Date: Sat, 17 Apr 2010 06:48:26 -0400
Reply-To: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ken Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: CV joints..What to look at, how to tell...
In-Reply-To: <g2k6bc66ccf1004162014r21c48d16sd1cba8438a7abeb1@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Don, what I normally do is look at the boots to see if they are OK. If
they are then I take the axle in my hand and try to turn it like you
would rev a motorcycle hand grip. Try to rock it back and forth. If
you feel play then you can a dry or worn CV joint and you should pull
that side for further investigation. If they feel tight (no play) and
they are not making noise then you should be good to go. Hope this helps.
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Don Hanson wrote:
> No drug content, but I did say "Joint" in my subject line..do I get credit
> for that?
>
> Tomorrow is going to be an 'under Vanagon' maintenance session for me. I
> have my regularly scheduled spelunking maintenance to do and while I have
> all that 'smegma' in my eyes, I wanted to check on my CV joints again. Last
> summer I pulled em all apart and repacked with fresh grease, and I replaced
> one that was the worst one--a couple of the bearings and the cage was pretty
> badly surface galled. The others showed some discoloration on the bearings,
> cages looked OK. I didn't have the cash to just replace em all because of
> a bit of heat bluing.
> Right now, I hear no unusual or alarming noises while driving..everything
> seems OK under there..From the Driver's seat. But I am, "Going Under" in the
> morning, swapping in some Swepco for the tranny and lubing and checking all
> the shift linkage as well as changing gas filter and adding an inline
> "pre-pump" filter, so I am going to be "right there" at the axles...
>
> I really don't want to take the axles apart again just to look. I'd really
> like to avoid that awful mess of grease and solvent, probably stripping out
> an allen screw or two, if I can right now...So, can I get an idea of how
> those joints might be holding up by any non-invasive inspection methods?
> Push/pull on the axles? Rotate a wheel and listen? Run the van while on
> jackstands and listen?...anybody have any little tricks that might help me
> tell if I have an imminent failure just waiting to happen under there?
>
> I am planning on doing a complete job on the CVs and axles this coming
> fall, when I do my next 'under van' scheduled maintenance before our next
> major trip, our winter time desert sojourn. I am being lazy and maybe a
> bit risky, I know...but I just don't have the time and cash right now to
> simply do the whole thing on the basis of some heat discoloration I saw last
> time in there...
>
> Helpful hints? thanks, Don Hanson
>
>
| 
