Date: Thu, 13 May 1999 15:50:52 -0500
Reply-To: Joel Walker <jwalker@BAMA.UA.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@BAMA.UA.EDU>
Subject: Re: CV joint replacement questions
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> Knock, Knock.
> Who's there?
Argo. :)
> I've got that CV joint knocking in the right rear when I make a right turn.
> I'm assuming that means the right rear CV joint or joints need to be
> replaced. That leaves me with three questions.
not necessarily ... it may simply need cleaning and
regreasing. they knock because the grease has dried out and
isn't circulating within the joint. the trick is to take it
out and clean it and see what sizes (if any) the 'galling'
(little spots that look like welding) is ... if small
(smaller than a dime) and less than, say, two or three, the
joint can go for many thousands of miles more, with new
grease (and more of it). if you have galling as big as a
quarter, or six or seven spots of smaller size, then, yeah,
new joints would likely be in order.
cleaning and regreasing is something that needs to be done
every few years. the more grease you use, the less often you
need to do it. i use about two to three times as much as is
'recommended' and i redo it about every 50,000 miles.
normally, it's 30,000 miles or two years.
also, the joint on the OUTside is usually the one making the
noise in a turn ... as it has to travel faster than the
joint on the inside of the turn. so if it's only in
right-hand turns, i'd suspect the left outer joint first.
but ALL of them need the cleaning and regreasing. and
checking the rubber boots, too, for any cracks, tears,
cracks, etc. boots are cheap: like $15 each.
> 1. I believe there are two CV joints for each axle on each side (meaning 4
> total on the 2WD bus). How do I decide which right side CV joint needs to be replaced, inner or outer, or should they both be replaced?
yup. four joints. pull them off (not difficult, but the
axles and joints are heavy. and dirty. VERY messy job. wear
OLD clothes, like the kind you can throw away) and clean
them (get the grease all off. use gasoline (BE CAREFUL!) or
spray cans of 'carb cleaner' or 'brake cleaner' (generic
stuff at local auto parts stores; about $3/can. maybe three
or four cans should do it. maybe less). once cleaned, you
can see any 'galling' and the size and number of spots will
give you an idea of whether or not the joint needs to be
replaced or just regreased and put back on.
> 2.Can I do the job without special tools or machinery? I see in Bentley the
> axel or something getting pressed out of the CV joint with a press. Can this job be done by a backyard mechanic without a press?
yup. you'll need a special socket (of one of two types:
either a 6mm hex-head allen-wrench type; or a 10mm 12-point
'triple-square' type; these are the only two types of bolts
usually found on vw bus cv joints). sometimes, the joints
are stuck on the axles and you'll need to 'persuade' them to
get off. but if the rubber boots are ok, you really don't
NEED to take the joints off the axles to clean them. only if
you need to replace the boots do you require the joint to
come off the axle. and you can use a vise to hold the axle
or a Workman to hold the joint and tap the axle out with a
hammer and drift-punch. that is, it can be done in the back
yard.
but warnings:
- do NOT disassemble the joints! and don't tilt them too
much or the little balls will fall out. you can clean them
with the spray cans without taking the joint apart. if you
disassemble them, it just makes it harder to get them back
together ... it's not 'intuitively obvious'.:) i highly
recommend getting the Idiot's Guide book by John Muir (about
$25). it has a really good section on taking them off, and
cleaning them and putting them back on.
- do NOT do this inside the house!! wives will kill, if not
divorce, and will be acquited in court. :) it is REALLY
messy. that grease can leap off the joints onto you and your
clothes. do NOT try to wash those clothes, or you'll get
grease on the next load you wash. or grey underwear for
months. really.
> 3.When replacing the axel what keeps the 8 or 10 allen bolts (or star pattern bolts) that connect each end of the axel from loosening.
the little star-washers/lock-washers and the tightening
torque. it's a good idea to climb under there after about
100-200 miles and recheck the torque. you'll need to get a
small (up to 75 ft-lbs) torque wrench. from sears, about
$40.
>Do I replace the double holed washer/bracket type thing that the allen bolts go throught with new ones?
nah. just re-use the old ones. old bolts, old washers, old
bracket-thingie.
>Does that bracket work as a lock (washer) device?
i'm not sure what the hell it does. maybe keeps the bolt
from rubbing on the cv joint, or maybe it's just a
'stand-off' to increase the distance from the bolt-head to
the bottom of the bolt-hole. i've just always put them back.
it's not a 'hard' job, but it is messy. and takes a lot of
time, the first time you do it. took me all day saturday.
last time i did it, it took about four hours. most of the
first time is spent reading, looking, thinking, rereading,
looking, doing, thinking, rereading, looking, and so forth.
:)
i recommend Valvoline Moly EP high-temp wheel bearing
grease, product number 613. they've changed the packaging
and the name, but it's black slimey grease in a paper tube,
sold in auto parts store. be sure it's the stuff that says
'for disc brakes' ... that can handle higher temperatures. i
use 1/2 tube per joint .. cram as much as possible into the
joint, and whatever is left over into the rubber boot. and
you'll still not get it all in there, cause several ounces
of it will be on your shirt and pants. :)
get a large cardboard box, like U-haul moving (the ones that
are about five feet tall) or old refrigerator shipping box
(from behind the appliance stores). this is for laying on
the ground, so you don't get any colder/wetter/dirtier than
necessary. you also don't get little rocks sticking into
your back. much better than laying on the ground directly.
jack up the bus and put jackstands under it. you'll need the
rear wheels to be off the ground, high enough so you can
rotate the wheels ... some of the bolts at the wheel end are
hard to reach (down inside the trailing arm of the
suspension). if you have someone else to help, it goes
quicker, as they can step on the brakes while you
loosen/tighten a few bolts, then let up on the brakes while
you turn the wheel, then brake again for the last few bolts.
i recommend removing all but two bolts on each joint (do
ONLY one side at a time: two joints/one axle). this way, if
you get confused, you have the other side to look at!!! much
more likely you'll get it right this way. :) anyway, take
four bolts out, but leave two bolts in (but loosen them)
that are on opposite sides of the joint. this holds the
joint in place while you work on the opposite end of the
axle. it makes it easier to hold the axle with one hand
while removing those last bolts. be careful: the joints and
axle make a heavy assembly, and if you are not ready for the
weight, you can bonk yourself in the head. :(
don't lose the bolts and washers and little
bracket-thingies!!
clean up the wheel end and the transmission end after the
axle/joints is removed. get as much of the old grease out of
the bolt holes as possible.
lights! get a flourescent 'trouble light'. do not get the
incandescent/bulb kind ... the bulbs break if you look at
them wrongly, and they get really HOT and will burn you if
you bump against them. the flourescent ones cost more, but
will not burn you and last longer.
if you are doing this on bare ground, or gravel, put some
1x1-foot 1/2-inch thick plywood under each jackstand. and
leave the jack positioned under the frame ...just in case.
if you don't put the plywood under the jackstands, the
weight of the bus can cause the jackstands to start sinking
into the dirt/gravel, and the whole thing may start tilting
... which is why the jack is left under there: to give you
time to wiggle out!! don't even think about trying it
without the jackstands!
that's about it. not hard. messy. takes a while the first
time. but the joints are really neat things. :) especially
when you get them cleaned off. amazing how they work. and
actually, they are pretty tough little buggers. :)
good luck
joel