Halfshaft won't go back in! - Honda Prelude Forum

92sleeper · 02-09-2002, 06:52 PM

I was changing my shocks today and I had to push down on the lower control arm to get the assembly out. When I did this the halfshaft slid out. I pulled the boot back and tried to get the three little square things back in. After about two hours I gave up. There's got to be a better way. please help! Any advice appreciated

Prelude2War · 02-10-2002, 12:23 AM

that happened to us when we did the swap.. We took the axil off, put them in correctly. Assembled the axil and used a mallet to pound in back into the engine... Make sure you hold it staight and dont let it go so it wont happen again.

PreludeNYC · 02-10-2002, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Prelude2War
...used a mallet to pound in back into the engine...

...i did the same thing too...

But how did the axel just slide out, I had to yank on mine to remove it...

Jose

92sleeper · 02-10-2002, 04:27 PM

I was actually pushing down really hard on the hub and it popped and came out. Now I managed to get it back together but when I drive the drive shaft shakes like crazy. It is raining here now and i don't have a roof to work under so I think I'll just take it to a mechanic I know.

PreludeNYC · 02-11-2002, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 92sleeper
I pulled the boot back and tried to get the three little square things back in. After about two hours I gave up. There's got to be a better way. please help! Any advice appreciated

wait a second did I read this wrong, are you saying that the boot opened up and you are trying to put it back together, b/c in your recent reply you said it rattled and thats not supposed to happen...

Jose

Son Tran · 02-11-2002, 06:30 AM

uh.... you pulled back the boot, and you are expose to seeing the joints???? You know that you can't just slip the boot back on. You have to get new boot clamps, and repack it with grease, if I understood correctly of what you are saying. Because if water or dirt gets in there, or there is less grease, then those joints are going to GO quick... or they may have already been gone by now.

Oh, btw... i just wondered how you got the lower arm separated from the ball joint? Hammer? Special ball joint remover tool? Or that fork?

tanks,

-son tran

92sleeper · 02-11-2002, 07:45 AM

I didn't remove the ball joint, I took everything else loose though. If i sound like i don't know what i'm talking about its becouse i don't. This is my first experience with this on any car and i didn't mean for the axle to come loose. I appreciate any help though

92sleeper · 02-11-2002, 07:48 AM

Oh yeah and i only drove it like this (shaking and making noise) for about 3 fourths of a mile to get it back to my house from my dad's house where i worked on it. I hope i didn't do any damage.

Son Tran · 02-11-2002, 07:54 AM

Well, the way I see it... the only way you got the axle inner joints to come loose is by having the lower arm separated from the hub assembly, which means you had to have the ball joint removed from the lower arm.

But please ellaborate on the boot coming off so that we can understand more...
Did the boot slipped off, and grease everywhere? If so, did you just slip the boot back on? We're talking about the boot nearer to the transmission right? Not the one at the hub.

-son tran

92sleeper · 02-11-2002, 09:17 AM

Yes, its the boot near the tranny and i actually pulled the boot off to see what had come loose inside and the axle had come out of the housing near the tranny. the ball joint however was never disconnected. now i got the axle back in the housing near the tranny but it didn't slide in all the way. Should i tap it w/ a hammer or is that a bad idea?

92sleeper · 02-11-2002, 09:24 AM

sorry I don't know the correct terms for the parts I'm trying to describe but I hope you can understand what i'm talking about. The lower arm was definatly never seperated from the hub assembly but the upper control arm was and the spring and stut assemly was too but thats all.

Prelude2War · 02-11-2002, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 92sleeper
Yes, its the boot near the tranny and i actually pulled the boot off to see what had come loose inside and the axle had come out of the housing near the tranny. the ball joint however was never disconnected. now i got the axle back in the housing near the tranny but it didn't slide in all the way. Should i tap it w/ a hammer or is that a bad idea?

Yes hit it.... have one guy get under the car and hold it staight and another hit it with a block of wood or a rubber hammer.. you might want to hit it like you have a pair...

Prelude2War · 02-11-2002, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Prelude2War

Yes hit it.... have one guy get under the car and hold it staight and another hit it with a block of wood or a rubber hammer.. you might want to hit it like you have a pair...

once its in DONT STOP.. keep putting the assemble together or it will pull apart again..

Son Tran · 02-11-2002, 10:25 AM

Once the boot is pulled off... you HAVE to get a new boot clamp (ring) and repack the boot with grease! You can't just slip the boot back on.. because it WILL leak grease. But that inboard joint should freely move inwards and outwards, but not TOO outwards, because then it will separate just like what happend to you. But once you have it in correctly... it should slid inwards and outwards... not stuck or anything.

Make sure the inboard joint didnt come out of the transmission also. That joint should be flush with the transmission with maybe just a tiny bit of gap.

I know this is not related much.. but you can view my "swapping CV axles howto" on my website. There's pictures and stuff. Just incase you want to do it your self.

http://sons.azn.nu
- then enter the website
- goto "how to's"
- then check out the CV Axle

-son tran