Front Half Shaft Spider Joint

[Howie]

I replaced the boot on one of my front CV joints, but I could not get the spider joint to seat all the way in order to fit the snap ring. I know one guy on here was able to take his apart and put it back together, but I had a hell of a time. I had to pay a mechanic with a shop press to get the spider joint off, and now I can't get the damn thing back on.

 

Is the spider joint unidirectional? As in, is it possible that I have it on backwards?

 

Here's a pic. The end of the half shaft needs to stick out a few millimeters more so I can fit the snap ring on there. But no amount of banging will get the spider joint to seat any farther.

 

Any ideas?

 

[seeraedave]

Looks to me like you could have it backwards, there's a pretty big chamfer showing on the id of the spider, and that is right where your snap ring would be resting. I just had mine apart over the weekend and I seem to recall a sharper corner on the id, flip yours around and see what you get. It would have been in your best interest to prick punch the spider and shaft for proper reassembly orientation.

[Howie]

Thanks! With all the banging I was doing and it not going anywhere, I was beginning to suspect as much. And you're right: I should have marked the damn thing. Especially since I think I took it apart almost a year ago, and it's been sitting on my workbench until now! Oh well, lesson learned.

 

Did you have to use a shop press to get the spider joint off the first time? I couldn't get it to budge, and had to finally take it to a shop to press it out, like what the shop manual says to do. I think I'm going to have to do that again, because it's wedged on there pretty tight.

Edited June 14, 2012 by Howie

[seeraedave]

No press, after cutting my ripped boot off I slid the housing down on the shaft. Then I was able to use a nice chunk of brass that I have in my box and a rather beefy ball peen hammer to drive it off. It took maybe 10 or so hearty smacks. The worst part of the job was, other than doing it of coarse, was when I was cleaning up my tools and found the darn snap ring from the cv on my work bench. I actually considered not tearing the axle back out to put it on. It ended up only taking me 20 minutes or so to remove and re-install the second time.

[devonianwalk]

I actually considered not tearing the axle back out to put it on. It ended up only taking me 20 minutes or so to remove and re-install the second time.

 

 

That kind of rational has crossed through all of our heads. I just hope that all of the rational people reading this had the same "wow, that wasn't so bad" results as you!

[Howie]

Hey, thanks again. I just had a shop press it out again, and sure enough, you were right. The chamfered part does go towards the shaft, and the outer part of the spider ring is squared off where the snap ring sits. I'm in the process of banging it back on, but was interrupted by the kids. I'll finish it tomorrow.

 

The shop said they had a hell of a time pressing it out because they couldn't get the thing to seat properly in their press. They were hampered by the fact that there was a newly-installed boot on there, and of course they didn't want to tear it off. I wouldn't have been able to knock it off like you did with that boot in place.