this is a very long and complicated story, but here's the basics of it, the left front ball joint on my GL came apart while I was moving, very slowly but moving nonetheless. Well, this caused the axle to be pulled from the transmission. What did I do? did I just pull the peices out of their places so now I must crack it all open and redo it, or did I break something (other than the ball joint)?

SO whot your saying is that the stub in the tranny came out? If so, then you broke the C-clip that holds it in there, and you will have to pull apart the tranny to fix it.

Or, but this is a maybe, cause I don't think the 5spd d/r's had circlips on the stubs, but if your lucky, they do, then all you have to do is push it back in untill it "clicks" into place. But pull it out and look at it, if it has a wire like round clip set into the groove in the end of the stub, your in luck if not, either get a new tranny, or learn to rebuild one.

It sounds more like the DOJ came off the stub axle. Maybe there was no pin in it? It needs to be lined back up with the pin hole and pushed back on. Then replace the pin, and Lower ball joint (I assume), and you should be good to go.

had it happen to me in someone else's car last weekend. it doesnt break anything, but it obviously tears the boot. if you can find all the balls pop them in and reassemble. there is a circlip on the inner diameter of the DOJ, put it back in to hold it together.

 

my experience los the circlip, but i put it back together and drove it 100 miles from there with no problem

Upon further research, I pulled the CV joint apart, but didn't tear the boot (don't ask how, maybe I'm just painfully lucky) I can feel all the balls etc. in the boot. My dad is convinced I'll have to replace the Axle/CV, but I think it's possible to reasemble it.

It sounds like the retainer ring that holds the guts of the DOJ in its cup failed, or maybe even it was never put in in the first place.