CV axle popped out while driving

I have just over 60k on a 2019 4x4. Driving on the interstate I heard what sounded like a rock hit under my truck. I didn’t feel anything in the steering or drivetrain so I continued driving until my works driver tracking app forced me to take a break and rest about 10 minutes after the noise.

I pulled off the interstate and into a rest stop still not feeling anything abnormal with my truck. I got out and took my break and returned to my truck to leave and when I back out it felt like my wheel came loose and I lost steering ability. Got out and looked and my passenger side cv axle had popped out of the transfer case.

I have an icon stage 3 lift that’s been on for about 4,000 miles and that’s the only major change to my suspension/drivetrain. Does anyone have a clue how that would happen at about 65mph? All this happened at 10pm about 200 miles from my house so my trucks sitting at a dealership in Texas waiting to get looked at.

 

Sounds like the axle popped out during install of the suspension and wasn’t put back in properly. Theres absolutely no way it would just pop out like that while driving under normal circumstances.

 

Were you towing something?

 

Icon stage 3 says 1.63”-3” lift. Is yours closer to 3”? Did you get a diff drop kit? It doesn’t look like the icon kit came with it. Your axle might have been coming loose for awhile and just happened to come out at that time.

 

Wouldn’t I have felt that while driving/steering?

No I wasn’t towing anything. I don’t tow anything but a mud boat during duck season really.

It didn’t come with it and I am kicking myself for not installing it.

 

^

 

I'd pop the axle cover off and make sure your axle nut is in place.

You claim the steering felt weird, the cv pulling out would have nothing to do with the steering. If the axle nut was loose or missing, you could have compromised the wheel bearing.

 

I have an elk hunting trip coming up in 7 days. I’m praying the shop can get it fixed before then and hoping the transfer case isn’t damaged somehow.

 

That’s a very good point. I guess I was so focused on the fluid coming out of the transfer case and it being in a dark parking lot late at night I didn’t really look at anything else. I lost all steering on my passenger side.

 

Perhaps the issue is not the CV at all, but a tie rod problem. And the CV is a casualty of the real problem....

 

That would probably be best case scenario.

 

If it were a tie rod problem, the wheel would be kicked out at an odd angle compared to the other one.

 

The differential is going to be fine. It just popped out.

 

I see you’re in Youngsville. Who did the install?

 

A guy in his garage on Jack stands. This guy to be specific. Nobody to blame but myself. I had it aligned at Firestone on ambassador after.

 

That do be what it looked like. Thinking back I can’t believe I didn’t look at all of that closer.

 

Hmm. Well. The diff drop wouldn’t have made a difference. The axle popping out has nothing to do with that. The biggest mistake most make is removing the uca bolt from the spindle, as this allows too much free movement of the spindle and pulls the axle out. With eveything bolted up as it should, the axle would never have popped out, unless the hub bearing is gone or the axle nut is loose and allowed the axle to slip out. But none of that would need to be touched for this install.

I see you’re in Texas now. But, if you can get it back to Youngsville, go see Cody Miller at ToyoTech of Acadiana. He’ll get you right.

 

It would have cost me almost 1,000 to tow it last night back to Lafayette. The Toyota dealership in Orange Texas has it now. I’m just hoping my mistake doesn’t cost me too much and is ready before my hunting trip to Colorado. I just can’t believe I didn’t feel anything in the last few thousand miles it’s been on there. No slop, no noises, and the alignment mechanic said everything was torqued and good to go.

 

There's a few lifts out there notorious for snapping tie rods, I don't think Icon is one of them. It has to do with the scrub radius created by the new lift hardware putting too much stress on the TR. Hopefully yours is a simple issue.

 

Looks like my axle nut ended up coming off stripping the threads. Shop says I need a new ball joint, cv axle, and an alignment. I believe one more part needs changing. 2500 bucks.

 

Sounds about right. It’s a good bit of work. I’ve never seen the axle nut just come loose like that though. Did you mess with it during install?

 

You don’t “need” a diff drop for 1.57” of lift, so no sweat

 

No I don’t recall touching the axle nut. Could just be a coincidence I guess. I really don’t know how that would happen.

 

Yea. I’ve never seen that happen. That nut is on there like nobodies business. Did you buy the truck used?

 

Not only that, there is an axle nut locking clip and cotter pin. The axle nut on my CV was TIGHT, there is no way that nut just goes loose without someone breaking it free.

 

The service rep was very unhelpful with her explanation of what was going on and the reason it happened. I’m going to drive over there Monday and find out more about what happened and what they are doing. It’s at a very small dealership in a small town. I’m hoping the techs know what they are doing.

 

nope I’ve had it since 2019 brand new.