CV Half-Shaft Removal Question

[DukeDiablo]

Dear Forum-

I have studied over the DIY Article in reference to the CV Boot replacement to help guide me through my current repair: The removal and replacement of both CV Half Shafts on the front end of my wife's '01 4.4i.

I am now at the point where I'm either going to have to use a gear puller to remove the swivel bearing housing from the outer splined shaft or take it to someone with a press.

My question is, how do I remove the entire half-shaft from the front differential? I guess there is a c-clip on the other end of the shaft, but I haven't really studied on the diff housing itself to see if I can gain access to this clip to disengage the entire shaft.

I already have two shafts from RockAuto.com in the garage, so I'm not replacing any boots, I'm just doing the entire front shafts as an assembly.

Thanks for any recommendations or advice and yall have a great week.

Sincerely,
Jim Kennedy

[supersteve]

To get the axle out of the differential, give it a good tug. There is a C-clip on the other end. There should be one on the new axles just for reference. The C-clip doesn't need to be removed in order to get the axle out/in.

[we350z]

i would recommend just removing the entire assembly... do a search for my super long thread it helps detail this method.

[DukeDiablo]

OK...

I just finished (or at least I thought I did) both half-shaft replacements. I buttoned up everything tight, got the Hell-5 back on the ground and decided it was time to test it.

Starts up, engage reverse, and it's like it's in neutral. Nothing.

Then I get out and have my Dad try a gear and gently increase the RPMs... and it sounds like, I'm guessing, the inner axle splines aren't engaging the differential! Great.

I've decided to give up for today and start troubleshooting tomorrow, because at this point I'm a little tired of this thing.

I figured that because it's AWD I should have some power to at least the rear wheels?

Does it sound like I didn't get the inner c-clips to engage? Any help, advice, or a pound of C4 to blow this thing to another dimension would be greatly appreciated.

Oh and not that it matters, but I managed to tear my lateral meniscus last week while working on this. So now I'm hobbling around and trying to repair this thing after having my knee scoped on Wednesday, haha. I'm very ready to be done with this repair!

[Weasel]

ooh, meniscus problems are always fun! I had to have arthroscopic surgery on my knee a couple years ago... fun fun.

Sounds like the axles didn't fully engage into the front diff. When they slide in and stop, they still have to snap into the splines. At this point I usually have the other end of the axle still loose with the spindle out of the way and just use the axle body as kind of a slide hammer to pop itself into place. You will feel/hear a satisfying clunk as it slides the rest of the way in.

[DukeDiablo]

Well, my curiosity was getting to me more than the swelling in my knee, so I hobbled back down to the garage and I found out what is hopefully the only problem.

The Driver's side half-shaft is hanging a couple of inches out of the front differential. Surely that is why I don't have any power and without jacking it up tonight I guess that's as much as I can see. I'll ice the knee and start again tomorrow, hopefully I can just get the axle to engage and lock in without taking all the front assembly off again... any thoughts?

I was hoping I can just give it a gentle tap while rotating the front wheel until the c-clip engages?

wish me luck.

[Weasel]

Posted the update right as I posted... Yeah, you should be able to get it in as you described, just be carefull what you hit against as you don't want to damage or split the inner boot.

[DukeDiablo]

Thanks for the response and I'll definitely watch out for that precious rubber... That's what caused this entire debacle to begin with.

Have a good one and thanks again.

[DukeDiablo]

Thanks for the help, Dad helped me pop in the driver's side half-shaft and it worked fine. Too bad I'm having a mental breakdown on other X5 issues now.... Yall have a good one.