Cant get the F#$% front axle back in *Update, its done*

So I'm doing the ECGS bushing replacement and I got the bushing installed but now can't get the damn axle back in. Its like its hitting something in there.

No obstructions and I did slide the bushing on the shaft before I installed it to make sure I got the right one.

I've tried rotating the shaft but it doesnt feel like I'm even getting it to the point where I can get the teeth to line up.

I've tapped on it with a hammer lightly to see if that seats it.....no joy.

What am I missing?

 

If it feels like it's going in up to the splines and stopping there... Get rougher with it.

You may need a large dead blow to seat that clip on the splines. It takes a bit to get it in sometimes.

 

You need to just get mad at it - almost like a plunger effect when you jam it in. The inner joint has like 4" of in/out travel.

 

Dumb questions first but you are a) sure you inserted the correct end of the bushing first and b) you are certain its FULLY seated? Either could contribute to this issue. That said, its not easy to get back in as it took two of us doing it lat time. Once it went, it popped right in.

 

You have the same problem my buddy had. Lucky I used a good bearing installer.

Looking at the pictures, I can see you damaged the edge of the ECGS bushing from pounding it in. It's "mushroomed" on the edge you Pounded.

You can feel it with your finger. Get a small round file and carefully file away the protrusion caused by the mushrooming on the inside edge you pounded in. That's what's creating most of the binding putting your CV in

 

Keep the clip pointed down direction and push it in very hard.

 

This feels like the night I lost my virginity. In the sense that I have no idea what I am looking at and what I'm supposed to insert where. Maybe just keep ramming away until it works? That seemed to do the trick for me.

 

Either way it'll end up in a hole

 

Taint so.

 

I'll check this but it may just look that way in the pic....running my finger on it doesn't feel like it's a high spot or protruding

 

As mentioned make sure the clip in facing down, get it lined up, wiggle it a bit to line up the splines, and wack it with a 3lb dead blow mallet, mine went right in.

 

Yep, and 32 seconds later the CV is in place.

 

There are two issues: you need to get the splines lined up and you have to overcome the resistance of the c-clip going into the notch.

Clip down for me. Then gently put the end of the shaft in until it bottoms out. Then rotate very slowly back and forth until you feel the shaft catch on the splines - it will be subtle. Then push hard and perhaps hit end with a plastic deadblow.

 

Put a pry or crowbar on one of the little tabs on the inner part of the cv and hit the crow bar with a hammer.

Couldn't push mine in by hand but one hit and it was in.

 

I should say notches in the cv not tabs.

 

I had to leave it for the evening, I'll try again in the morning.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

You'll walk out there tomorrow and get it first try. Always works that way!

 

Boooooooo!



Ha!

 

OK, so for anybody interested enough in my whining yesterday I wanted to give you an update.

Finally got it in this morning and I'm going to detail what I did in the event somebody else stumbles on this thread and needs help.

This issue was the alignment of the shaft and that little clip IMHO. So what I did was pack the clip with grease and make sure that it was oriented with the open end down. Once I slid the axle in, I could feel it hit the teeth so I knew it just needed to be straight and then I could use the notches on the axle to get it tapped in.

I was doing this solo so what I came up with to keep it straight was a piece of 2x4 that I had laying around. This way I wasn't fighting it to keep it level AND try and keep the screwdriver in the notch while I hit it with the hammer.

In any case, I appreciate the suggestions and encouragement. Bushing is in and its back to a quiet front end again.