So our little run-around failed it's MOT last month with a broken spring, so I decided to lower it slightly and replace the brakes and control arms which were all advisories myself. All has gone well apart from ordering the wrong control arms meaning the car was bowlegged and had mental camber. A reorder of the correct parts and I fitted the correct one today. I have now lost all drive to the wheels. I can hear the gearbox spinning and maybe a bit of the driveshaft but no movement or park.

 

Nothing has been touched other than the control arm swap out, and I turned the car around before installing them with no problem.

 

I think it is a driveshaft but why would I lose power to both front wheels and why when it hasn't been touched? Could the adverse camber and toe-out have been enough to give some grip to a buggered driveshaft from me installing the suspension? I don't know.

 

Any help appreciated.

29 minutes ago, jstHightower said:

I think it is a driveshaft but why would I lose power to both front wheels

One word; differential . If one driveshaft is now effectively disconnected, you'll get no drive to either wheel.

30 minutes ago, Paws4Thot said:

One word; differential . If one driveshaft is now effectively disconnected, you'll get no drive to either wheel.

Thanks - I have since understood the diff and realised it wouldn't move both.

 

Can the driveshaft come out of the CV joint (and be put back in?) if I've been moving the hub assembly around?

I believe that something like this was reported recently - I think a snap-ring locating an inner driveshaft had been damaged.

I've just replaced the sus arm and ball joint and have the same problem... the driveshaft/hub will only rotate so far in either direction and it looks like there's more play in the outer CV joint. I loathe to take the thing apart again but will have to as it won't drive to the garage! @jstHightower did you solve the issue? I'm wondering if the driveshaft has come out the hub, or if not, if I can take the CV joint apart and reconstruct without needing a new one 😖 Grateful for any further knowledge on this 'self-created' fault!

53 minutes ago, Superfi said:

I've just replaced the sus arm and ball joint and have the same problem... the driveshaft/hub will only rotate so far in either direction and it looks like there's more play in the outer CV joint. I loathe to take the thing apart again but will have to as it won't drive to the garage! @jstHightower did you solve the issue? I'm wondering if the driveshaft has come out the hub, or if not, if I can take the CV joint apart and reconstruct without needing a new one 😖 Grateful for any further knowledge on this 'self-created' fault!

I did solve it and you are right, the driveshaft had parted company from the CV boot. I actually bought a second-hand complete driveshaft off eBay and sorted it that way. I did take the boot off first and bearings fell out. I’ve kept it all though for spare parts. I just needed the car to move again.

3 minutes ago, jstHightower said:

I did solve it and you are right, the driveshaft had parted company from the CV boot. I actually bought a second-hand complete driveshaft off eBay and sorted it that way. I did take the boot off first and bearings fell out. I’ve kept it all though for spare parts. I just needed the car to move again.

'just needed the car to move again' - totally there with you! I actually had to re-attach the boot once I'd put the arm back on, so will take it apart again and look out for rolling balls... 😂 it's a Sunday after all, so no hope for parts till Monday. Thanks for the reply, and glad you got sorted! 🥳

13 minutes ago, Superfi said:

'just needed the car to move again' - totally there with you! I actually had to re-attach the boot once I'd put the arm back on, so will take it apart again and look out for rolling balls... 😂 it's a Sunday after all, so no hope for parts till Monday. Thanks for the reply, and glad you got sorted! 🥳

No bother. Oh, and a 100% self-created issue just to make it better.