CV Axle fell out!

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Hello all-

I searched and found only one thread referring to this, and it was for a new install.

About a year ago, I replaced both CV axles on my 1997 Grand Prix. They were Autozone parts- looked really well made. I think they might have even been new, instead of reman.

Everything was fine, up until a couple days ago. I was coming around an expressway flyover ramp when I heard a "thunk" and the speedometer pegged itself at about 120 mph. Revvs stayed about the same. I pulled over, and once I stopped, the speedometer still said something like 30 mph. I put it into park and the speedo went down, and I heard a "wizzz, clink" as it went to zero.

Went around and looked under the car, and saw that the axle has fallen out of the transmission. The boot was torn and grease was everywhere, but the axle still looked to be intact. Everything else looks more or less right- the engine is still in its mounts, the tie rod isn't broken, the ball joint is still intact, etc.

Luckily, I have AAA and they were amazingly fast (15 minutes!) and towed me home. I haven't really looked at it since, because it has been really cold out, and I've been busy with other things.

Anyway, my question is: how can an axle fall out?? From looking at diagrams and just how hard it is to install one, the parts are sort of locked into place. There is what seems to be about 4 inches of play before the parts can separate. Since when you jack up a car, the axle extends pretty far and still doesn't separate. So how in the heck can this happen when the car is sitting on all four wheels? AND when the part has functioned fine for all this time??

EDIT: forgot to mention. When I got it home, I jacked it up to try and pop the axle back into place. I couldn't do it, so I dropped it back down. In doing that, the axle did pop back in. At least enough for me to be able to pull up a couple feet in the driveway. So it is still at least marginally intact.

(I'll report back with pictures if I see anything interesting when I look at it this weekend.)
 
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Missing spring clip? Did you check your tranny oil level, I think it pours out when you have an axle out.
 
Well, we have had some really strange/bad weather. Did you drive through any deep snow that might have gotten compacted in there and refroze in to a solid block of ice causing a separation?
 
What Johnny said above.

Is it possible you have some worn or broken engine/transmission mounts and hit the "right" geometry that pulled the axle out of the transaxle?

You either have to reboot, or replace the axle now anyway, so I'd double check the axle and look at both your suspension and your mounts.
 
So the axle is intact and came right out of the transmission?
The only thing i can think of is something bound in the CV joint(s) so they/it could not expand,if the joint is stuck/frozen for whatever reason the shaft could pull out.
Very unusual but strange things happen.

If it was new it was probably a Chinese part,the CV joints are iffy at best.
I would get a couple of good used ones with boots still intact and re grease with Redline CV grease and new thermoplastic composite Rockford Dura Boots.

Rockford boots will out perform and outlive almost anything on the market.Made in U.S.A. If they don't list your car call them they will have it if they dont they will make it,i got them for my 2000 GP and Expedition for about $30 a side,these things are tough as nails.
Stay clear of Cardone rehashed axles they have very poor QC.

http://www.rockfordcv.com/rcvboot.htm
 
make sure to check transaxle oil, as some can leak, especially when in use on a freeway. This is why I do not use autozone parts, nothing but bad luck with them.
 
I've only ever replaced a CV axle on one car, my old Subie, three times
frown.gif


The tranny side of the CV joint was splined into the tranny and held by a spring clip. The hub side was splined into the hub and held into place by the axle nut. Regardless, the control arm will only maneuver so much, so unless the axle is too short in comination with no tranny side spring clip, I don't see a way, in my limited experience, that it could come out.
 
Maybe when you installed the axle on that side it did not lock into the transaxle and it took it this long for it to work itself out.
When you push the inboard joint in the transaxle you should hear a click then pull and push on it several times to be absolutely sure it is locked in place.
 
It may not be the exact axle that you needed.
Internally, the parts could be worn out.
And like mentioned, sloppy mounts or suspension parts could contribute tho it coming out.
 
The inner CV joint on that vehicle just isn't the sort of joint that can produce a lot of 'pull' against the shaft. Without the suspension geometry holding it together, that inner joint would just slide apart (except for the boot, of course). So I suspect that either it wasn't properly snapped in in the first place, or there's something wrong with the groove that the snap ring engages... or something wrong with the snap ring.

The engine/transmission mounts would definitely be worth checking, but I kinda doubt that that's the cause.
 
Right. Those snap rings are critical. New ones are often oversized and tight, and can't be felt to seat in and click. It's possible that they were being held by friction alone for a while.
 
Thanks for the info, puts my mind at ease.

Did the work over the weekend. What happened was a c-clip on one of the bearings on the inner CV joint came out, and allowed the bearing to come apart. There were little rollers all over the place. So what must have happened is one of the remaining bearings ran over one of those rollers, and put a pulling force on the "cup" thing that snaps into the transmission and snapped it out. Then it was just a matter of time until the splined shaft worked its way out of the trans.

From what I can tell, the only thing keeping the shaft centered between the inboard and outboard cup things is the springiness of the boot. It *looks* like there is enough slack for it to do what it did, but not enough slack for it to fall all the way out and start flopping around destroying things.

I doubt it is the mounts, because they are setup in a way that makes lateral movement nearly impossible. Same with the suspension bushings. They would have to be GONE for the lower control arm to flex enough.

Yes, I'm sure it was snapped in correctly when I installed it. Last time and this time.


5449585626_d1db61bc52.jpg

The grease looks kind of like some metal got ground up in it?
5448977215_9268c7ee62.jpg
 
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