driver side cv half-shaft

[kimandbrad21]

alright i have a 1991 toyota corolla le, with a automatic transmission,

im replacing the halfshafts and lower ball joints, outter tie rods.... both sides...

the pass. side is done and went really quickly.......... no problems

lower ball joint and outter tie rod are done on the driver side....

i can get the axle to go half way in, but it will not set into place and i thought i had it in today and i put tranny fluid in and it just slowly dripped out.... so i got under to find it was not all the way in and flush with the transmission.... though i thought it was............

im looking for helpful hints, i put the axle nut on and it hit with a hammer with some heavy blows and it didnt pop in i pulled the axle out and put it back in with grease but still went just a little bit and then stoped and wouldnt go any farther....

i check the new one with the old one and its the same lenth and teeth are the same on the gear looking part going into the trans.

fast and helpful hints is what i need. thank you in advance.

[SCT]

Driver side CVs' are a bitch... Always. Simply be very persistent with it.

Whenever I had to remove/ install mine, I use as much force as I had to. Instead of threading the nut onto the end and using a hammer, I just grabbed that end, pull it as much as the boot allows without having the other end come out of the trans, and stroke it really hard in there. SLAM IT...

You can may be squeeze the clip to that it hugs the CV a bit more. Sometimes it could be a bit wide and cause such difficulties.

[rwalsh.ae92]

get under there and put a big long flat head on the recessed edges of the tulip, then smack the end of the screwdriver with a hammer of Thor. should be able to move it out at least a little. then rotate it and hammer another section. works for me everytime

[eishiba]

I was told if your having that much trouble with it, wait until something p***es you off, then take it in both hands and ram it in as hard as you possibly can just keeping it flush. Don't give little love taps. Ram that sob in!

[kimandbrad21]

thank you tomorrow is the day i will try again, i double checked to make sure i got the right one yet again, but just the shear fact that people have had the same problem helps haha you understand. thanks for the replies just didnt know if it was common.

[SCT]

It's common. When I did my trans swap, the driver side axle wouldn't come out. So I just said screw it all and left it in. Once I got the trans out, I opened the diff and pried from the inside.

Have fun!

[kimandbrad21]

you know im trying to get it in right?

[SCT]

I figure you could imagine the rest... oh say, when I had to put it back in.

[rwalsh.ae92]

oh your putting it in?! thats a whole other thread hahaha. pretty much the same story, same thing i told you.

[kimandbrad21]

alright! i got it in, well 2 days ago or whatver, alright....... now the fun part, i have replaced all the parts, we drove the car its good. the only problem that started all this damn mess is that i went over a rough part of the road and i started hearing a loud loud! thumping noise close to metal hitting metal, like two wrenchs hitting each other but not with the cling they make.... does that make any sense? ha, oh well, i talked to a friend at work because i was like great i need a new wheel bearing..... yeah dont need one of those i did the lift the car up and shake the wheel and its very very stiff, i just replaced the struts maybe 10k ago, my springs are not broken, and hell i dont see sway bar in the front..... is that normal? lol sorry i have two hondas and i have them on those, but not on this that i can see..... im looking to see what i can look into, i know when shifting through the gears ((automatic)) after filling the transmission fluid the motor barly moves, so im taking broken motor mounts out of the question, i did look at my bushing on the lower a-arm i dont know if thats the proper word but its in the shape of an A and holds my lower ball joint on it. i checked the strut top end and all the bolts are still very tight, is there any hints on what to look at next. i did lower the car down in the garage all tires on the ground and pushed with force on the body and didnt hear it. but when we went on a little drive ....every bump... it made the sound. ..........hope i gave enough detail ask away or throw the hints this way thanks a ton everyone for helping, i am done now with my small noval of my noise haha

[90 GP]

Did you check the fluid level in the differential when you got thru with your work? If you have the 3 speed auto the differential is separate from tranny and has both a drain plug on bottom and a fill plug on the side.

[kimandbrad21]

the only transmission fluid that drained was 3 1/2 qts through the axle hole in the side of the transmission. i found out the problem to all of the noise that started all of this, it was the strut tower nut on the top under the hood, the dead center one, it was very loose.....................what the f*u*C*k* is what went through my mind, tho..... this was a great learner for me, i did everything for the first time and got some helpful hints on the way, and it means in the time ive owned this car for less then a year i have replaced, the struts, outer tie rods, lower ball joints, and cv half shafts both sides, so for it being free im just basically making payments through parts ha!, thanks for everyones help........

oh by the way how can i tell what transmission i have? i see the codes and everything people say but how can you tell,

i saw a cable running into mine, and i have over-drive and drive and 2nd and low, its an automatice production date was 9/1990......thanks again

[barthmonster]

My '91 Drivers axle is giving me fits also. I was wondering how to tell if it's all the way in. I am not leaking any fluid and the car drives fine however the last time it looked fine also and it stranded me because the axle became dis-engaged from the trans so I already sort of know that it can be a bit 'out' and the nut will still go on the end of the axle just fine.
I think it's not 'in' because the trans-end can move up and down just a little (maybe 1/8") when pushed and that doesn't seem right.
What a pain since it wont seem to come 'out' either so that I can take another look at that clip on there... Helpp !!

[barthmonster]

screw it I'm driving it. No fluid comes out and I can't seem to remove it the dang thing must be in right !!