help installing driver side axle

[koreanmx-er]

through a long hard process of getting the axle out , then putting the new axle in, then when filling up the tranny fluid finding out they had given me the wrong one blah blah blah , so i repaired the cv joint and now i cant get the old axle back in, tried everything, car in gear, out of gear, with clutch in, i just cant get the damn thing to go all the way in !!! im a little weary of just smashing the thing in there with a sledge, if any one could help me out please reply to my post with any ANY helpful info Thanx

[jaydog5678]

Almost always an axle will have what's called a circlip attatched to the end of the axle (tranny side). It's nothing more than a metal clip easily removable by a small screwdriver. This clip could make it difficult to reinstall your axle. You won't do any harm if you remove it; or has it allready been removed?

[koreanmx-er]

thanx jaydog , i was basically trying everything possible since i need my car up and running to go to work tommorrow so i was like w/e i'll try it without the clip wala wala it worked if i had only read your post earlier it would have saved me about 2 hours but thanx for the reply

[thebox]

I'll bet you anything that clip wasn't sitting right, and that is why the shaft wouldn't go back in. The clip has to sit with the opening facing up. I did this yesterday and after having trouble getting the shaft back in, I went to the chilton's book. The book said the clip has to sit with the opening up, blah blah, so i flipped it around, and the shaft went right back in.

[Gro Harlem]

You don't want to remove those clips...they keep the axles from popping out of the transmission. Under hard cornering this IS possible and if they do pop out more than 2" 's in one direction, ur fliud will spew out, then u can say bye-bye tranny .

If the clip is bent in a gay way that is screwing you over...try to remove it and install a new clip. U can get them from parts stores usually or mazda dealer (but you'll probably have to pay 5-10 bux from the dealer...the bastards). If you think you can remove it, bend it into shape & reinstall it, you can try that, but I couldn't get that to work when I did mine.


If you keep trying to push it into the tranny using a hammer..it should eventually give. the more you bang on it, the more your are stressing that clip to bend inward and eventually it'll pop in. thats what I did on the drivers side one on my GS...but i bet its going to be a ***** to get out. Luckily i have a slide hammer with axle puller attachment that should work great.

[jaydog5678]

Originally posted by Gro Harlem:
You don't want to remove those clips...they keep the axles from popping out of the transmission. Under hard cornering this IS possible and if they do pop out more than 2" 's in one direction, ur fliud will spew out, then u can say bye-bye tranny .

So this must have happend from personal experience or was this just something that you "heard"?

[jaydog5678]

I've been thinking about reinstalling the clip after some carefull thought. The seals would keep the fluid in the transaxle, and it may be possible some fluid may end up leaking. the axles will move even if you don't corner hard. You can move them by hand, so I can imagine what would happen under normal driving.

I'm underneath my car regularly and I have'nt noticed any fluid coming from the seals. The trans has been leaking from the casing and possibly the speedogear, but no fluid around either axle seal...

The clip may also prevent excess friciton when the splines are inside the differential. Constant reciprocating movement from the axle and lack of fluid would not be good.

I just hate installing axles with these clips, and yes, the clip should be facing upwards. I call "bad engineering"...

[Gro Harlem]

Originally posted by jaydog5678:

Originally posted by Gro Harlem:
You don't want to remove those clips...they keep the axles from popping out of the transmission. Under hard cornering this IS possible and if they do pop out more than 2" 's in one direction, ur fliud will spew out, then u can say bye-bye tranny .

So this must have happend from personal experience or was this just something that you "heard"?

Why would a clip be part of the axle design if there wasn't a purpose for it? I've read posts on a bunch of car forums about ppl's axles popping out and causing fluid leaks, and even blown differentials. If you turn the transmission wthout axles installed, it'll screw up the differential. I was reading about it on PT this past week.

Not worth the risk of losing fluid and/or blowing your differential just to save 10-20 minutes of hammering that mofo in.

[thebox]

you also shouldn't remove the clip when spending 2 seconds to position it right will make everything ok

[dj inferno]

it works better w/ 2 ppl, if ones under the car holding it straight, and the other is hammering that "mofo" (lol) in. thats what i hadda do, cuz it obviously wont go in as easy if its not straight w/ the tranny