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This is my first post for help on here, so I hope I'm in the right forum.
I'll try to be brief because it could become a long story.
2002 Focus ZX3 automatic 4 speed. Had to remove driver's side CV axle to take it over to the press and remove from hub so I could replace a noisy bearing. It was that jammed, I couldn't get it off with a puller.
So I get the bearing changed and get ready to put it all back in and the axle won't click in. I've done this before on a couple of other cars and don't remember how hard it was. So I keep trying, turning and pushing, and finally it feels pretty secure. So now is where I made an assumption that was a mistake. I assumed that it was tight enough, even though I wasn't convinced it clicked in. I thought that once I got it back in the hub and everything was put together, the tension would keep it in place. That was an incorrect assumption. I test drove the car down my street. Bearing was quiet, hooray! I got about a block from home, and the car went out of gear. Next I heard a horrible grinding sound. I should have shut it off right then, but I needed the power steering while I pushed the car and made a 3-point turn to get it back home. Actually my wife helped push it up the slight incline. But we got it back in the garage. I jacked it back up and the axle is spinning free. I took everything back off and pulled the axle and the end of the splines (the narrow part past the circlip) were chewed off. I took off the circlip and tried putting the axle back in the transmission to see if it would engage, and nope it just spins. My first thought is that this can't be happening, surely some of that nice long spline is engaging to a gear somewhere, not just that narrow part? But then I wondered how that could be, because wouldn't the circlip hit the transmission gear if it went in farther? I have been unable to find the answer to this.
So, on to part two. Got another CV axle. Before I put it in, I tried to look at the output gear in the trans. and sure enough the outer edge was chipped/rounded, I guess from grinding off the end of the other axle. But when I shoved in this axle, I can feel that it's meshing with the gear somehow because it doesn't turn freely. I had to fight with this one to get the clip to latch in but I am sure it latched because finally after several attempts to rotate and shove, something clicked. I tried very hard to pull it back out by hand and it's not coming. I got everything back together and now I think I'd better drain all the fluid and replace the filter. Surely there's metal in it by now from these gears being ground off. So I will do that tonight. But I am afraid because I don' understand how far onto the gear the axle splines go. The leading edge of the gear is rounded off. The axle feels snug but how much spline is really engaging to the gear? I cannot believe it wooorks just on that narrow strip that extends beyond the circlip. But I am puzzled as to how the splines can engage farther into the gear, because it seems that the circlip would have to ride against the gear splines, which seems like a bad thing.
So sorry to make the story so long. But can someone tell me how far into the output gear the axle spline meshes? I have lost the outer edge of the gear and I'm worried about tearing up another CV shaft and further damaging the gear.
Thanks,
Littlejohn
I'll try to be brief because it could become a long story.
2002 Focus ZX3 automatic 4 speed. Had to remove driver's side CV axle to take it over to the press and remove from hub so I could replace a noisy bearing. It was that jammed, I couldn't get it off with a puller.
So I get the bearing changed and get ready to put it all back in and the axle won't click in. I've done this before on a couple of other cars and don't remember how hard it was. So I keep trying, turning and pushing, and finally it feels pretty secure. So now is where I made an assumption that was a mistake. I assumed that it was tight enough, even though I wasn't convinced it clicked in. I thought that once I got it back in the hub and everything was put together, the tension would keep it in place. That was an incorrect assumption. I test drove the car down my street. Bearing was quiet, hooray! I got about a block from home, and the car went out of gear. Next I heard a horrible grinding sound. I should have shut it off right then, but I needed the power steering while I pushed the car and made a 3-point turn to get it back home. Actually my wife helped push it up the slight incline. But we got it back in the garage. I jacked it back up and the axle is spinning free. I took everything back off and pulled the axle and the end of the splines (the narrow part past the circlip) were chewed off. I took off the circlip and tried putting the axle back in the transmission to see if it would engage, and nope it just spins. My first thought is that this can't be happening, surely some of that nice long spline is engaging to a gear somewhere, not just that narrow part? But then I wondered how that could be, because wouldn't the circlip hit the transmission gear if it went in farther? I have been unable to find the answer to this.
So, on to part two. Got another CV axle. Before I put it in, I tried to look at the output gear in the trans. and sure enough the outer edge was chipped/rounded, I guess from grinding off the end of the other axle. But when I shoved in this axle, I can feel that it's meshing with the gear somehow because it doesn't turn freely. I had to fight with this one to get the clip to latch in but I am sure it latched because finally after several attempts to rotate and shove, something clicked. I tried very hard to pull it back out by hand and it's not coming. I got everything back together and now I think I'd better drain all the fluid and replace the filter. Surely there's metal in it by now from these gears being ground off. So I will do that tonight. But I am afraid because I don' understand how far onto the gear the axle splines go. The leading edge of the gear is rounded off. The axle feels snug but how much spline is really engaging to the gear? I cannot believe it wooorks just on that narrow strip that extends beyond the circlip. But I am puzzled as to how the splines can engage farther into the gear, because it seems that the circlip would have to ride against the gear splines, which seems like a bad thing.
So sorry to make the story so long. But can someone tell me how far into the output gear the axle spline meshes? I have lost the outer edge of the gear and I'm worried about tearing up another CV shaft and further damaging the gear.
Thanks,
Littlejohn