CV Halfshaft Fell Out...

[The Critic]

This is a driver side CV halfshaft for a '92 Camry. It is a 100% new, Master Pro Select CV halfshaft.

My friend and I installed this CV halfshaft on Saturday night and supported it, as we did not slip the hub over the shaft. During the night, it was kept straight and parallel and no stress was placed on it in any way. When we returned the next morning, the inner joint was still in the transmission and the rest of the assembly simply fell off of the inner joint. I guess the band that holds the boot to the inner joint was defective?

Good thing this happened in the garage. I wonder what would have happened if the shaft fell out during the test drive.

 

[sciphi]

Most likely another junk new axle from guess where...A few guys on the GM boards I'm on have had lots of issues with new axles being constructed very poorly. It seems re-manufactured axles are the way to go right now.

 

[Kaboomba]

owch

I don't know if I would be comfortable re-installing that, what with possible dings and dirt and such.

What's your plan?

 

[nfs480]

That band isn't really meant to hold the axle together, it really doesn't take much to pull them apart. I'd maybe consider cleaning the grease off the joint, regreasing it and installing a new clip around to boot and then I would install it.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Most likely another junk new axle from guess where...A few guys on the GM boards I'm on have had lots of issues with new axles being constructed very poorly. It seems re-manufactured axles are the way to go right now.

I am not a fan of most remanufactured axles, as the joints have been reground. I prefer new joints, which I assume is what new CV halfshafts include.

More info about regrinding CV joints can be found here:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/cvgrind.htm

Originally Posted By: Kaboomba
owch

I don't know if I would be comfortable re-installing that, what with possible dings and dirt and such.

What's your plan?

Exchanged it for another unit under the lifetime replacement policy.

 

[Kaboomba]

Good call.

I think that even if there were no dirt or dings, the band would need to be tighter (at least a little) to keep what's outside out.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Good thing this happened in the garage. I wonder what would have happened if the shaft fell out during the test drive.


Not possible. There's nowhere for it to go once the front end is fully assembled.

I don't think it was supported properly. A loose band certainly could be a contributing factor though; it may have taken less force than normal to cause separation. If that's the case, it may be a good thing that it happened.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: The Critic
Good thing this happened in the garage. I wonder what would have happened if the shaft fell out during the test drive.


Not possible. There's nowhere for it to go once the front end is fully assembled.

I don't think it was supported properly. A loose band certainly could be a contributing factor though; it may have taken less force than normal to cause separation. If that's the case, it may be a good thing that it happened.

The end of it was not rested in the hub, but the shaft itself was fully supported. Considering that the shaft was supported, I don't see how having it in the hub (or not) would make any difference?

 

[JeepZJ4.0]

When I emailed that picture to my brother he first thought... "See! Should of kept the Jeep!"... as he thought my Acura broke down on the way to Louisiana.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
The end of it was not rested in the hub, but the shaft itself was fully supported. Considering that the shaft was supported, I don't see how having it in the hub (or not) would make any difference?


I'm not sure I totally understand what you're asking, so I'll offer this extensive ramble:

If it's in the hub with either the ball joint, tie-rod end, or strut unattached to the steering knuckle, then it could come apart, and the weight of the steering knuckle and anything still attached - especially the control arm - might even contribute to that. But once all of those things are together, the maximum distance from the hub to the transmission, in any cornering or suspension position, is short enough that there isn't enough room to pull the yoke out of the cup. The yoke of the inboard CV joint is free to move laterally in and out of the cup; the only thing holding the shaft/yoke to the cup is the boot, and that is not intended to be a structural member. In operation, it is simply held in place by virtue of not having enough room for the yoke to fall out of the cup. I've never even removed the inner cup from the transmission if I only need to change the boots. I just cut the band, pull the axle out, and clean and grease the cup in place before re-installing the cleaned and re-booted shaft.

All I'm saying about the lack of support is that there had to be some force to pull it apart, but maybe it didn't take much due to a poorly-clamped band. I've been careless with the forces I put on those shafts in the past (especially when they're old ones that are being replaced or re-booted) and never had any come apart so, if you were somewhat cautious with it, the band probably was just poorly clamped from the factory.

 

[NJC]

Originally Posted By: rpn453
All I'm saying about the lack of support is that there had to be some force to pull it apart, but maybe it didn't take much due to a poorly-clamped band. I've been careless with the forces I put on those shafts in the past (especially when they're old ones that are being replaced or re-booted) and never had any come apart so, if you were somewhat cautious with it, the band probably was just poorly clamped from the factory.

+1. It could have been re-assembled and used.