Driveshaft popped out.

[Killerko]

Hey guys,
I was just trying to change the balljoint on the front driver side and while trying to loosen the balljoint I pulled the hub too much out and the driveshaft went 'PLOP' on the inner joint and now it looks like this:



Any idea if it could be un-plop and push it back together? I've tried a little bit but no luck..

[steve_earwig]

Is the black stuff grease or did it turn itself inside-out, erm, somehow? I'd say shove it back in but I've no idea what's going on with the clip. Is that the inside of the UJ? If it is the clip has stretched or broken.

[Killerko]

The black stuff is grease/oil from inside the rubber cover.

I managed to get the driveshaft out... still no idea how to pop it back together... the large metal clip that is holding the rubber cover seems to be like one piece. Any idea how to non-destructively remove it?

[steve_earwig]

Ah, that's a bit clearer, I can see the joint tripod inside the boot and your problem is holding the boot so the tripod can slip through it and go back into the joint. Worryingly, Haynes says you change the inner boot by removing the outer joint, giving the impression that you can't remove the inner joint tripod from the driveshaft (it says to change the joint you need to buy a complete driveshaft), so it might not help much even if you get the clip off and separate the joint.

Checking GSF they only sell outer joints and complete driveshafts.

I've not seen a boot clip that's continuous (but then I've not touched a driveshaft for more than 25 years ) but if it is I reckon you'll have to cut it off I'm afraid (you should be able to get one from a factor's, not much help if your single mode of transport is off the road). If you can get the boot off the joint you may be able to persuade the boot to stretch over the tripod (gentle heat might help) but I do know they're pretty tough.

Yeah, I realise I'm probably not telling you anything you didn't already work out for yourself.

[PeterN]

Never had that problem. Had one on an XM that slid out of the diff and gave no drive. There should should still be a few second complete shafts about, you are unlikely to get a duff one.

I've got one here in a car, 2.0. Hdi, if you are in the west country.

I took one to pieces on an XM and it was only actually held in by the boot, so if you take it off you may be able to reassemble it, just consists of three rollers if I remember correctly.

Peter

[Killerko]

I fixed it!
The problem was that the rubber cover was too narrow for the popped out part to just push back by force alone.. as it would not fit through that rubber cover neck that it plopped out from...

Once I started bending it and rotating it and slowly tried to pull the rubber part over the bulb inside.. I eventually managed to get it all over back to where it should be. After that it clicked back without any problem :-)

[Killerko]

Btw new driveshaft for my car is only £35.99 on ebay ..I kind of expected the price to be in 3 digit lol

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PEUGEOT-406- ... SwZlZaO~Qm

[steve_earwig]

2 year guarantee as well, certainly makes changing a boot a bit pointless. Only 12 quid postage to Croatia as well

I thought you were going to have a right nightmare getting that back in, possibly involving 2 new boots, glad you got it sorted.

[Welly]

My limited knowledge of the innards of a driveshaft UJ tells me the 'tripod' of 'big balls' detached from their housing and you've shoved them back in and nipped up the small-end of the boot?

Why is this screaming to me that you'll have trouble in the future with it popping out again?

[steve_earwig]

Nah, once it's back on the car, between 'box and hub, it's got nowhere to go (it's not like your knee you know )

[Killerko]

I had no idea how the inside is connected, so I was a bit worried I broke something by pulling it too hard...
but once you learn how the inside looks and works, you can see that the whole part is not hold together by anything.. it's just the little rubber cover that prevent it falling out and of course once mounted on car the hub will make sure this is impossible to detach.

Still.. if you remove the rubber you can just pull the other side right out as there isn't anything that holds it in.

https://grabcad.com/library/tripod-joint-1