Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting CV joint seperated during spring install

Hey guys, I was throwing on a set of springs tonight and pulled the knuckle out too far. The CV shaft doesn't line up inside anymore, and I can't get the damn thing to fit back properly. Are they supposed to go in offset? I didn't think so...

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've messed with both sides for about 3 hours total now, with no signs of hope. I'm in great need of anyone who can help me with this. Hell, I'll call whomever and talk about it over the phone. I can't drive (35 miles) to work until the thing is running again.


Thanks in advance to anyone that responds.

You mean that the shaft that goes into the black rubber boot thats right at the transmission?

I've had that happen alot to me on previous suspension instalations.

Its simple, Just hold the axle level and inline with the transmission output shaft and slowly ease the axle away from the transmission, rotate it a little and let it go back. Be patient, eventually it will go back in.

They're ticky.

You still have the wheel hub attached to the end of the axle I assume. As long as the axle goes into the CV housing and you can align the hub with the ball joint pin on the lower control arm it should be fine.

We're standing by waiting for your "work successfully completed" post, but I too am unclear what you mean by "doesn't line up inside" description.



EDIT 1 @ 2:43am:
I'm outta here now, please save Ford cd info if req'd I'll delete in am to reduce this post's size.

EDIT 2:Ford cd info deleted.

You've popped the CV joint out of the carrier portion of the assembly. If you're very lucky you can wiggle it back around and slide it back in, but most likely you will need to cut the boot and clamps off and put a new boot on in order to get the joint back together. There is a 3 pronged end on the shaft that goes into the carrier and on that are 3 bearings, once you pull the shaft out of the carrier those 3 bearings like to slide off the prongs and that is why you can't get it back together without cutting the boot off. So, cut off the boot and clamps, get a boot kit and borrow the clamp pliers and reassemble.

Rick

Rick, it sounds like exactly what you're talking about. The outer joint is the one which I'm dealing with. I can get the shaft to (somewhat) go in, but it's not centered in the boot. Meaning - if I rotate the hub, the shaft does move, yet it's all crooked. I really have the feeling that one of the bearings fell out.

The other side is identical too. But I managed to get it all back together before realizing that the shaft was also misaligned in the boot.


I'll keep you guys up to date. I'm about to have a friend come pick me up so I can buy a new tie-rod end because the threads stripped on one of them last night.


This is the spring install from HELL.

Your making me nervous. I am thinking about doing mine this weekend. What can one do to avoid such problems.?

My inner cv joint separated when I did my front springs and they just popped back in same as Tiv's.

However I think I am in need of a new cv shaft (both sides are leaking grease) now anyways along with a clutch and lower transmision mounts and plugs and wires and rear struts and springs (have those) and someday transmission and engine and car.

It happened to me. The problem was the rubber boot simply had some of it's folds in the way. You don't need to get a new boot unless you put a hole in the boot fighting with it. If you can pull that fold back and rotate it a little it should go in. It is a 3 sectored gadget simply going into a 3 sectored hole. The only thing that holds it in is the knuckle and bearings in the wheel when everything is bolted together.