Date:         Sun, 19 Jul 1998 01:00:31 EDT
Reply-To:     CarlMarin@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         CarlMarin@AOL.COM
Subject:      CV/axle assembly installation trick
Comments: To: Vanagon@Vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Marin and I just finished putting some fresh CVs in our new '85 Westie.  Came
up with a trick to slide the wheel side of the axle assembly into place and
get the bolts started without getting the CV all mucked up with dirt.  The
trick is to take a piece of double thickness corrugated cardboard cut to size
forming a tube that slides into the cavity inside the trailing arm.  The axle
then slides in on the cardboard, it perfectly aligned with the centerline of
the wheel so the bolts are a snap to get started, and all you need to clean up
is the mating surface where the CV sits, not the entire inside of the trailing
arm.   It also helped to suspend the transmission side of the axle (which gets
bolted up last) with a length of rope so you don't have to lay there trying to
hold the whole axle in space while trying to get the bolts started.

Also, be sure and seek out the neat 12 point socket headed bolts rather than
the common Allen headed bolts.  They are much much easier to torque with the
driver going in at angles not quite square due to interference with the axle
and boot.  Much less likely to strip out.

I suspect one reason that the factory CVs in brand new cars last so long is
that they are assembled without a spoonful of dirt getting mixed in with the
grease on assembly.  Something to think about.

Time to install an axle in our 84 the old way, about an hour of agony.  With
the new technology employed, (cardboard and rope) about 15 minutes a side.
Leaves 45 extra minutes to drink beer and think about how clever we were.

Carl (and Marin who I make do all the really dirty jobs)
84 and 85 Westies.