Date:         Tue, 13 Aug 2002 11:59:02 -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:      My balls are knocking!!
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Or so I thought.

Off and on over the last several months I would hear this knocking sound
coming from the right rear. I decided that it was a CV getting ready to
"Retire"!  I could just visualize those balls and cages getting more and
more loose until the thing just flew apart.

Well, yesterday, when going all out climbing a long steep hill which
down here is known as a "mountain", things started to really get fun.
Going up the grade there becan this knock, knock, knocking sound.  I was
running along a concrete safety rail and the sound was being refleted
back. What a racket!!! Anyway, I thought "I will never make it to the
barn before that this lets go and leaves me stranded on a narrow
shoulder, going up a mountain grade, with traffic going like a bat, and
it's dark" But I did make it.

This morning I proceded to remove the right swing axle. When removing it
I thought, "this is odd. There is no slop in the CV bearing". I got the
tranny end off. Next was the outboard CV. Loosened the the first two cap
screws, then discovered the next one was only finger tight. I backed it
out, then while contemplating how to remove the remainder, for whatever
reason I just bulled on it.It came right out.

There were only two screws that were tight and required a wrench to
loosen. A third was only finger tupNo wonder the thing was rattling.

So, I'm going to clean and lub the bearings and re-install.

Someone on the list has an excellent writeup of how to change and
service the CV's, but I can't find the URL address for it. Anyone
know?????

Thanks,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver