driveshaft outer boot replacement

[valimar]

Hi all, I just took out the CV joint on the left hand side to change the boot with the driveshaft "in situ" but I have a question: the driveshaft slides 3/4 centimeters and seems only to be held by the inner rubber boot ! Is it normal and does the shaft on the inner side slide freely or is fixed with a retaining circlip? I'm afraid, by taking out the CV joint, that I moved the shaft too far out of its place!
Any help would be appreciated

[lotusdriver]

It's normal.

If you remove both inboard boot clips you can remove the entire driveshaft still attached to the guts of the inboard joint whilst leaving the external shell of the inboard joint still fixed into the gearbox (or jackshaft for the RH joint).

Ideally you should refit the tripod into the same grooves they came out of from a wear point of view, but given the level of wear and the tolerances it probably makes bugger all difference in the real world.

[valimar]

Thanks, lotusdriver! If I understood good, it means there is no circlip on the inside of the driveshaft? Maybe I didn't explain myself good: I need only to change the outer rubber boot. The inside one is in good shape. I was only afraid the driveshaft was coming out of place, but if it is allowed to slide a few centimeters it will come on place when I assemble everything!

[lotusdriver]

If you pull too hard it will pull the metal of the inner joint through the rubber of the inner boot.

There is still a circlip that holds the tripod onto the end of the driveshaft splines (marked in red below), and also one that holds the outer shell splines into the gearbox.

This shows a dismantled tripod joint (not from an Elan but pretty similar)

[valimar]

Thanks again, I'm afraid the driveshaft moved out of the tripod and circlip is broken! I just looked again and I can move out the shaft about 3cm. I can turn the shaft by hand freely but if I switch a gear is not possible anymore to turn it. In my opinion it means the shaft is still inside the splines, but probably come out because the circlip is broken. To check it I have to cut the inner rubber boot and that is a nasty job! To take out the outer CV joint I had to give a few hard blows with a cupper hammer and probably the vice that was holding the shaft moved a little and made the shaft come out...

[lotusdriver]

If the movement is within the joint then 3cm is ok, if the joint is falling out of the gearbox then it isn't!

If you have both front wheels in the air then you ought to be able to turn the a single driveshaft with a gear selected (unless you have an LSD)

Maybe you have trapped the tripod between the rubber boot and the outer casing, you should be able to feel what is inside the boot through the corrugations without removing the boot or the boot clips.

It would be very unlikely for the circlip holding the splines into the gearbox to move unless you directly shocked the inner joint outer casing, If it has moved then it should be obvious by an oil leak from the diff shaft seal. The other circlip holding the tripod onto the driveshaft needs a circlip plier to remove, it won't simply fall off - not even if you rip the front wheel , hub, brakes, spring, damper, wishbones and raft off by hitting a tree at 50mph.

If you can't feel through the boot if the tripod is sat in its outer casing correctly then there is no need to chop the boot, just use some side cutters or a dremel on the metal clips and then refix with 6mm wide nylon cable ties.

[valimar]

Thanks a lot for your detailed information! I checked everything and nothing seems to be wrong! Through the rubber boot seems to me that the tripod is on its place, also no oil leak! When I lift both wheels I can turn the shafts (with gear selected). So like you say everything should be ok, having in account that 3cm is normal.
When I'll finish the job I'll post the results!
Cheers