Front axle shaft keeps separating from joint?

NOAH.B.111

MEMBER
2005 CHRYSLER 300
5.7L
V8
4WD
AUTOMATIC
155,000 MILES

I have the vehicle listed above 300c. I have had two front passenger axle shafts break. Both times the shaft separated from the inner CV joint or tripod joint under full throttle from a slow roll. They broke about 2 months apart. The motor mounts don’t seem excessively worn and neither does the suspension. The recommended tire size is 225/45 and I have 235/45 on it. I’ve heard the AWD cars are picky with tires but didn’t think that was enough of a difference. I’d like to figure it out myself but haven’t been able to find much helpful info online. Any idea on where I should start trying to diagnose this?

Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 AT 2:02 PM

6 Replies

KEN L

MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
51,506 POSTS

The most common CV failure problem will be the worn suspension parts, I would replace the lower control arms which must be moving in excess. You can check them by inspecting the bushing using a flashlight. If they seem okay, you may have a defective CV axle the second time. Also, please check the lower control arm frame mounts and look around for cracks in the frame. Check out the images (below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem so we can see what's going on.

Images (Click to make bigger)

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Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 AT 5:14 PM

NOAH.B.111

MEMBER
12 POSTS

Thank you for the info. I have not noticed any play in the control arms, but I will take a closer look and can update with pictures. Long story short, the first CV axle was actually from a local parts store and returned under warranty. The second was the original OEM CV axle. The transfer case is the only fluid I haven’t checked could that cause any issues like this?

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Thursday, November 2nd, 2023 AT 7:52 PM

KEN L