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CV axle spring pin needed?
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:12 pm
by James614
Doing my axles today (in the rain, YAY) and noticed that the aftermarket axles I bought are splined 1 tooth off from the old unit, so the spring pin hole can't line up with the stub in the trans. The haynes manual says the spring pin was only on early models, so I just stuck it in without it for now. I'm not gonna have my axle popping off when I'm parrallel parking, am I?
I did a few turns in a parking lot and it seems fine.... But I'd be nice to know there won't (or will) be any fun surprises.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:11 pm
by n2x4
Your axle is fine, it's just is on wrong. Turn the axle 180* and slide it back over the stub. It'll line up then. The hole for the pin is offset from the splines, when you have it in wrong it won't line up.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:22 pm
by James614
Wow. Good thing I majored in computer science instead of mechanics, I feel like beating myself with my breaker bar now.
At least it's always the simple/stupid stuff that stumps me, and never anything serious.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:24 pm
by 93forestpearl
I wrestled with that for a long time once. I think it's safe to say a fair amount of people have done the same thing.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:34 pm
by n2x4
93forestpearl wrote:I wrestled with that for a long time once. I think it's safe to say a fair amount of people have done the same thing.
It's a pretty common mistake. I've replaced several axles that were a PITA to get out because some dumb mechanic beat the crap out of the pin to get it in when the axle was lined up incorrectly.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:28 pm
by skid542
Haha, welcome to the club
.
Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:31 pm
by James614
Makes me feel much better that its a common mistake
The second one I just yanked out the stub and put it on the new axle before hand, the time I saved was negated by my wheel being siezed to the brake rotor
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:38 am
by RJ93SS
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:29 pm
by James614
On my first attempt to break the axle nut with a 2ft breaker bar, I realized that this was gonna give me problems if I didn't have the rights tools. Among them were a 4ft pipe (next best thing to air tools!) And an assortment of flatend punches to replace the center punch I was originally gonna use. I now know that it was $5 well spent
I also used a torque wrench for the first time, and learned that I've been over-tightening damn near everything by a massive margin for years
