A little background here:
2001 MC LS 248,000 miles. I had it since it had 22,000.
New shafts about a year ago. I installed them.
New hub bearings about 4 months ago. I installed them.
Two weeks ago I leave a tranny fluid trail in the driveway.
I jump right in and notice the fluid is coming from the seal/shaft area.
After I removed the hub bearing I was able to remove the axle without dropping the lower control arm or tie rod end. I'm not sure why but I tried it and I was able to get it out---kinda strange.
I found that the inner lip of the seal along with the seals spring had broken away from the rest of the seal.
I installed a new seal and popped the shaft back in but the shaft didn't seem to lock in as tight as I remember before.
7 1/2 quart of fluid later and I'm in business---until last week when:
new tranny fluid trail in the driveway again.
I just got around to messing with again today.
I got another shaft from Autozone, thinking something isn't right with it since I could remove it without removing the lower control arm.
The seal was not buggered up this time but
Once again was I was able to remove the old shaft and install the rebuilt shaft without removing the lower control arm but
It appears that the shaft is not going all of the way into the tranny.
I did some measuring and removed the c wire clip from the inner shaft of the transmission(right at the end in the groove) and installed the shaft without it to see if it would go in further but it wouldn't.
It appears that I am about 3/8" from going in all of the way where the groove for the clip on the tranny shaft will align with the inner groove in the axle.
When trying to push the shaft in I pretty much hit solid so its not going in further---I don't think.

Any ideas as to what is going on here????
Thanks in advance!!

 

In my limited experience with axle shafts, once you have it in position, have the shaft positioned perfectly straight (in a line), use a hammer or perhaps a 2lbs mini-sledge and tap it in to seat it.

The shop book has these notes about the axle shaft during install:

1. Verify that the front wheel drive shaft retaining ring is properly seated:
   • Grasp the inner housing and pull the inner housing outward. Do not pull on the front wheel drive axle shaft.
   • The front wheel drive axle will remain in place when the front wheel drive shaft retaining ring is properly seated.

If a couple decent (not crazy) taps/smacks with a hammer or mini-sledge do not get it to seat, perhaps the trans has internal damage (and at that point, this is out of my league).

 

I have no idea how your removing the axle without pulling the lower ball joint or hub. I've changes axles any times and could never do this so I think somewhere there is your issue for it not fitting correct.

 

yea, it makes me wonder why also but still the fact that the shaft will not seat all of the way has me puzzled.
I'm waiting for it to warm up a couple of degrees and I'll attack it again.
I may see if any of the local tranny shops are open today to see if they have any ideas.
Ya'll keep your ideas coming also!!

 

Good Luck `Jim,

** Thanks Admin `Jason & Turbo Monte `John for your post/time & sharing to help our new member

 

ok in this trans on the driver side the axle connects to the output shaft (spline end that is inside the trans) the output shaft goes the whole way through the trans to the other side and connects into the differential and then the passenger side axle pushes into the differential on the passenger side. there is not really any room for things to shift etc inside the trans and if you broke an output shaft it wouldnt move. make sure the c clips are on the output shaft on the 1 side and on the axle on the other side. the c clips are what holds the axle in.

 

Ok, I'll take a peak at the other side.
The car ran and drove fine. It was just leaking a little--OK, a lot.
Coffee is in an I am going out.
Keep the ideas coming!!

 

Not sure what is going on here.
Yesterday I took an old half shaft and cut off the end that goes into the tranny and tried to beat it on(simi-gently) with no luck.
It appears that the half shaft goes in until it reaches the end of the splines on the tranny output shaft, then stops dead.
I also took out the seal so I could better see what was going on inside.
I tried using a triangular jewelers file to see if maybe the splines were buggered at the end. The file seemed to swipe cleanly through to the unsplined back portion of the output shaft.
Today I may try to reduce the splined ID of the dummy cut off half shaft to see if that will allow the shaft to got in any further.
This shaft may have been running without it being seated all of the way for a while but it just wasn't leaking until recently.
I do know now that originally when I put in the first seal that it was not seated fully and what I thought was the click that lets you know you are seated on the "C" clip, was a false click.
All of this work was done with the "C" clip out just to see if I can get the shaft to go in any futher.