Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2016 17:30:17 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: CV greaser. Was: squeaking wheel.
In-Reply-To: <CAB2Rwfid5QJECxd-eZ0=t1KXmDO5eu2HEaqg1bV+fuztadfc_w@mail.gmail.com>
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Wheel bearings and CV don't squeak when they go bad. Loose wheels and once I heard a loose hub squeak. I would go back to brakes or the drums rubbing on the backing plates.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Neil N
Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 10:31 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: CV greaser. Was: squeaking wheel.
Hi all.
The short version. With CV's mounted on the Vanagon, a partially collapsed brake line brazed to a grease gun pipe fit fairly easily under the CV boot possibly allowing me to apply grease closer to, or on, the CV.
I'd read here about applying CV grease in under the small end of CV boot with a grease gun and nozzle then massaging that grease into the CV.
The nozzle I found locally is only about 2" long. I figured I'd try to make a tool that ** might ** do a better job.
I claim NO victory and certainly don't think I've made a great tool, but I think it placed grease closer to the CV.
Tool: using the smallest diameter of brake line I could find locally, I expanded one end to *just* fit the grease gun pipe, then collapsed a CV boot length of the other end to ~ 1/2 its diameter. I brazed the expanded end of brake line to a spare grease gun pipe then filed a bevel at end of collapsed section.
Spraying lube at small end of CV boot allowed me to get the new nozzle in under the boot end. I carefully moved it in until I felt it bump up against what was likely the CV face. I squeezed grease in working my around the CV. Loosening the pipe at gun helped allowed pipe to turn. This helped for positioning the tool.
Doing this with an old CV boot might crack it ??
Mine are about 8 years old with some miles on them. The boot was still quite flexible and it didn't crack.
This is by NO means a way to avoid CV maintenance. It was more of a trouble shooting thing; I had (hopefully) an intermittently squeaking wheel. It was suggested that a CV might be at fault. Prior to making this tool, the squeaking hadn't been happening, in spite of making hard turns in a parking lot, but I'm hoping this "solved" the problem. i.e. my wheel bearings are likely ok for now.
Neil.
--
Neil n
Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
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