Date:         Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:33:27 -0700
Reply-To:     jbrush@AROS.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Anonymous Digest <jbrush@AROS.NET>
Subject:      Re: CV joint hard times
Comments: To: Don Williams <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <4.3.1.20050310110118.00a78350@fire.biol.wwu.edu>

In <4.3.1.20050310110118.00a78350@fire.biol.wwu.edu>, on 03/10/05
   at 11:10 AM, Don Williams <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU> said:

>I just spent a very uncomfortable weekend greasing my CV joints on my 85
>Westy. The trouble was aligning the wheel side CV bolts to get them
>started.  Flat on my back under the rig---it is difficult to get that
>first one started.  got it eventually but it was a small nightmare.  Are
>there tricks to get the holes aligned that I am not using??

I just did mine this past week as well. Such a simple job, and such a PITA
trying to get into the right position to access things easily :-)

I bought a couple of long bolts at the hardware store of the same thread
pattern, which I have since forgotten, and cut off the heads to use them
as studs. Actually only needed one, in the 'cave.' Insert the stud just
barely, rotate the wheel till its is at high noon, have your helper put on
the parking  brake, and you can now hang the outside joint on the stud. I
used a fat phillips screwdriver on the trans side to do just about the
same thing so the axle would hang on it, and the stud. From there, it was
just a matter of getting one or two bolts started on each end.

Make sure the 'stud' is long enough that you can get at it to unscrew it.
:-) Mine was a close fit, but some pliers did the trick. I also used two
ty wraps to hold the boots onto the joint so it wouldn't flop around and
risk falling apart. After a few bolts are started, just clip the tywraps.

I cannot imagine it to be very safe to drive it with only five bolts, but
that is just my opinion.

John