Front Drive Halfshafts

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Mercury Milan, 2010 Lincoln MKZ, and 2010 Ford Fusion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The halfshaft and intermediate shaft consist of the following components:

Inner CV joints
Outer CV joints
Interconnecting shafts

The halfshafts are splined on the outboard stub shaft to drive the wheel hubs. They are retained in the wheel hubs by special wheel hub nuts which also control the wheel bearing preload. The LH halfshaft is splined on the inboard stub shaft and is retained in the differential side gear in the transaxle by a circlip. The RH halfshaft has internal splines which are driven by the intermediate shaft. The intermediate shaft has a circlip on the outboard end and is retained inside the inboard stub shaft. The circlips must be installed new whenever they are removed. The intermediate shaft is retained in the transaxle differential side gear by bolts that go through the intermediate shaft support bearing. The intermediate shaft also goes through the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) on All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles. The outer seal of the PTU must be installed new whenever the intermediate shaft is removed.

The front drive halfshaft CV joints consist of the following components:

CV joint boot clamps
Convoluted CV joint boots
Tripod joint housings
Ball and cage housings
Special CV high-temperature grease

Halfshaft handling consists of the following:

On the LH side, the inboard CV joint is retained in the differential side gear with a unique retainer circlip. Install a new circlip every time the halfshaft is disconnected
On the RH side, a unique driveshaft bearing retainer circlip retains the splined inboard CV joint to the intermediate shaft. Install a new circlip every time the halfshaft is disconnected from the intermediate shaft
A staked front axle wheel hub retainer secures the splined outboard CV joint to the wheel hub
Do not overangle the CV joints
Damage will occur to an assembled inboard CV joint if it is overplunged outward from the joint housing
Never use a hammer to remove or install the halfshafts from the front hub
Never use the halfshaft assembly as a lever to position other components. Always support the free end of the halfshaft
Do not allow the boots to contact sharp edges or hot exhaust components
Handle the halfshaft only by the interconnecting shaft to avoid pull-apart and potential damage to the CV joints
Do not drop assembled halfshafts. The impact will cut the boots from the inside without evidence of external damage
Do not remove the outer CV joint by pulling on the interconnecting shaft
Inspect all machined surfaces and splines for damage

The CV joint mates the interconnecting shaft with the stub shaft. The joint allows for smooth rotation of the interconnecting shaft and the stub shafts. They also adjust for length variances and angle requirements as the vehicle goes through jounce and rebound.

The halfshaft joints are not repairable and are serviced as assemblies only.