Hey all.  I've removed the right front strut on my 78 brat to replace the torn top mount.  Top mount replaced, I find I can't get the bottom of the strut back into the knuckle because I can't swing the top of the knuckle in towards the transmission far enough.  That seems to be because the axle is now "too long".  Looking at the DOJ, the boot is stretched, and I can feel the inner guts of the DOJ pulling past the cup it rides in by a quarter inch as the knuckle is rocked.  Is it possible that I've extended it to much and now it won't retract as it should?  One of my manuals shows a lock ring that should prevent that, might it be missing?  The boot is intact and I don't want to have to take it off if I don't need to.  Also complicating matters, I've only driven the car several feet back and forth and pushed it on and off a trailer, so I don't know if the joint was in good shape to begin with. 

 

Is there a way to pop it back in?  Or do I need to pull the whole thing off to investigate? 

 

Thanks,

Dennis

I had another look at it, still with the boot on, and something is definitely keeping the cage from sliding back into the cup. And the outer ring must still be intact because there's a hard stop on the way out too. Can't bear to pull it off today, will wait a bit to hear what you guys come up with.

Yeah, you probably poped the retaining ring off. You'll have to take the boot off. in future that the roll pin out on the gearbox out put shaft to give you enough movement.

Thanks. I figured l should take the boot off for maintenance in any case.