CV axle trouble

Can anyone confirm if my CV axles are in all the way from the pictures? The driver side has a larger gap between the CV axle and the differential. I’ve research many other installation recommendations and have tried them all. I’ve been working on this multiple days adjusting and turning the CV between attempts to set it in deeper with no successes. The CV axles were rebuild with factory boots and OEM axles. New C-clip and dust shield. I believe the seals have been weeping. The passenger side came out once while driving and I believe it’s in all the way now. I’m about to test drive now. Manual hubs. The larger gap is on the driver side. The dust shield has play between shaft and differential. Any advice appreciated!

 

Use a large flat head screw driver and tap it in from those notches. You will be able to feel if it’s in or not

 

Welcome aboard new member

 

Thanks! Yes I was using a 3’ prybar and a 1.5 lb hammer rotating it between attempts. It felt solid but it looks to far out.

 

I hold the cv straight and use a deadblow hammer on the outside end.

If it doesn't slide out with a little tugging I'd assume it's seated

 

First pic looks good. Other side looks too far out. I just did this. Didn’t need to hit it with anything.

it was a bit frustrating to line up. Some have reported it is easier with the opening of the c clip pointed down.

looks like you were reefing in those notches/ears pretty good since they are bent a bit. Shouldn’t need that much force.

once the clip seats you shouldn’t be able to pull the axle out. Have you checked this?

 

The dust seal on your drivers side CV looks different too. Are these aftermarket axles or did you change seals?

 

They are oem axles with new boots as well as the new oem dust shields. I had the opening oriented down in the c clip. The axle has play bet is not pulling out. So it seems seated by feel but I do not remember that much of a gap between the differential and the CV along with a leak. I may try to lock in the hubs tomorrow and take it nice and easy see how it goes.
Can someone see if there is a larger gap on the driver side on their truck?

 

If you thread the axle nut on the end, you can hammer the axle into the the diff and it goes in easily. Trying to get it all the way in by hand is difficult.

Make sure you keep the axle nut on the end though, or you'll mess up the threads

 

Manual hub CV, no external threads to mess up. Can mess up the splines though so I use a dead blow or brass hammer

 

Mine are dead even. I have ADD but I can't imagine that makes a difference on this topic.

 

Are you saying there is a leak right now? If so, I bet it's because the axle seal is not seated on the CV shaft properly, since it's not pushed in all the way.

Sorry if I misunderstood this comment.

 

I tried using a block of wood and a hammer on the end of the axle shaft. Looking at Tacoscar-the-grouch’s pictures it looks like mine are not all the way seated.

 

From your pic, the red arrow looks to me like the journal (right word?) that the axle seal should seat on.

The green arrows point to, what I assume, is some sort of dust cap or seal on your CV. It looks very different than the one I had on mine.

If that green arrow is pointing to the axle seal on the differential then you need to drive it in further.

I can't tell from the photo exactly what is what. Might help if you can pull the axle out and take some pic of the tulip and diff.

 

I'd pull it out and start from scratch

 

Seconded

 

Put a little grease or gear oil on the splines too.

 

That is the dust shield. It is the same part as in your picture. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to start from scratch sounds like it. I did grease to splines. I am starting to wont if it’s something in my differential causing the trouble. It has been regraded with auto locker.

 

Line up the splines, get it started, have someone hold the cv axle straight while you hit the end with a dead blow. It will slide in till you hear a more “solid” sound.

 

How did this work out for you, OP? My driver side CV has the same gap as yours and it just now started to leak a little bit of oil.