[s-cars] HELP - Half-shaft doesn't go into wheel hub.

[Vincent Frégeac]

I replaced both control arms and a bearing today. I’ve been postponing this
repair for a few month as I was expecting a major pita (wheel bearings and
me are not friends). Surprisingly, it went very well. The bearing popped out
easily with the press, the new one went in as easily. Youpla. I bold the
suspension back in place, push the half-shaft end into the hub. Oups!
Doesn’t want to go in. Take it out, back in, giggle it a bit. Nothing.

 

I tried to use the old axle bolt to drive it in. It went a half inch in but
I had to use a breaker bar to turn the bolt. I removed the bold before
destroying anything and popped the axle out with a hammer. The filet on the
axle bolt was already in bad shape

 

So what? The splines in the hub seem to be in good shape according to my
fingers. Idem on the axle. Is it possible I’ve ovalised the hub when I
pushed out the inner ring of the bearing with the press? It would surprise
me. What can make the axle so hard to push back in when it went out  by its
own weight?

 

Any idea?

 

TIA.

 

 

 

Vincent.