Date:         Wed, 15 May 2002 23:37:56 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: rotating cvs and axles from left to right
Comments: To: Matthew Pollard <poll7356@UIDAHO.EDU>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Matthew Pollard wrote:

> I am getting psyched up  can i rotate the cv's from side to side of the
> car? or what
> about just from inner to outer?
>

In the study of DC electricity, one learns how using the thumb and fingers
of the hand to determine the direction the current flows through the wire
( the thumb of the hand follows the current in the wire) and the direction
of the magnetic field ( the curled fingers point the direction of the
field of manetic flux.

Applying this principle to a degree,

Imagine this!!

You have the engine out of the van, and you are standing in the opening
facing the front of the van, and the input shaft of the tranny. With your
arms extended forward, open the hands with palms down, and extend the
thumbs. Observe the thumbs point to each other. Relax the fingers to a
curl. The right thumb points left to the tranny. The left thumb points
right to the tranny. The relaxed fingers point the direction of rotation
(and consequently the CV's) of the right and left axles, or passenger and
driver side axles respectively.

Now imagine that you are holding the  axles in the respective hands, with
thumb pointing along the shaft towards the tranny and the fingers curled
in the direction of rotation. Holding your axles in each hand, turn right
or left until you now are facing rearward, and the front of the van is at
your back. Note that the right axle (passengers axle)  is now on the
drivers side of the van, and the left (drivers axle) is on the passenger
side. By the curl in the fingers, the direction of the rotation is now to
the rear of the van, right? Well, obviously it can be observed that axle
rotation to the rear won't work for forward driving, so the axles( and the
CV's)  now have to rotate in the reverse of the original configuration.

 This is the only way I know of to keep the rotation concept clear, and
ensure that all works properly to get true opposite rotation to ensure
even wear on the CV's.

Problem solved.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver