Date:         Thu, 07 Jul 94 19:26:24 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: cv-joints: Constant Velocity Marihuana?

On Thu, 7 Jul 94 18:01:11 CDT Alistair Bell said:
>	I wasn't thinking of up-and-down motion induced wear
>when flipping axles, but rather the wear on the faces of the races
>that is more noticable on one face-side than the other. But, hey,
>the up-and-down motion is important too.
>	I'm almost sure, maybe, that old Werner suggested putting
>the new (stiff) cv joint inboard, he wanted the old loose one
>where it could really swing.

well, my fuzzy-logic was that if you put four brand-new joints, then the
outer (wheels) would be new joints, and would have to withstand all that
round-and-round-and-up-and-down motion anyway. so if you were to put the
old joints on the inner (transmission) end, it should be getting a 'rest'
by not having to move in such wide angles of motion. so would a semi-worn-out
joint last MUCH longer by moving it from outside to inside? and would it help
for it to be turned in an opposite rotation from its previous wear-period?
it sorta seems like it would be better (to me). but, hey! i voted for Ross
Perot, so what do i know? :)

>	I have to admit, my cv on cv's only includes 4 replacements.

likewise. thus far, i had been so shocked at the galling and burning in the
joints i had taken off and cleaned, that i just replaced them all. now that
the dealer wants $130 EACH for a joint and boot, and the FLAPS wants $100
for the same, i might just try to make these last another 75,000 miles.

but this nagging little voice in the back of my brain keeps saying something
bout mechanical things destroying themselves when their 'set' direction of
rotation is reversed. :(

so i guess the only way to find out is to try it. and if they don't last
very long in the 'new' positions, well, i was gonna have to replace them
anyway. i just hope they don't do anything startling ... like freezing up
and destroying the differential! :)

Guinea Pig Takes the Plunge! 2,000 Miles Before Experiment Begins!
(film at eleven).

joel
(das Versuchskaninchen)