Dislocated CV Joint!

[brianzero]

Today when I was changing my ball joints, I slid the hub off to clear the lower ball joint. As I was sliding the hub off the axle shaft, one of the CV joints dislocated inside the boot. The boots are fully intact and the grease is all there.

So what now? I cant seem to get it to relocate. Should I be able to get it to relocate?

[flinterman2000]

I'm stumped! Where in a 720 carries a CV joint. Any way the joint will have to be disassembled to get it back in but if it came out with hammer blow then it will come out with aggressive driving. It needs to be repaired or changed.

[MetalFab]

Sounds like what I did, if you just pulled the shaft out of the cv, it'll go back together with a bit of patience, just don't pull that boot off-at least the manual says not to- it may fight you as the inner spline carrier tends to go every direction but the one you want. Once you have it back together, I was able to keep mine from coming apart again, and up n out of the way by looping a bungee cord around the outer shaft up to the shock housing or the steering shaft.

I'm stumped! Where in a 720 carries a CV joint. Any way the joint will have to be disassembled to get it back in but if it came out with hammer blow then it will come out with aggressive driving. It needs to be repaired or changed.

CV's come in the 4wd version, and power the drivetrain while giving the flex for the IFS. IMO I hate them, can't wait for a solid axle swap but I'm really impressed with the 4x4 capabilities of these trucks stock (at least I think mines stock anyway)

Sounds like you got it all apart, just putting it back together. Good luck man

[flinterman2000]

OK. So its a 4x4. Well patience is whats necessary. It should go back in but keeping it in will be a problem. Try what MetalFab said.

[brianzero]

Yeah, its a 4x4...Sorry I failed to mention that...

In order to get it back together (inside the boot), do i need to remove the axle from the truck? Its sort of like putting somebodies dislocated shoulder back in the socket! I suspect you keep rotating and angling and bending until it pops back into the joint?

[MetalFab]

Pretty much, I haven't opened one of these up, but it almost feels like there is a key way or a larger locating spline in there. I hope you haven't gotten too far away from it's original location. Worst case scenario is taking off the boot, might end up being a pain to put the boot back on and/or getting it to seal right afterward.

[brianzero]

Well, Im gonna yank the axle and see if I can get it aligned while in my hands. I dont have any control of it while installed. I ll give you guys an update as to the solution.

[brianzero]

CONCLUSION!

Some of you have had success with getting the joint to go back into the spline with the boot on, and in my case,it was impossible with the boot on. I couldnt get a feel for what I was doing or even dealing with. The female spline had turned almost 80 degrees, and I had to hammer it back to 0 degrees to get it to line up. In no way would it have been possible to do this with the boot in the way, and I realized this quickly.

I removed the large end boot strap and slid the boot back to expose the female bearing cages. I turned the bearing cage, inserted the male spline and reassembled the boot with a hose clamp.