Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Worst Suspension Project EVER

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hmm seems close to that part number, but aren't alot of the contour part no. FxRZ-xxxx-xx? I dunno a foot and half spring that compresses down onto probably a 12 inch strut then to 10 inches on a car seems crazy. Not to mention dangerous.

You're not using spring compressors again while trying to install/remove the suspension from the car, are you?

lol Nope. The size of the spring and the amount it is compressed it just amazing. Does anyone have another stock spring sitting around? Mean that sucker is huge. It must compress to half the height when Under the wait of the car.

with the axle...sometime they'll pop back in place with a little jolt, but I had one where I had to pull the boot off and put it back together...it seems like a cap off one of the ebaring pieces went sideways...

I pulled the bellows and exposed the tripode parts. On mine, the three donut bearings are not captive to the axle lobes, so from the looks of the joint, you may have one of those bearings dropped of its lobe. While fitting for a custom axle change, I've had to slip that joint apart and together loads of times. Feel the bellows for a 2 1/2 inch bearing in there. It's really not too much of a commitment to loosen the two clamps and pull the boot back a bit. Once the three bearings are back on their lobes, you must hold them in a tight circle to start all of them into their corresponding channel in the cup. They tend to catch on the edge of the cup, but wiggle and they'll slip home. There's grease in there, you'll lose some so get a tube first.

So that we're on the same page.... the outer axle end has the CV joint, the inner is the tripode where you've pulled the axle out too far and disengaged the bearings that ride in channels withing the tripot. Tripot is the cup, trilobe is the three legged part on the end of the axle. The bearings slip onto the lobes on the trilobe without anything keeping them inplace until capive within the cup, tripot. I retain the bearings all the way around with one hand....from thumb to index finger, and wiggle while pushing the axle inward. There's not too much chance of getting the bearings back on the lobes inside the boot until you know what it looks like, but I suppose it's posible. The bearings only go onto the lobes one way since those parts fit in a ball and socket fashion.

continued....

yes, once you've seated the bearing assembly in the pot, it has a couple inches in/out movement as well as X and Y movement.

The bearings are donut looking. It's complete... the inner and outer races and rollers are all one piece, and there's three of those donuts. Their unique qualities are that the inner is a ball socket, and the outer surface of the outer race is also a bearing surface to slide in and out of the tripot.