed to sup****t the hub properly.  I
> started putting in the finished passenger side strut and the axle
> seems extended with the boot stretched at the engine mounted bearing.
> It's too dark to work so tomorrow I plan to detach the control arm and
> punch the spline axle out of the hub then try to work it around until
> it finds its home in the bearing.  I was wondering if it might be a
> better approach to start the engine and put it in reverse and hope to
> catch the spline for the bearing.  I welcome suggestions.  Thanks.
> 
> Bill
> 
> 

You have pulled apart the inner CV joint.It is a sliding joint and
can be pulled apart quite easy (as you have found out).
The proper way to repair this is to remove the shaft completely 
and reasemble it on the bench. You can't just try to push it back
together.  THere are ball bearings that have fallen out of their 
races that have to be re-inserted properly.

A few tips about drawing out the half shaft.  
1) drain about a quart of trany fluid to get the fluid level
below the shaft opening.
2) You are gonna need a big pry bar to pop the shaft loose from
the engine.  My book says to use a big screwdriver.  HA!  I needed
a three foot crow bar.
3) Be carefull that you don't dammage the rubber seal when you draw
out the shaft. Don't drag the splines on it.
4) Don't move anything while the shaft is out.  The pinnion gear
that engages the splined end of the half shaft is just hanging in
the teeth of the differential gears.  Move anything in the tranny
and the pinnon drops into the tranny. Or it gets mis-alligned and
you can't reinsert the shaft.
5) When re-inserting the shaft use a bit of grease on the splines 
and tranny fluid on the seal area to make things go together easy.

PS: Don't ya just hate it when things like this happen.