Half-Shaft wont click in...

[imola.zhp]

I searched, no luck...

I'm SO close to having my P5 back on the road. I was close enough at one point that I almost had everything put away, all I was doing was filling the transmission. When I got to the 3rd qt, however, I checked under the car (as I had been doing every so often) and I started to see a leak...

Background
I've been in the process of changing the front wheel bearings over the past three weeks (don't ask why it has taken so long). I had to use a 3-pt press and an impact to get the half shafts out of the hubs. To do that, I had to pull the half shafts from the transmission.

In the process of trying to remove the drivers half-shaft from the hub I f'ed up the threads. Not too expensive, rebuilt was $60 at O'reilly's including core return.

I also bought new output shaft seals for the transmission just to change them out. However, in trying to pry the passenger side out, I gave up, couldn't get it out, returned them both.

At first I thought maybe I had messed up one of the old output shaft seals, so I pulled out all of the tools again and tore the thing apart. This time the half-shaft easily slips in or out of the hub so I pulled it all apart and start trying to figure it out.

I realize the new half-shaft just isn't "clicked" in all of the way. So I fight and I fight and I fight and I cannot get this thing to snap in. I pull it out, and try to bend the snap ring a little more together, I don't think it moved at all. I try lubrication with fresh transmission fluid, still no luck. I try just a slight bit of grease, no luck. I pull the strut/spring assembly out so that I can get a more direct-push at it (instead of at an agle) still no luck.

Finally I gave up, threw the new wheels (17" Mazda 3 wheels, stock BFG 205/50/17) back in the roomies 4Runner and went to have them fixed (no valve stems, previous owner took out the pressure sensor stems and put them in new wheels). $6.56 is all Gateway charged me when I picked them up. We'll see if they are still balanced if I ever get the half-shaft to click in. The rear bead was not "broken" so as long as there wasn't too much of a weight difference between the pressure sensing stem and the non, I should be good to go. Well, except the tires might be tooooo tall in the back, there isn't much room between the tire and the bottom of the strut.

Anyway, reason for post is HELP! WHY the F wont this half-shaft click in!?!?!

 

[bucksatan]

There is a c-clip that holds them in to the transmission. You have to remove the clip, then the shaft should fit in. Then put a new clip in. It isn't unknown that a hard impack will pop the half shaft out from the clip, leaving the clip in place but not letting you lock in the shaft.

 

[imola.zhp]

^ what?

How would I put the c clip back in after the shaft is in the transmission? Or did I read that wrong?

The c clip is there, it is new, the entire shaft is; as I insert the shaft assembly it into the transmission (c clip in place) I feel the splines start to align (verified by passenger wheel turning) at that point the splines are aligned, but I cannot get the c clip to compress momentarily so that the shaft slides all the way in. I've tried putting something over the end of the shaft (where the axle nut would go) and hitting it with a hammer.

It still will not click in...

Thank you for your help, maybe I'm reading your post wrong, I'm tired.

 

[dmention7]

I've had similar problems before. Sometimes it takes a bit of luck for the c-clip to be positioned just right to snap into place. Hold the axle aligned as straight as possible, give the end a few solid whacks with a hammer (use a block of wood between the axle end and the hammer), rotate the axle a little bit, take a few more whacks... eventually it should pop in. If you're not already, have someone hold the axle straight while you pound on it.

And just to check... when you pulled out the old axle the c-clip did come out with the axle, right?

 

[slavrenz]

I've had similar problems before. Sometimes it takes a bit of luck for the c-clip to be positioned just right to snap into place. Hold the axle aligned as straight as possible, give the end a few solid whacks with a hammer (use a block of wood between the axle end and the hammer), rotate the axle a little bit, take a few more whacks... eventually it should pop in. If you're not already, have someone hold the axle straight while you pound on it.

And just to check... when you pulled out the old axle the c-clip did come out with the axle, right?

That's what the first reply meant (if I'm reading correctly). Sometimes the old shaft will come out but the c-clip stays in there. If the old c-clip is occupying the space for the new c-clip, it won't fit.

I don't know if it's possible to see the clip from the outside of the car, but you might try to shine a light or something into the axle hole and see if you can see it.

 

[dmention7]

Otherwise, you could try popping the c-clip off the new shaft and seeing if it clicks into place in the transmission. I'd have a spare c-clip on hand unless you're sure the old one is still in there, as it's easy to bend the clip when removing it from the axle... which makes it even harder to get the axle back in.

Off-topic, has anyone else had a b**** of a time finding the clips at auto parts stores? I figured most places would just have a bin of assorted sizes behind the counter, but after checking 4 local stores, I ended up having to buy a cv-joint rebuild kit just to get a stupid little clip lol

 

[Prodigy]

Push harder.

-------------------------------------------
There's a lot of bad information is this thread.

-Do not remove the c-clip.
-The c-clip holds the half-shaft in place inside the differential (without it, your axle will back out and you'll leak transmission fluid)
-Press the clip inward and just use more force pushing it in place (get a slide hammer if you have to)
-(you can't install the clip in after you slide the half-shaft in place... it's in the center of your diff.)

 

[imola.zhp]

Thanks for all of the information and clarification...

The original "C" clip did come out with the old half-shaft. And in thinking about removing the new one, I came to the same conclusion, it would leak.

My BMW was next to it in the garage and while I was slamming it and hitting it pretty hard, I probably could have done better had the bimmer not been beside it. Roomies 4Runner was behind the bimmer, so I continued to try alternative methods.

I'll borrow some bigger tools from work Wednesday and give it another shot...

 

[dmention7]

I don't think anyone said to remove the c-clip, other than to suggest that if the old one was somehow stuck in the diff gear you might be able to snap a clip-less axle into the transmission. Never heard of it happening first-hand, but I've also heard of stranger things.

Obviously trying to install an axle with no c-clip at all is a terrible idea.....

 

[imola.zhp]

^ gotcha, yeah I think its just being mis-read...

I still might attempt to "clamp" the "c" clip a little tighter onto the half-shaft, if a bigger hammer doesn't do the trick.

I have a bad feeling that when I get it back together I'm going to want to lower it again. I had MSP springs on it and it was reverse-raked (sagging @$$) because the P5 is heavier in the back than the MSP. I'm digging the Mazda 3 17" wheels that I just put on it, I'm just concerned it wont move. If the tire clears the bottom of the strut, I should be ok though, right? All suspension travel happens above the bottom of the strut, correct? The old wheels/ tires (205/50-16) just barely cleared as well and I don't recall it ever rubbing...

 

[dmention7]

Yup, as long as the tire clears the bottom of the strut and the inside of the fender lip, you're golden.

 

[imola.zhp]

Wow, what a PITA!

After trying and trying for an hour, I finally removed the C clip (carefully) to make sure the 1/2 shaft would go in without it. It took a little force, but snapped in.

So I decided to squeeze the C clip a little bit to make it easier to compress. Yeah, thats one of those "Jesus" clips. When it shot out of the pair of pliers I was using only Jesus knows where it went. I probably looked for it for an hour. Then I hit the road...

Vato-Zone, no luck, recommended I go to the napa...

Napa, all they had (or all the guy wanted to show me) were the C clips like you see on the socket side of your socket wrench (or at least on my Craftsman's). He told me they were not in inventory and to just pick out a few that I might be able to make work and take them for free. So I did...

Heading back I thought I'd stop at Lowe's just to see if I could make something in hardware work. First I found a clip like the ones you put on the side of a receiver hitch. It looked promising. Then, I found this other thing that basically had what was similar to a key-ring on it, except that the metal was round, not flat in the middle. It looked even more promising. I bought them both and headed back.

Yep, that second thing that had what was similar to a key ring on it worked. Two needle-nose pliers and I had a new c clip.

First I had the same problem, I stretched it out too much. So I compressed it slightly and then it snapped in with a good hit from a hammer...

Woo-Hoo!

Drives really nice, but definitely needs an alignment, the steering wheel is way off center. And the rear tires are too tall. Darn-it, they hit the bottom of the strut on big bumps. As they get some milage on them, it will probably go away. So I'll rotate them in a thousand miles and decide what to do then...

 

[imola.zhp]

Here are some pic's of the Mazda 3 17" wheels on it...

 

[slavrenz]

Maybe it's just me, but I wonder what kind of long term effects using this ring will have in place of a c-clip.

 

[imola.zhp]

^ lol

Trust me, if it wasn't comparable to the Jesus C Clip, I wouldn't have used it. When I couldn't find it, I contemplated using anything. It took some effort to push the half-shaft in with NO c clip, and took quite a bit of effort to get it back out, and there isn't a whole lot of play. But still, I didn't want to chance loosing transmission fluid through the seal...

Man the car looks like a 4x4 with those tall tires on it.