Inner CV axle popped out and is binding
Loading the suspension to install strut spacers or lower control arms can accidentally pop the axles out and kink the inner boot. This causes the inner CV joint to bind up and make a scraping sound, which prevents you from moving it freely and putting everything back together.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1manipulating the joint manuallyDid this help you?
- 2trying to remove the whole cv axle with a pry barDid this help you?
- 3Jiggling, twisting side to side, and pushing the axle simultaneously until the rollers slide back into the cup.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have a 3rd gen Colorado Trailboss, and was trying to install a 1 inch strut spacer to level out my truck.”source ↗
“Either way, as we’re putting everything back together, we noticed the inner CV axel joint is binding and we cannot get it to move freely.”source ↗
“We’re both here feeling like morons.”source ↗
“Trying to swap lower control arms and I think I popped the axles out trying to load the suspension and now the inner part boot seems to be kinked/over extended.”source ↗
“When I spinned it from the rotor it made a scraping sound and not not rotor spinning sound.”source ↗