Little CV help needed on a Jetta

[tjet]

I replaced the front struts on my Mk4 jetta and I got myself into a pickle.

When I was removing the strut on the right side, somehow the axle pulled out from the outer CV joint. I didn't notice this until I was all done with the struts and got the car back together. The only think holding the axle to the CV is the boot.

Is it possible to work it back in, or do I need to pull the entire axle? Also, is there a circlip on the axle?

I gotta get this thing done before work tomorrow....

Thanks

[TDCTDI]

To remove the passenger strut from the knuckle, you need to unbolt the inner CV from the transmission so the axle will clear the subframe. If you don’t do this, you’re in for a fight which it seems that you ultimately lost.

Remove the lower ball joint so you can get the CV out of the hub & at this point, it’s best to remove the drive shaft. You should be able to get the CV back onto the drive shaft but you need to remove the large end clamp so you know that the joint is still assembled & also so you can line it up on the splines before driving it back on. You should probably get a new boot kit, just in case.
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[jberger]

FWIW I remove the stub axle to pull the knuckle, leaving the axle assembly attached to the transaxle.

J

[tjet]

Thanks for the input. I will report back in a few days when I get some time to work on it.

[brianbernal71]

Would this vehicle now need to be aligned?
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[Butcher]

I've been in your shoes before and I have always managed to get the CV back without pulling the boot.

Anytime you do suspension work, an alignment is the only way to know it's back to where it should be. That said, if you remove the part without disturbing the alignment hardware, you should be fine.