97 Altima CV Halfshafts

I removed both cv halfshafts on 97 Altima with no problems. Took cores to autozone and got 2 new ones. Both went back in with no problems. Right side bolted in and left side pushed in until I felt the retainer ring click in. Replaced wheels and put car in drive and heard bad grinding coming from transaxle. Took a part again, grabbed the driver side axle and could rotate with grinding noise. It was like the spline was too small for the yoke. I called autozone and he said it was the right axle for my car. I went to NAPA and got another one just for curiosity. It did the same thing. I looked inside the transaxle with a flashlight and the yoke looked OK. It’s like the spline and yoke don’t mate up. I called autozone to get my old cores back but they were already shipped out. I don’t think it’s the transmission because with the axle out and in gear it sounds fine. Any suggestions on what the problem could be. By the way it worked fine before I changed axles other than the clunking cv joints.

K, that sounds really weird. Could it be that you maybe forget some parts? Bearings perhaps? Just throwing ideas out there, you sound pretty knowledgable though.

I thought the same so I've gone thru my haynes manual over again and again and just don't see it. Right now I have a car parked in my garage that's worthless to me right now.

When you say "left side pushed in", do you mean you literally pushed the axle back inside the trans by hand? I have always had to tap them in with a mallet, not "beat them in", but still hit them firmly. If you just pushed them in by hand sounds like you may have one too small. Either that or just not all the way in.

Which one are you refering to, left side? Pass or driver side?

It's the driver side and yes I pushed it in by hand until I felt the locking ring click.

You didn't loosen and mounts did you? I can't think of anything else man. Sorry.

Did it feel like the splines lined up? Honestly man I have never gotten one to just push in by hand before. Not to insult your intelligence, are you sure you got it in all the way. Did the new axle come with new c-clips? You might try a larger one if you can. It still sounds like maybe the wrong axle though.

It's Fixed! I was looking in the wong place. It turned out that the right shaft I got from Autozone was bad. I decided to start all over and pull both shafts back out and when I pull the right one back out it fell apart. I went to NAPA got a new one and it took about 1 hour to get all back together again and back on the road. Thanks for all the responses.