2014 Ford Escape Suspension Work....
 

As is my way, I seem to take on new adventures in vehicle maintenance on every vehicle but my 95 SC2.

Anyway, changing struts/shocks all around + left inner tie rod driver's side. And rear sway bar links since the end of one popped off the ball.

Present difficulty:
I've removed the axle nut, and I'm trying to get the end of the axle out of the hub. I've been persuading it with a hammer and spacer object to protect the threads on the axle shaft.
However, it doesn't seem to want to go back any further than about 1/2 out.
I know not to force it.

Question is, how do I get the end of the axle the rest of the way out of the hub?. Is this one of those deals where the wheel has to be turned so that the CV joint is bent on a certain angle, such that the end of the axle can pull far enough back to escape the hub? Do I need to support the hub to take stress off the hub/axle interface? I have not touched the lca or tie rod ball joints yet.

None of the Youtubes I've watched have mentioned this.

The Ford workshop manual makes no mention of it, but per Andy's previous explanations, those manuals are written for an audience that has a clue about the general things. I simply don't have the hands-on experience with CVs, tierods, hubs, etc., to know the correct way to approach this.

All input welcome.

Nevermind. Used a punch and mini-sledge and was able to move the halfaxle back far enough to disengage the splines from the hub.
I realize I can't fully pull it out until the ball joints come out, so the knuckle has freedom to move. The hub will then only be attached to the strut.

Glad you figured it out, derf. I had no idea what to tell you. I can't visualize things anymore, I have to actually look at them and then try to figure out what to do. I don't recommend brain surgery unless it's a life or death situation like mine was.

Just to update the status of this.

So many pieces of the front suspension were resated solid together (I don't have aan oxy acetylene setup), This turned from a front strut replacement to a new knuckle with hub + bearing + new cv X 2.

Could not separate strut from knuckle, cv from hub.......fustercluck. CV boot leaking at the outer clamp,,,,,
threw money at some new parts cause I needed to get vehicle back on the road.

Didn't change sealsat tranny -- one leaked,
Called a tow truck.

Started it up 1st time when tow truck arrived./.....grinding when put in gear.
F me.

Offf tio mechanic.

Said I did not have either strut properly / fully inserted.
???

Anyway, new CVs and seals. Now I remember why I wanted to just do the struta.......

Anyway, now it has a shimmy between 15 to 25mph more prominent going uphill (more torque I suppose).. installed struts are new not reman per mechanic.

From experience, anyone have a hunch about which cv is unbalanced and causing the shimmy? The vehicle is AWD and the pass side is much longer and looks to have an intermediate shaft (?) integral to it.

By far my most expensive non-learning vehicle experience bc I still don't know how to figure out if the half axles are properly seated.
I'm thinking I should have checked with the vehicle still in the air by making sure things rotated properly.

Would greatly appreciate if there is a way to figure out which cv it is -----it's up on the lift right now.

Do you feel confident to run it in gear on your lift? Don’t get caught in rotating parts!

Yes I do. I meant CV axles or not installed properly, not the struts. I will attach a few pictures but the driver side one actually has the splines worn off of the very end up to where the circlip comes. Not completely worn off. I did have trouble getting that one in but it finally went past where it was hanging up. Apparently not far enough. As I was changing the oil today and the transfer case fluid, I realized that when I was tightening the axle nut on the passenger side, I had a crowbar across the studs to keep it from spinning but while I was tightening, it's like everything momentarily slipped, like the rotated maybe 45° but then immediately caught again. I didn't realize at the time that this told me that the axle was not properly seated.

Anyway, as mentioned above, yes I will put it in gear and slowly lean on accelerator or have someone else do it while I watch. I've done it before with my Saturn.

Am I looking for a basic wobble in one of them?
Please advise.

Thanks

I suspect some damage to whatever the axle slides into on the transmission. If you had splines worn off the end of the axle there is wear on another part. Did you have this discussion with whoever you had help with this repair?

No, I have not yet had that discussion (officially). I'm trying (as always) to understand what I have in front of me before I discuss with him, so I understand his response, my options to remedy, and whether this is a derf-inflicted issue or a new parts/installation issue. Since it is AWD, the pass side cv shaft seats in the transfer case. I already mentioned the "slip" while tightening the axle nut, so it wasn't seated..Here's a pic of the damage.

Pass Side CV splines ----previous statement was incorrect -- major spline damage is driver side, not passenger (sorry)

Pass side (oh how magnification reveals......)

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...49cc89c1a6.jpg
cv axle splines --- passenger side
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...57e66db5b5.jpg
cv axle splines passenger side - rotated

---------

driver side next post








I drained the transfer case and refilled yesterday. There were no metal shavings on the magnetic drain plug. The gear oil was thinned and in need of change.But that stuff is sufficiently thick I suppose it could have been suspended in the draining fluid......

driver's side cv axle splines

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...12d4ef8fb6.jpg
driver's side cv axle splines rotated
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...72d7955a11.jpg
driver's side cv axle splines
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...4b037fa11b.jpg
driver's side cv axle splines end on
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.sat...047294ba65.jpg
driver's side cv axle splines rotated

So it appears I never got the circlip to engage -- axle must have frozen cockeyed in the splines. I did have alot of difficulty getting this one even to where i did hear it go "plunk" and further and could not be tugged out.
But it was not seated either.

I am learning alot of how NOT to do this. **** happens and we learn from it.

Enough of that.

Your thoughts?

PTU input gear? even has shimmy at 15-25mph while coasting........(faint but there)