I am trying to replace the right cv halfshaft on my 96 Grand Caravan. The old one was easy to pull out but the new one seems tricky to put in. I have it all the way to the point where the splines of the halfshaft line up with the splines inside but it only goes in so far. I realize that the lock washer is probably giving it some resistance. Do I just try to pound the other end to force it in or am I missing something here?
I haven't done this b4 so I don't know what to expect and am just being extra careful so I don't mess it up.
Thanks in advance.
Jedi
12-23-2006, 11:49 PM
inner or outer giving you trouble?
tobybul
12-23-2006, 11:53 PM
Its the inner side. I don't expect problems with the outer side. Remember, I said lock washer.... thats on the inner end.
Jedi
12-24-2006, 12:12 AM
ok, you may want to check the lock washer to see that it is sitting in it's groove..manual say to install it sharply (I figure that's push really hard) and listen for the click that it engaged. pull it out to check. I would not necessarily start hammering it in.
Hope this helps
tobybul
12-24-2006, 12:22 AM
thanks jedi... i have a chilton manual too. i know what you mean about the click and all. but am guessing that the washer is probably getting in the way at this point. i consulted a mechnic friend and he said once you are sure the splines are lined up and encounter the resistance to tap the outer end with hammer.... but I don't know. I plan to get back in to it tomorrow. I'll pull the shaft out and examine the inner end.
my manual is not too helpful on this procedure. it just says slide it in and be careful not to damage the oil seal. and that once its in to make sure the lock is engaged by trying to pull out the shaft and it should not.
suprafreek
12-24-2006, 12:24 PM
Put some grease on the lock ring/washer so it sits evenly and doesn't stay on one side then level the axle, then pound it. It was a breeze when I did it.
tobybul
12-24-2006, 06:09 PM
Well, I got it done this morning. Actually didnt need much force. After I slid in the inner end and made sure that the slines were lined up, I moved to the outer end, made sure the shaft was level and gave it a push and voila!! Click!!
After doing this, I do not advise pounding the shaft in. Thats what i did at first but it did nothing. I probably tried going in and out 5 to 6 times. Good thing I was not too harsh with the pounding.
The car sat for a day before I attempted it again this morning. The only other thing was that a lot of atf apparently leaked out of the seal (I had a pan underneath). When I tested the van after, the tranny would not engage. Turned out the atf level was very low. Filled it and its fine now.
tobybul
12-24-2006, 06:10 PM
jedi, thanks for the good advise... :rck:
Jedi
12-24-2006, 06:35 PM
anytime...
acton mike
12-25-2006, 11:39 AM
a tip regarding driveshafts
Go to the wrecker and get one (get two if the price is low enough)that is all clapped out and take it apart; all you wans is the inner and outer ends )
If you pull out one or noth shafts, you can put the inner ends into the transaxle to keep the fluid from leaking out if you are not putting the original shaft or a rebuilt/repaired one back in right away
And, you can put the outer ends into the hubs so that you can roll the vehicle around without the drive shafts. This is handy if you have a confined work space and need to move the van out of the way during a repair project
many FWD vehicles depend on the out shaft joint housing to hold the wheel bearings in place and it is not a good idea to place vehicle weight on the spindle without the bering being secured/located/supported
tobybul
12-26-2006, 12:35 PM
Well, it appears that the halfshaft may not be the problem with the wobbling as it is still present after I changed it. Back to the drawing board as they say.
Now I am at a loss as to what is causing the steering wobble at speeds between 25 to 45 mph. It aint the tires or wheels I know that for sure.
Could bad ball joints cause this? Help
tactransman
12-26-2006, 10:28 PM
A deep freeze plug for the back of a small block chrysler engine (1 5/8 inch) works great for keeping the fluid in the tranny .
dodges 3
12-27-2006, 01:58 AM
Did you change both half shafts?? I went through this with my '95, thought it was the driverside, replaced it, and still there. Then changed the pass. side, and all gone. Neither joint looked really bad. I pulled one once and it came out in two pieces. I guess thats why it wobbled all the time.
tobybul
12-27-2006, 06:46 AM
Changed the passenger side which usually is the one tha goes bad. I talked to mechanic friend and he said to chk engine mounts expecially right side. If those are worn, it could also cause same symptoms. So we'll see.
tobybul
01-10-2007, 10:54 PM
Thanks for all the help everyone. I mentioned in my other thread that I believe the problem came down to the TIRES!! - not the halfshafts. One thing good that came out of this is that I can say I can remove and install cv halfshafts pretty well. I did the right side twice, and the left once.
Read my other thread. I explained the tire thing. :D
