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CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up?


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wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 9, 2022, 10:43 PM

Post #1 of 15 (2062 views)
CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

My wife's 2009 Enclave broke the driver side CV axle the other day while she was pulling into a parking lot, it broke right by the wheel on the cv joint itself, the cage and all the ball bearings came out and it was totally disconnected from the wheel. I replaced the whole CV axle today, but when I tried to drive it there seemed to be either some kind of binding or the engine is not making much power. I know the wheel itself is spinning fine and the hub nut is not too tight. I can turn the rotor by hand while it's jacked up and in park. But when I try to put it in gear and drive it seems like the engine can't make the wheels turn very good. Even up on jack-stands it can't spin the wheels very good and the engine/transmission doesn't want to rev good in drive on the jackstands.

So, at this point I'm not sure if the engine or transmission is messed up as a result of the CV axle breaking, or if that is what caused the axle to break in the first place, or something totally different. Any ideas? thanks in advance for any thoughts on this perplexing issue.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 2:12 AM

Post #2 of 15 (2040 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

Oh my? This isn't necessarily a trans or engine issue yet IMO. Please say what drivetrain set up this is AWD or plain FWD Buick is great can offer a few I'm about sure.
Do you have all the parts except the ball bearings that scattered no doubt? I'm trying to match the broken one up with new one if you can be sure to rule that out.
It went thru that trauma so did all pieces come out also what other damage might have happened if whipping around for a while IDK what's right near there for engine/trans control wiring?
Stuff happens I've about never seen this that also didn't give a warning for some time of pretty wild bad noise or vibrations on turns mostly so don't understand why no complain way ahead of this?
For now it could be a silly as new shaft isn't totally into trans enough to spline up with it if damage not sure yet at all,


T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 3:21 AM

Post #3 of 15 (2030 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

First let me correct something you said. The axle nut CANNOT be too tight. The spec is 275ft lbs. Too loose is the only issue you can have there.

As for you problem, my best guess is that the speed sensor got damaged or it's not reading the new axle correctly and now your traction control is kicking in. I would probably expect an ABS light to be on but not necessarily.

Trying to run it on jack stands will definitely cause it to kick in. If you have a "traction off" button, try using that.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Apr 10, 2022, 3:23 AM)


wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 7:27 AM

Post #4 of 15 (2004 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

It's FWD only. My wife was driving very slowly when it broke, and after that it didn't go anywhere. I didn't see any damage except the broken CV joint. When I put the new axle in it went all the way in, after a couple of blows from a deadblow hammer, seems to be fully engaged and I can turn the wheel by hand up on jackstands, and I can feel the transmission turning too.


(This post was edited by wesdoobner on Apr 10, 2022, 7:30 AM)


wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 7:31 AM

Post #5 of 15 (2001 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

It was my understanding that this hub nut needs to be tightened to snug then backed off 1/8 of a turn. From watching a couple of professional mechanics do it on youtube.


wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 7:36 AM

Post #6 of 15 (1994 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

I just tried it up on jackstands with the traction control on and off, and it made a huge difference. It did seem to spin the wheels normally when the traction control was off.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 7:38 AM

Post #7 of 15 (1992 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In


Quote
It was my understanding that this hub nut needs to be tightened to snug then backed off 1/8 of a turn. From watching a couple of professional mechanics do it on youtube.


Oh God NO. You are referring to an old style, packable wheel bearing. You have a hub bearing that can't be overtightened. It needs to be a minimum of 173 ft lbs or it will make all kinds of noises and destroy the axle spline and hub.

Here is the factory spec for that vehicle. Front Wheel Drive Shaft Nut .................... 235 Nm (173 lb ft)



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 7:44 AM

Post #8 of 15 (1990 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

Hammer Time gave you an exact torque spec. Use that if need be again. My service is slow today so can't go hunting but don't think any hub bearing you back off? Doubt it, that was for GREASABLE INNER OUTER TYPES like a trailer is still many cars/trucks were.
Beware of YouTube or videos they are not necessarily correct at all up to plain wrong.
Days past the 1/2 shaft you replaced would say the spec inside box?
Check it again with a torque wrench and do look for sensors for traction controls and ABS should be there and need be undamaged and set in place - check that,


T



wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 7:55 AM

Post #9 of 15 (1984 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

Lol, my bad, I should have watched the videos til the end. They only snugged up the hub nut until they got it on the ground, then it was torqued to 173 pounds as Hammertime stated. Thanks for the righteous info all! I need to be more patient.......Now to try to figure out this traction control situation, which seems better than a blown transmission.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 8:08 AM

Post #10 of 15 (1977 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

Yes - watch to the end and find another to verify it applies to you out there.
LOL, the ONE that did that was a neighbor it snapped turning into a driveway - no warning in that case,

Tom


Hammer Time
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Apr 10, 2022, 8:43 AM

Post #11 of 15 (1964 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

You might also want to look for the reason that axle snapped in the first place. This is VERY rare. Possibly not being tight enough if the previous axle was installed that way.

Maybe continued driving after a broken boot and loss of grease would explain it.

The axle being loose could be an explanation for the speed sensor issue too.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 9:15 AM

Post #12 of 15 (1960 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In


In Reply To
You might also want to look for the reason that axle snapped in the first place. This is VERY rare. Possibly not being tight enough if the previous axle was installed that way.

Maybe continued driving after a broken boot and loss of grease would explain it.

The axle being loose could be an explanation for the speed sensor issue too.


I'm about to go torque it to 173 ft lbs and try it again. But it was also having stabilitrak and traction control warning lights before this all happened. We bought this used about 2 years ago and I've been trying to sort it out since. I don't think the boot was torn on the old axle, some of the ball bearings and part of the race were on the ground below the car where it ended up parked, and they were totally coated in thick grease. It looked like the boot was intact except where it ripped in half when the axle let go.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 9:42 AM

Post #13 of 15 (1957 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

Just curious now if you can tell if the other side is still an OE one? This isn't common to me either. How long did this have warning lights two systems that wouldn't like this out of whack?

I know some rebuilders will keep one good joint and just put boots on sold as totally redone an isn't! Plus who knows who made the joint it would be fortune NEW thru GM.

OK you got it used so may only know those 2 years but something probably happened before unknown to me short of a collision maybe really stress one out??

Tom



wesdoobner
Novice

Apr 10, 2022, 10:50 AM

Post #14 of 15 (1945 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In


In Reply To
Just curious now if you can tell if the other side is still an OE one? This isn't common to me either. How long did this have warning lights two systems that wouldn't like this out of whack?

I know some rebuilders will keep one good joint and just put boots on sold as totally redone an isn't! Plus who knows who made the joint it would be fortune NEW thru GM.

OK you got it used so may only know those 2 years but something probably happened before unknown to me short of a collision maybe really stress one out??

Tom


I haven't inspected the other side closely yet, but I think the driver side may have been changed before, the top bolt and nut of the two big huge bolts that hold the wheel bearing assembly to the shock absorber is not the original and it's not quite the right size heads on the bolt and nut as an oe part. Which wouldn't surprise me. When I got this it was throwing catalytic coverter error codes that the used car lot had conveniently erased and showed up after a couple of days of driving. Turns out the exhaust pipe was hanging onto the cat flange by just one of the 3 bolts. One one was lost and the other was sitting down in the suspension. The oil was also incredibly dirty which caused one of the cam sensors to go bad. Those guys were real morons I'm assuming.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Apr 10, 2022, 11:12 AM

Post #15 of 15 (1943 views)
Re: CV axle broke, now transmission or engine is messed up? Sign In

That change a lot! Pandemic years used cars were so hard to find anything was getting fixed up is fine just how well.

Compare things to the other side if identical maybe it was made that way but now doubt it.
That now explains this 1/2 shaft being a problem a little. If and when this can be driven I suggest a superior alignment job (I don't own probably a $150,000 machine to do them so hunt myself.

That could show a problem or reason as to why. Now what to fix?
Correct parts that belong to this exactly GM didn't screw up that bad :-) wish that was funny.

If it's that far off it should have been wearing out tires for the 2 years you've had it.

Both HT and I have said this is rare and are 2,000 miles from each other different everything for exposure but an accident/collision would be the same fixes.

Cat bolts? Lazy on someone's part if it wasn't tight enough would throw codes. It's all OK now apparent a fix was done but not well enough so the alignment should really show where it's off then maybe a permanent fix so IDK you've just disclosed a lot about this car,

Tom







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