Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2011 23:01:28 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: CV Joint ?
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here's how I check CV joints, even if they had blue balls previously.
one ...like you did Don ..check that the axle slides left/right .. Good
sign ..it's the balls sliding in the grooves.
it better slide.
Next..I check 'rotational slop' in the CV joint by holding the axle firmly
with a large pliers or vice grip..then checking for rotational play by
turning the wheel by hand.
A little bit is OK.
If it's a lot ...not so good.
What I do find though ..
is it's not the amount of play or slop that is so important ..it's the
amount of good grease available to the CV joint.
I have had some horribly sloppy CV joints come through here...
and even though one was very due to be replaced.....just greasing it well
with moly graph black grease, and rotating it to a different position in the
van ..it was able to keep going just fine.
I believe that the inner CV joints run hotter from being by the trans, and
thus wear more.
I don't think the stock amount of grease is sufficient at all.
I pack the balls...I put some in the boot, and I fill the flange 'bowl' with
grease.
you can't really tell how dry the grease is in there without taking them
apart.
given the rather small amount of grease that is specified..
most CV joints I take off vanagons are quite dry. ..........almost like the
grease evaporates slowly over time.
the main thing is sufficient good grease. If they get that ..they last
really really well.
I only use german Lobro CV's if installing new ones.
Working with used CV's ..I look for Lobro and I might have seen some 'vw'
ones.
But good ones from The Fatherland.
now don't tell anyone this .............
I never take the balls out and go through all that in the book. I don't
think doing that produces a result that is worth the effort. I find that
they last just 'indefinitely* with a generous amount of good moly graph
black grease in them...added to still serviceable good german CV joints.
And rotate them too..
it's confusing. Swapping one end for end won't make it drive the other way
really.
They need to be swapped side for side and end for end I believe.
it's a whole discussion..you can read all about it online.
And I always put the CV's with less play by the transmission, the 'more
play' ones out by the wheels.
The inners generally wear more, but not always.
New german Lobro CV joints are not cheap either ..but worth it.
the boots last so well..
I must have half a dozen good used ones around. For my own vans I just put
on a good used boot. I don't think I've ever had one split open.
Anyone familiar with Jonathan Livingstone's book "Illusions" ..
it's about a guy with a biplane ..
that never gets bugs on it, that is always clean , that never drips oil
...etc.
I'm that guy some ..
my brakes don't wear at all, my transmissions never wear out, my clutches
don't wear out ...
my tires hardly wear. I just drive to mainly be easy on the equipment ..
but I go fast too. It's all about smoothness. No jerking on the controls,
no stomping on the brake pedal, no holding the clutch pedal in
unnecessarily, etc. . Smooooth baby.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2011 4:31 PM
Subject: CV Joint ?
> I had my van up on the jackstands replacing my right side motor mount. 84
> van, 5sp manual with an inline ABA motor using the diesel carrier bars
> and
> mounted just like the standard diesel.
>
> The mount was really soft, after I got it out I could take it between my
> fingers and flex it around with the single bolt while holding it by the
> other axis...Some surface looking cracks, too. So, got that done, hoping
> to
> eliminate an occasional gnarly vibration upon hard acceleration from a
> stop
> when turning left...
>
> So while I had it up there I addressed my other concern with the
> driveline...I was beginning to hear and feel some 'roughness' from the
> driveline...some slight rumbling at steady speed and it just didn't feel
> smooth under a load...I tried the circles in a parking lot...nothing
> outstanding.
> I had the wheel off and the right side up, left wheel on the ground.
> Stuck it in gear and eased the clutch out....."rumble rumble, grrrrr
> grrrrr
> grrrr" Aha! me thinks. Found ya. Went back with the motor off and
> tried
> the wheel hub for rocking...like in wheel bearing...no undue play. Axle
> moves in and out pretty easy. I had the cv joints apart about a year ago
> for re-greasing and the balls were blue and pitted (no comments here) So
> I
> put the wheel back on and lifted the other one. Took of the tire for
> symetry of test and let the clutch out on that one.....Quiet....er, by
> far.
> I called Van Cafe, looking to maybe get one of their complete axles...but
> they advised that those suck and they aren't going to sell them except in
> emergencies. So, since the boots are ok and the screws were ok last time,
> I
> just got the CV joints only. Did I do right, ya think? Yum! Famous
> Amos
> Cookies soon.
>
> It is also possible, maybe, that my gnarly buzzy grindy noise on hard
> acceleration from a stop, mainly while turning left, that may have been
> caused by the right side CV joints being trashed, rather than that motor
> mount? Anyone wanna comment on that?
>
> Don Hanson
