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Date:         Wed, 18 Sep 1996 10:18:37 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         wabbott@mtest.teradyne.com (William Abbott)
Subject:      syncro driveline universal joints

Kris, Is the syncro driveline a true univeral (aka Hooke or Rose) joint or a cv? Two forks and a cross linking them? Or rubber boots and a ring full of big ball bearings? If its a Hooke joint, you just need new bearings, not a new joint. Is the dealer price $145 for a new bearing kit OR a new cross AND bearings OR is there a cross + bearing assembly which bolts on at both ends? Even VWOA can't sell four bearings for $145, can they?

Lets just say I was given a '62 Triumph Herald for good reasons and I accepted it for similarly good reasons. One of the the drive shaft Hooke joint bearings had lost its needle rollers YEARS before. Made a WAY big KLUNK whenever acceleration passed through zero and it had to move 1/2 inch to the other rubbing surfaces... Of course I only drove it that way in the interest of science...

The bearings themselves were found at a specialist in Brit cars, and probably about $5 each. But Liquid Wrench and gentle persuasion failed to produce the disassembly results the manual promised.

The local high-quality, non-chain FLAPS, "A & M Motor Supply", quoted $30 an end to replace universal joint bearing. I think they needed it for a weekday. Counter guys thought it was pretty funny- the machinist spent over an hour doing the job.

Morals: Quality doesn't cost more- once things get funky enough, flat-rate mechanics can SAVE you money :)

Good luck, Bill


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