rt4wd need help quick!!! HELP!

oilspotoilspot Wagonist
in Engine & Drivetrain
Kept fighting with getting the rear struts out of my wagon to swap into a same year hatch. Finally decided it would be just as easy to drop the LCA and just leave the strut mounted to it. Made perfect sense.

What I didn't see happening is that I've pulled apart the rear CV (rt4wd). The axle will spin free of the large piece that seats into the rear pumpkin. I can rotate it to where it feels like it just needs to be popped back into place. I just don't know if this CV has bearings that slip out of place when the cv is accidently pulled apart like I did.
It pulled out a good inch,

1. can it just be popped back in?
2, do I need to disassemble the joint and put everything back together?

this is now my daily driver. So i need to get it back on the road right away!

Comments

  • oilspotoilspot Wagonist
    I've been reading through the haynes manual that kinda covers the car (I say kinda because it's not the best manual!)

    It talks about ball and cage bearings, and tri-pot bearings. It never says that the rear cv's are tri-pot but I think they are (from what i can feel through the boot.
    It shows that during reassembly that the tripot unit just slips into the housing. I think I have to just line them up and push them back in.
    It really doesn't wanna slip in there though.

    If anybody knows for sure let me know.
  • SlammedtallboySlammedtallboy Wagonist
    I looked in my service manual, the inboard ones are tripod. Sometimes you might have to loosen the cv boot to open it up and slide them in by hand.
  • oilspotoilspot Wagonist
    had a few extra minutes to get back to it. After I slipped the cv boot out of the way I confirmed that, yes, it is a tri-pot (thats what they call them in my manual). I was able to wiggle it around and it finally just slipped in.

    Now I've just gotta find someplace to buy just that clamp. I guess I'll go ahead and buy the tool to crimp it down also.
  • JakerJaker familEE
    Did you confirm that all 3 tri-pot bearings are still on their little posts? One of them could have slid off it's post, and may be sitting in the bottom of the boot.
  • oilspotoilspot Wagonist
    Jaker wrote:
    Did you confirm that all 3 tri-pot bearings are still on their little posts? One of them could have slid off it's post, and may be sitting in the bottom of the boot.

    Yes, that was the other reason for pulling the boot back. I'm not the type to assume that everything would still be ok in there after yanking it apart like a jackass.
    That one little slip up turned out to be a total pain in the ass! I spent over two hours driving around town looking for the right clamp. And then had to find the right clamp tool.
    Lesson learned! proceed with caution.
  • Eagle BeagleEagle Beagle familEE
    exciting story, ground breaking (harhar) efforts

    no really, i enjoyed it ...

    who doesnt love a struggle

    great you got tit solved
    : )
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