96 L front CV shaft problems

After 280,000 miles I thought it was time to rebuild the front end of my 96 Legacy L awd station wagon. After I discarded the old CV shafts with all four boots totally ripped off I tried to install the new ones I got from Rock Auto. Well they were about 1/2 to 3/4 inch too short. By that time (5 weeks) it was too late to return them to Rock Auto.

 

So I went and got another set from the Orellies parts store. They were the same length. They asked me all the right questions... year, model, AWD, 2.2L...

 

The service manual does not show the length. hmmm what gives? What shaft should I try next? What happened? Do I need a shaft stretcher?

 

This old car ain't gonna last long in my garage with no drive shafts. I only paid $1000 but it burns no oil and I've got it in great shape except it has no drive shafts.

Did someone do a big brake swap up front my putting newer spindles on it? Do you still have the old shafts?

Unfortunately I junked the old shafts. I know the former owner who owned the car for decades but he never would have swapped spindles. I think i have put rotors on before without any problems. I'm going to go snug everything up and see if it makes a difference but that shaft is slopping left/right 3/4 inch so I doubt it will make a difference. I changed the rear A arm bushing and will go verify again that it is the same geometry as the old one.

The shaft has a compressed length and a stretched length. The compressed length is too short by at least 1/2 inch. Maybe I just need to put the pin in and stretch the shaft outboard with the bearing nut and run it.

 

I'm used to the dodge fwd where the shaft feels spring loaded and you have to compress it to get it in or out. But the "spring load" might just be the balloon effect of the boot bellows. Likewise if you build a new shaft there could be a spring effect or vacuum effect in the opposite direction holding it in the fully compressed condition. Does that make sense?

 

The new shaft with new grease and new boots is pretty much stuck in the full compressed condition. The outboard end of the threaded shaft does not even extend outside of the face to start threading the nut without pulling the shaft outboard to engage the nut.

 

Is this normal for Subaru?

 

I think its time to tighten everything up and go do some burnouts even if it seems like something is wrong.

There is definitely some movement in length. I don't remember my last set having a springiness in either direction. They pretty much stayed at what ever length I pushed them.

Hey dublechaz I wrote a big response but it got lost in cyberspace. I got no time or energy to repeat.

 

So I will summarize by saying thank you for your response everything is good now.

Goodby

TT

The forum has been a little weird lately. I ended up with a double post instead of a lost response.

 

Glad to hear it's sorted. I guess our half shafts feel different from some others.