Strut Replacement/Half Shaft question

[Spootcat]

Greetings Folks! I am replacing shocks/struts on my 2016 non-pp. Shocks went fine, but when I was removing the driver side strut, the wheel tilted and the halfshaft connection to the transmission came out about 1/2 or so, leaked some transmission fluid. I have pulled the strut and put the wheel back into position and tried to push the shaft end back into position, but it's not interested. Checked the Motorcraft Technical Resource site and it doesn't really address the half shaft coming partially out. On the other hand, the shaft doesn't want to come out, either, so I'm not really sure what to do. Go ahead and pull it completly, and reseat it, will it reseat once the wheel assembly is back in? Talks about a circlip, do I need a new one of those?

Appreciate the help!

Spoot

 

[6500rpm]

Take the sway bar link off and have an assistant pull the lower control arm down. With the axle attached to the knuckle, turn the rotor until you feel the axle splines line up with the transmission splines. Make sure the inner joint is square with the transale and give it a pop or two inward and it should go. Distinctive sound when it seats. If it doesn't pop in, rotate the shaft and repeat. Sometimes the little retaining ring can be a pain, but it shoud go. The mass of the strut and knuckle are your friend.

 

[Spootcat]

Take the sway bar link off and have an assistant pull the lower control arm down...

Finally got back to it. I wonder if it pulled it out enough to seep some fluid, but went back on its own. Got the car lifted enough to get under the joint and it looks like it's in the right spot, but it has a few mm of play in and out. Normal?

No issues with full left turn, but got a couple of thunk sounds on the full right turn. Will do the other side tomorrow and see what it all sounds like then. Then off to have alignment checked.

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[Spootcat]

So the thunk was a not quite tight enough post screw on the strut. Easy fix. Pass strut went in like clockwork. Why is one side always so hard? I put a D on the top of the drivers side front bolt on the top nut set so I'd know how to orient it going back in. One of the videos I watched said the paint mark goes to the fender, in mine it went to the front of the car. Also said orientation could affect camber, so not marking the drivers side just yet.

Got a pass through socket set. Got two, didnt realize first one only went to 19mm. Argh. That said, love the engineering of the tool.

Drain and filled trans fluid since some spilled out. So that's done.

Good amount of work for the weekend!

Cheers!
Spoot

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