I'm having trouble getting the splined retaining washer and clip to go back on to the CV the driver side went on fine, but there is not enough room between the brass end of the spindle and the groove on the CV shaft for the washer to fit and the clip to go on top of it. Could I grind down on the brass spindle end?
These are the pieces I'm talking about

 

DONT GRIND ANYTHING

If its not fitting back together correctly, you didn't do something right. What did you replace/fix/change?

 

I replaced CV axles, balljoints and bearings on both sides

 

You didn't get something in there correct when doing the bearings, methinks. That, or those aftermarket axles are wrong. I have seen several times where aftermarket axles are not the correct length.

 

Thats what I thought, I suppose I'll pull the hub off and re check the wheel bearings and axle length. Although I don't thing the wheel bearings would have anything to do with it. That would be the spindle bearings, which I didn't touch.

 

Yeah, don't grind anything...First of all, did you make sure not to pack too much grease inside the spindle (or on the CV axle when you installed it)? If not, go back and do that first.

If so, then take the retaining bolt and screw it partway into the end of the axle shaft. Grab the bolt head with a pair of vicegrips, and pull outwards on the vicegrips... it should give you enough clearance to install the washer and clip.

 

Am I missing something or does spindle=wheel bearings?

 

I thought there were spindle bearings (brass color) inside the steering knuckle and the wheel bearings were in the hub. Dunno - its been a long week trying to figure everything out. I'm going to pull the hub and knuckle back off and check to make sure there is nothing put together wrong. I might have gotten a bad cv axle

 

The inner and outer wheel bearings are in the hub. They are what support the weight of the vehicle and allow the wheel to turn with low friction. Those brass colored things inside the spindle are bushings. There is a kit that you can get to replace those with needle bearings instead if you wanted to, but most people just run with the bushings (at least until they are due for replacement). The spindle bushings keep the axle centered (and keeps it from wobbling around inside the spindle) and they are sacrificial, meaning they are a softer material designed that way so they will wear instead of your axle shaft (they are much cheaper to replace than the axle.)

And don't take anything apart before trying what I suggested before. This is a common occurance, and the trick in my quote below works for most (as long as the axle is the correct one, of course)

 

when you put the "big nut" on the spindle did you tighten it down until the wheel wouldnt turn and then loosen it up? you may not have the whole unit seated properly.

 

That's called seating and pre-loading the bearings, and it is a bit more involved than you describe, but it is an important step. It would, however, not prevent the axle shaft from properly seating in the spindle, which is the problem the original poster is having.

 

I set the preload to FSM specs. The problem I am having is after I put that washer and clip back on and put the ADD hub cover on(with those pesky cone washers) the hub assembly is very stiff to rotate, even more than without the hub cover on. thats why I pinpointed the stiffness to the washer and c clip not fitting properly on the axle shaft. GSGALLANT - I will try your method and let you know what I get.

Ok, and those are bushings not bearings in the spindle, wrong terminology - my mistake

 

understand its a bit more advanced lol i was just making sure that process happened. sometimes its the little things that get overlooked. so thats covered. hmm id have to go with the aftermarket shaft isnt right.
im sure youll get it !

 

Wait a minute... I thought you couldn't get the washer and clip on there at all... did you get them installed now? If you did, then using the method that I posted above with the bolt and visegrips, pull outward on the bolt with a force of approx 22 lbs. At that force, the normal clearance between the outer edge of the bushing and the washer should be between 0.0030" and 0.0272". If you can't get at least a 0.003" feeler gauge in there, then make sure you're inner and outer bushings are fully seated, and that the CV axle you got is the correct length.

When you say you set the preload to FSM spec, you mean you followed the procedure in the FSM to the letter (overtighten, rotate hub a few times both directions, back off nut, re-tighten, check preload with fishscale)? If you're preload is correct there, I wouldn't worry that the hub gets much harder to turn with the flange installed. That is normal... to a point. If the hub seems really hard to turn by hand at that point, temporarily install the wheel on the hub and try spinning the wheel to see if it feels normal. It will be a lot easier to turn it with the wheel and tire installed.

 

I could get the washer on, but if I wanted to get the clip to sit all the way into the groove on the axleshaft, I'd have to take a flathead hammer and beat it in which caused the whole axleshaft and hub assembly to lock up once completely assembled when I went to rotate it with my hand. (these are new clips btw...) After measuring the axle shafts it turns off the aftermarket one from Autozone is 1.5mm shorter than OEM. So I'm going to return both of the CV's and get my $150 back. That will be the last time I buy a duralast brand part. I think I'll go with Cardone CV's. Hopefully I can have them ordered and delivered by Saturday

 

Good to hear you found the problem.

 

Aftermarket FTL

 

I'll go as far as asking why you changed out your cv joints. Were they bad or were the boots torn? If there was nothing wrong with them I don't think any aftermarket part will measure up to the original, as you literally have seen here.

 

both sides had torn boots and the passenger side was starting to make noise when I turned, but hey I cant complain for 212+ thousand miles and only now having to replace them. I don't know if the previous owner replaced them at all. They had toyota part #'s stamped on them

 

I had something similar happen with my last aftermarket cv I got. I ended up removing just a little material off the splined washer. This was after doing everything else and narrowing it down to the axle. I couldn't take it back because I got their last one and I needed to get it on the road. I took my time and took off just enough to get the clip in.