Inner CV joint assembly on the axle?

[Kunz, Bob]

Hey listers!

Well I took advantage of PAP's new half shafts offer and got a pair for my '86 5ks 5 sp (same on both sides). One of them likely got dropped in transit and the inner cv joint is in pieces in the box. Six balls, a cage, the outer channel on the boot and the inner channel on the splines of the axle. Oh, and the grease pack opened as well and spread its contents liberally all over.

Obviously it can come apart. Can it go back together without pressing the inner channel off the axle? The Bentley procedure is to have the inner and outer channels rotated 90 degrees, seat the balls in the inner channel and then rotate the channels to be co-axial. I've got all the wide/narrow stuff figured out. Obviously, I can't start in the 90 degree rotation while it's attached to the axle.

Has anyone been able to re-assemble the joint while it's on the axle? I can see how to press the inner channel off, but don't have the blocks to press it back on (at least I don't think so). It would be so much easier if there's some trick to this that I just don't know.

Oh, yeah and shipping is a pain all around, so it's way better for me to just fix this instead of getting another shipped from Ohio and this one back.

Thanks,

--bob
'86 5ks Avant
'02 TTQR
'07 Q7 4.2