CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
#1
12-30-2008, 11:24 PM
CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
Oh
my
God...
This has been THE WORST repair I've ever done on a car.
So, I needed to replace the CV axles on my Camry, I thought it would be a piece of cake.
Got the driver's side out just fine, got the new one in just fine.
spent probably a combined 14 hours trying to get the passenger side out, the intermediate/carrier bearing had frozen in the housing, tried pounding it, tired heating it, tried pushing it out with a hydraulic ram (the shaft seperated from the bearing, so the axle was out, the bearing was STILL stuck inside it's housing). Finally spent 2 hours with a dremmel tool and a cutoff disk and I ground the bearing down and took it out in 100 tiny pieces.
Here's my question, now that I have the 2 new Axles in, how the hell do I get the hubs back in place to reconnect the control arms? I tried jacking the hubs, but without the control arms in place the hubs just move to the side and not up in a position where I can reattach the control arm.
What have people done to get the control arms re-attached?
thanks.
my
God...
This has been THE WORST repair I've ever done on a car.
So, I needed to replace the CV axles on my Camry, I thought it would be a piece of cake.
Got the driver's side out just fine, got the new one in just fine.
spent probably a combined 14 hours trying to get the passenger side out, the intermediate/carrier bearing had frozen in the housing, tried pounding it, tired heating it, tried pushing it out with a hydraulic ram (the shaft seperated from the bearing, so the axle was out, the bearing was STILL stuck inside it's housing). Finally spent 2 hours with a dremmel tool and a cutoff disk and I ground the bearing down and took it out in 100 tiny pieces.
Here's my question, now that I have the 2 new Axles in, how the hell do I get the hubs back in place to reconnect the control arms? I tried jacking the hubs, but without the control arms in place the hubs just move to the side and not up in a position where I can reattach the control arm.
What have people done to get the control arms re-attached?
thanks.
#2
12-31-2008, 10:51 AM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
A frozen carrier bearing is not uncommon and can be diffcult to remove. Install the new bearing using anti-seize compound in the housing.
As to your problem.
Did you unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis? By hub do you mean the combo alxe hub and steerng knuckle?
You might reconnect the control arm and unbolt the lower ball joint connected to the control arm.
Once done pull the hub/knuckle toward you to slide in the axle snub behind then loosely install the axle nut. Move the hub/knuckle and ball joint onto the control arm. This takes some prying but eventually the ball joint studs will drop into the holes in control arm.
Jack up the control arm to take out gap between the ball joint and arm to expose the ball joint stud threads on the bottom of the control arm. Whem doing this try to get at least one ball joint stud nut started.
More manipulating will get the other nut on then start tightening while attempting to to install the bolt. Once done tighten the bolt and nuts.
This has worked in the past without problems.
As to your problem.
Did you unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis? By hub do you mean the combo alxe hub and steerng knuckle?
You might reconnect the control arm and unbolt the lower ball joint connected to the control arm.
Once done pull the hub/knuckle toward you to slide in the axle snub behind then loosely install the axle nut. Move the hub/knuckle and ball joint onto the control arm. This takes some prying but eventually the ball joint studs will drop into the holes in control arm.
Jack up the control arm to take out gap between the ball joint and arm to expose the ball joint stud threads on the bottom of the control arm. Whem doing this try to get at least one ball joint stud nut started.
More manipulating will get the other nut on then start tightening while attempting to to install the bolt. Once done tighten the bolt and nuts.
This has worked in the past without problems.
#3
12-31-2008, 11:15 AM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
ORIGINAL: toyomoho
A frozen carrier bearing is not uncommon and can be diffcult to remove. Install the new bearing using anti-seize compound in the housing.
As to your problem.
Did you unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis? By hub do you mean the combo alxe hub and steerng knuckle?
You might reconnect the control arm and unbolt the lower ball joint connected to the control arm.
Once done pull the hub/knuckle toward you to slide in the axle snub behind then loosely install the axle nut. Move the hub/knuckle and ball joint onto the control arm. This takes some prying but eventually the ball joint studs will drop into the holes in control arm.
Jack up the control arm to take out gap between the ball joint and arm to expose the ball joint stud threads on the bottom of the control arm. Whem doing this try to get at least one ball joint stud nut started.
More manipulating will get the other nut on then start tightening while attempting to to install the bolt. Once done tighten the bolt and nuts.
This has worked in the past without problems.
A frozen carrier bearing is not uncommon and can be diffcult to remove. Install the new bearing using anti-seize compound in the housing.
As to your problem.
Did you unbolt the lower control arm from the chassis? By hub do you mean the combo alxe hub and steerng knuckle?
You might reconnect the control arm and unbolt the lower ball joint connected to the control arm.
Once done pull the hub/knuckle toward you to slide in the axle snub behind then loosely install the axle nut. Move the hub/knuckle and ball joint onto the control arm. This takes some prying but eventually the ball joint studs will drop into the holes in control arm.
Jack up the control arm to take out gap between the ball joint and arm to expose the ball joint stud threads on the bottom of the control arm. Whem doing this try to get at least one ball joint stud nut started.
More manipulating will get the other nut on then start tightening while attempting to to install the bolt. Once done tighten the bolt and nuts.
This has worked in the past without problems.
The problem is that the axle hub/steering knuckle/strut/ball joint has dropped about three inches down from where it needs to be to connect back to the control arm. I tried jacking the axle hub but the whole assembly just swings off to the side and never actually goes in up upward direction.
Hmmmm, anything I'm missing here?
#4
12-31-2008, 11:59 AM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
OK. You unbolted the lower ball joint from the control arm.
You now have the axle slid inside the hub and am attempting to reconnect the control arm to the lower ball joint.
Is the strut still bolted to upper chassis at the strut mount?
You now have the axle slid inside the hub and am attempting to reconnect the control arm to the lower ball joint.
Is the strut still bolted to upper chassis at the strut mount?
#5
12-31-2008, 12:23 PM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
Things do tend to flop around. Make sure the upper strut is still bolted to the chassis.
Can you push down hard on the control arm and then push the knuckle into place. Get the studs of the ball joint to drop into the holes in the control arm.
They will not be straight in the holes but at an angle. You will need then force the hub/knuckle up to tilt the studs down to install a nut. You should be able to do this as the studs in the holes
will keep the knuckle from moving side ways too much.
This part was most frustrating but eventually was able to get a nut on.
An alternative may be to remove the strut completely from the chassis and knuckle. This should allow easier movement of the knuckle around without working against the strut.
Don't run down the axle nut completely in the hub as you may want move axle play in the system. At first install the nut just enough to keep the axle from pulling back out.
The upper control rod will move up if the knuckle is removed, you need to force it down again to get the knuckle on top of it.
Can you push down hard on the control arm and then push the knuckle into place. Get the studs of the ball joint to drop into the holes in the control arm.
They will not be straight in the holes but at an angle. You will need then force the hub/knuckle up to tilt the studs down to install a nut. You should be able to do this as the studs in the holes
will keep the knuckle from moving side ways too much.
This part was most frustrating but eventually was able to get a nut on.
An alternative may be to remove the strut completely from the chassis and knuckle. This should allow easier movement of the knuckle around without working against the strut.
Don't run down the axle nut completely in the hub as you may want move axle play in the system. At first install the nut just enough to keep the axle from pulling back out.
The upper control rod will move up if the knuckle is removed, you need to force it down again to get the knuckle on top of it.
#6
12-31-2008, 12:31 PM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
One more thing.
Suggest you wrap cardboard around the CV boot to protect it. With everything banging around it is possible to damage the boot.
Wrap card board around it then a couple of wraps of tape. Works great as you no longer need to worry about damaging the boot.
Suggest you wrap cardboard around the CV boot to protect it. With everything banging around it is possible to damage the boot.
Wrap card board around it then a couple of wraps of tape. Works great as you no longer need to worry about damaging the boot.
#7
12-31-2008, 03:11 PM
RE: CV axles from HELL. Need help putting it back together.
Finally got it, ended up using a pry bar on the control arm and got it just far enough down to move the ball joint mount into place on the control arm and we were able to get the nuts started. Just road tested the car, its good as new!
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