I swapped an automatic transmission in a '97 Maxima, and after finishing the installation, the transmission wouldn't engage the drive axle. Found that the inner bearing had come apart on the driver side axle, replaced that, still wasn't working, saw that as soon as I tightened up the outer axle nut on the driver's side, the wheel was spinning even though it was in park, and the other side wheel was on the ground.

When I installed the driver's side axle, there was no "click" as I pushed the axle into the transmission. I could feel that the splines were engaging, but never it felt like there was any kind of a locking action, like the snap ring had never fully seated. Then when I was installing the outer axle to the hub, the inner part kept pulling out, and I tried pushing on the inner part to keep it in, without much success. When I finally got the outer part into the hub and tried tightening, the inner part just pulled out.

A transmission shop suggested that I try installing the axle into the transmission that I removed, and there was a definite "stop," about an inch before the axle would seat, that apparently I don't have on the new transmission. Have I got a screwed up differential, and can it be corrected, even by removing the passenger side axle and accessing the gears thqat way, or do I have to replace the transmission again?

 

Here is your other thread:
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...html?styleid=2

Helps not to have several threads about basically the same problem.

 

Wasn't aware that there was a problem with the differential when I posted the other threads. This started out as "Nothing happens when I go from drive to reverse," to the next step where it was pointed out, correctly, that I probably had a broken drive axle, and now I'm finding that apparently there's a problem with the differential. Although, yes, this is all on the same car, and the same transmission. I would continue this all on one thread, but thought that the chances of someone seeing it would be less as each time as I thought I'd solved it, then found another problem.

Sorry.

 

But it does help more to have a new thread with an appropriate title and no confusion caused by old posts that might be off topic. You are not the internet police, nor are you admin.

 

Just a possibliity, but are both your transmissions the same type of differential? There are both open and VLSD differentials made for this 4th gen series, some found in Infiniti i30T cars. The driver's side axle has very different splines for both types. You can buy both types of axles from NAPA, brand new. They are somewhere around $100. The passenger axles are identical.

Easy way to tell - with both axles out, look thru the axles seals, from one side to the other. If you can see the other side clearly, that's a VLSD differential. The more common type of open differential has a shaft inside that crosses over inside so you can't see thru the two axle holes.

 

I can see the end of the passenger side axle when I look through the driver's side cavity it as it is now. The splines on the driver's side appear to be the same on both transmissions, but when I slide the rebuilt axle into the transmission I removed, the axle doesn't go all the way in, it stops maybe about an inch before it seats. I assume that's where the snap ring starts encountering resistance. and that resistance isn't there on the replacement transmission.

I'm not at all familiar with how a differential in a front wheel drive automatic works, as I did another one several years ago, but didn't have a problem with it, just put all the parts back where they came from and it worked.

Is it possible that the gears have somehow slid or moved in the housing, and that I could remove the passenger side axle and tap the gear onto the driver's side snap ring through the passenger side opening and seat the snap ring that way? It's a long shot, but I'm desperate.
The replacement transmission has the same electrical connections and mounting holes as the one I removed.

 

Crap, tried to edit after posting, couldn't get the page to load. Sorry.

Are there any other ways to tell if it's a standard or VSLD transmission? This car had an A for the transmission code on the plate on the firewall, if I remember correctly.

 

RE4f04A = open non slip

 

The "A" at the end of the transmission code " RE4F04A " means it's a plain open differential. If the code ends in a V or W then it originally had a VLSD transmission. Where did your replacement transmission come from? Did you check the firewall plate on that car for the tranny code?


The VLSD driver's axle has two sets of splines on the transmission end, and the standard tranny has one set of splines. They are NOT interchangeable. I have some of each in my garage.

 

grey99max hit the nail on the head! Yeah, the transmission I took out was an open differential, and yes, I told the parts guy at the bone yard that I had a non limited slip tranny. And when they brought it out, it looked like the one I'd taken out, so I loaded it up and took it home. Then the trail of tears started, I've been trying to get that damn driver's side axle to work for two weeks now.

Finally realized that all I had to do was buy a limited slip axle and see if it fit. The parts guys at my local auto parts store even argued about it, since they knew that the axle I brought in was off of an open diff. I slid it in and it fit like a glove, and then all the parts fit, and it went together about a hundred times easier than it did when I was doing everything short of welding it in.....and it works! Just spent the afternoon driving it around, since the only time I've driven it was as I limped home stuck in low gear as the engine tried to spin the tach past 360 degrees!

So much thanks to everyone, especially grey99max, and to whoever said in my last post that a bad axle was why I had nothing when I put it in gear. I tried another forum, and all I got was "Take it to a transmission shop and have it rebuilt, Moron. You deserve to suffer." Somehow I pissed off the Mighty Oz, and I was told to take my ruby slippers and go somewhere other than over the rainbow. All I was looking for was a simple answer to what seemed to me to be a simple question, and instead I got sucked into an infinite downward spiraling internet flame war. Glad that's not the case here, and that just because I didn't somehow inherit infinite transmission knowledge at birth, that I can still ask a question and get answers instead of ridicule and self proclaimed superiority. Thanks!

Sorry about the ramble, I'm doing a self imposed sleep deprivation experiment. So far it's not going well.