Hey guyz installing my new skunk2 springs and the driver side axle popped out....having issues....any suggestions?


thx tonyd

 

sorry to hear that. i've never had that happen to me before because i usually just prop it up with the jack before i loosen the bolts, but from what i hear other people suggest you just try to coax it back in, otherwise you may have to cut the cv boot to put it back in, and then get a new boot afterwards?

That is if i remembered correctly. did you try to prop it up or did you just loosen it and the axle fell?

 

Search all posts by member ciburri. One of his posts about a month ago describes in detail how to cure your problem.

 

Tony,
this is the post:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...opped-out.html

Also make sure that, before you torque two strut bolts to the hub assembly, you push on the top of the rotor inward and then torque upper one of the two bolts first. Makes no difference with OEM wheels, but with aftermarket wider wheels the play on the bolts can cause top of the tire edge to gain positive camber for about 5-10 mm which can result in rubbing against inner fender clip/bolt. At least it did on mine and it made enough difference to cause problems. It also made the car understeer even more than it already is. Anyway, better to have more negative than positive camber up front for handling.

Ivan

 

great now i have the same damn problem...the stupid rod to the sway bar got stuck behind the strut so as we moved the strut out of the way it popped the axle out...now im having trouble putting it back in...i spun the hub and it popped back in but the whole axle is still sticking out too far...don't know what im doing wrong.

edit:
well i decided to take the boot off without cutting it. Took a needle nose plier and pried the clamp without damaging it. I took a look inside the boot to look at the bearings. Probably shoulda took a pic of the bearings but oh well. After several attempts to get my brother to line up the axle i took a turn while he was looking at the bearing. I barely moved the axle and it popped all the way back in. put everythign back on and the front driver spring is now on. Now on to the passenger side >.>

 

Amageus,
do not despair. If you read through my "instructions", the option of the last resort is to remove the clip from the thicker end of the booth, sort out the 3 bearings and put it all back together and just replace $1-3 clip!
It is a messy process due to axle grease, but by no means an end to the world.
I did not open my Fit axle boot, so I do not know for sure. In the past there was nothing holding those 3 bearings at the end of the shaft except the tackiness of the grease. Maybe one of them came off and laying flat inside the hub prevents you from pushing it all the way. Also check what is going on with the other end of the axle, right by the wheel hub. That end is different design and has a snap ring holding the entire joint on the shaft. Try to "feel" it inside the rubber booth with your hands and compare to the other axle.

HALF SHAFT

this is the best drawing I could find with a quick search. You can take some time and find better one by using "half shaft" as a key word.
Top end in the picture is on transmission side (3 prong universal joint with 3 bearings. That is the end that normally pops out on the Fit.
Bottom end in the picture is by the wheel hub. That joint is a "shell" with steel balls the size of marbles and is held on the shaft by a snap ring.
Amageus, that is the one you can try feeling with your hands and compare to the other axle.
Ivan

 

ciburri, I checked out your photo book and I noticed ur camera mounts. What brand are they, were did u find them, how much. I'm excited! I have been wanting a set to take w/ me when I go for rides in the hill country.

 

The bearings did not pop out into the axle boot...thankfully...it's something i've dealt in the past with my previous car, a 95 honda prelude. Same problem. Me and my dad were changing out the boot to the axle as the one i had on there had split in half...i actually drove with a tear in the boot which eventually caused it to split the boot in half and drove it like that for over a year without grease >.>...the axle and bearings were still good til the day it got totaled >.>..anyways...we had popped the axle out to remove the old boot and we were trying to put it back in only to find it wouldn't go...took us about 3 hours...of working under my car in the rain lol...same problem as our fit's axle...the bearings had to go in exactly a certain way or they won't slide all the way to the back...

when i opened up the boot i saw 3 closed ball bearings that were slid over the end of the axle with 3 points sticking...pretty much like the one pictures in that link you posted...the inside of the holder where the axle slides into has grooves that fit the shape of the bearings. Pretty much they were like the axle on my prelude...in order to slide the bearings in properly you need to have the axle centered and the bearings pushed up against the axle.

I had used a jack under the rotor/control arm assembly and was slowly moving it up while move the axle side to side and turning the hub at the same time. It just so happened that when i went to try it it just slid in...definitely needs to have gear in 1st or reverse in order for this to work. Otherwise the holder when the axle goes in spins and really doesn't help. I hope I make sense >.>

 

i dont know why manufacturer's dont put warnings on their instructions
telling the installer to support the hub when you remove the strut off
the car while the car is in gear (or park).

 

Thank you everyone for reply.
Well after a long night of struggling with my SKUNK2 springs (damn' axle) they are installed.
Overall Review:
To be honest the drop is extremely low and they have a horrible ride. It sort of sounds like clanking when driving over bumps in which my friends said it was just the springs settling....any input? They are bouncey in which I knew going into this install.
The positive is the handling around turns in which I was not overly impressed as there still was alot of swaying and body roll.
I would NOT recommend this springs to anyone IMO.
Thanks again everyone.


tony

 

did u cut the bump stops? maybe thats why ur getting the clanking. I don't like the skunk2 springs either, they are linear and not progressive like the tanabes.

 

I did not, my mechanic I always use said there was no need to cut em'. Is this something that needs to be done?
Thx Kevin

 

If springs do not lower much and you are always by yourself or one passenger you can get away without cutting the bump stops.
For Skunks, you should. Issue has been covered in the thread below:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...-cut-them.html



Jshepsa, here is the thread about the mounts with all the info:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...tml#post202065
There is an aluminum version available of the single suction cup version, too.

Ivan

 

My car sounds nasty with these springs on! Clank, clank...is this from the bump stops NOT being cut 1 inch?? Thx T

 

I cut my bump stops and I don't have any clanking sound. Although I did get some creaking sound and a little tapping noise while i was doing my test drive on the freeway. The tapping noise was form the underbody cover that I forgot to screw on so it was flapping during high speed and hitting the bottom of my car. I fixed that problem but bolting it on. The creaking noise I assumed was the springs. I found out the next day when I went to go unbolt my rear tires to install the rear springs that I was missing my lug nut key. I realized the night before that I put the key on one of the lug nuts on the front passenger wheel so i didn't forget to tighten them. Well i did forget to tighten them and left the key on the lug nut so when i drove off it went flying somewhere. So my front passenger wheel wasn't tightened down all the way. I managed to get a socket to fit and tighten down the lug nuts. These lug nuts are aftermarket ones so the socket was temporary. I did order a new set of lug nuts -.-...

 

I think this was my issue, not cutting the bumper stops. I am pulling them out this weekend to cut them! Thanks for the reply.