CV JOINT NOTES

Summary

From: borowski@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Don T. Borowski) Subject: Re: R&R cv joints
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1992 16:17:11 GMT

>In regards to the inner joint, is it really necesarry to use a >hydraulic press to tension the cv joint against the concave washer >when installing it back on the driveshaft? Anyone have any tips >on how to do this without a press? I have thought of making a >jig using woodworking pipe clamps to do this. Any ideas?

I used this procedure one the inner CV joints. To get it off, clamp the drive shaft in a vice. Drive the circlip out of the groove on the shaft with a screwdriver and hammer. Now, push the CV joint boot back away from the CV joint. Open the jaws of the vice just wide enough to clear drive shaft. Set the CV joint on the top of the jaws, and let the shaft hang down through the jaws. This will support the center (ball hub) of the CV joint. Now find a socket with an outer diameter small enough to pass through the center of the CV joint. Use this socket and a hammer to drive out the shaft.

To reinstall the CV joint, clamp the shaft firmly in the vice with the CV joint end sticking up. Install the dished washer, and then set the CV joint on the shaft. Find a socket with a diameter large enough to contact the ball hub well. The socket you used to remove the outer CV joint wheel nut will do. Drive the CV joint on as far as you can get it. Now, take the circlip and slid it down the shaft as far as possible. Find a socket with an inner diameter just large enough to clear the shaft. Place this socket so that it contacts the circlip, right at the gap. Now drive both the circlip and the ball hub onto the shaft. You should be able to get one edge of the circlip to drop into the groove on the shaft. When you do, you can then use a screwdriver and hammer to drive the rest of the circlip into the groove, starting at the point where the circlip is already in the groove.

One note. If all you want to do is clean and repack the inner CV joint, you can easily do this by tilting the outer ring of the CV joint and remove the balls. The ball hub will be left on the shaft, and the outer ring and balls will come free. Remove and install the balls from both the inner and outer sides. 

This is not a hard job if you have the right tools. This includes a 3/4 drive socket and an appropriate sized rachet or breaker bar. You probably can rent the breaker bar at a rental place. The socket with the 3/4 drive should be available at SEARS? but I picked up mine at a place that sells steel and iron working equipment! I don't feel I could get one off with either a 12pt or 6pt 1/2 socket. (I also have a short 6 inch 3/4 extension I use to clear the wheels as at this point the car is still resting firmly on the ground.)

For torqueing the nut when you are all done you need a great big torque wrench, but a 1/2 drive will work just fine. These wrenches are pretty common amoung VW types as it is required for doing the rear wheels on bugs. Maybe a rental shop or have a retired friend who use to fix bugs for a living.

As far as the clamps go your kit should include new ones! The grease should be supplied too! So just cut the old clamps off. To put the new ones on get them tight and the squeeze the little square flat to tighten them up real good. I used the wire cutter tip on a pair of cheap spade lug crimp /bolt cutter tool. A spare couple of clamps might not be a bad idea as I have had them slip as you crimp them up. Hose clamps are kinda heavy, they might unbalance the axle under hard accleration.

                  ___
                 |   |
      squeeze -> |   | <- squeeze
            _____|   |_____

For cleaning the CV joint you really can't beat a can of gas (yes I know very dangerous) to soak them in and then spray them out with breakclean or CV joint cleaner. Then pack them full with the grease, work it in good. Fill the sucker up real good. Actually you can just wipe them clean and add more grease if you have caught them in time!

Some details are that you have to get the car high off the ground and taking the wheels off are the only way I have ever done it. The 12 point bolts are no sweat. Sears [used to, see faq] sells the socket, it quite common in German cars. I have mine left over from my Opel days. Here on small torque wrench is what is needed. Someone to turn the axle makes it go alot faster. The kit should include replacement bolts but if you clean up the existing ones before you take them out you should have a spare set when you are all done. You should be careful when messing with the CV joint as you can jam them if the cages get shifted. I don't think it hurts them or that it they will come flying apart but you never know. It takes some patience to get the joints in and out from under the car but they will come if you fool with the position of the wheels.

If your car was older you would probably notice a bigger improvement but I find that newly pack CV joints seem to deliver more power to the wheels. This is probably due to both less friction but also less tendency for the wheel to lift as opposed to the CV joint "absorbing" the angles.

--Rich
rauletta@gmuvax2.gmu.edu

From rauletta@gmuvax2.gmu.edu Sat Jan 28 19:20:24 1989 Return-Path: <rauletta@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> Date: Sat, 28 Jan 89 22:15:50 19
From: "Richard J. Auletta" <rauletta@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> Message-Id: <8901290315.AA12438@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> To: info-vw@ames.arc.nasa.gov
Subject: CV Joints & Brake Pads
Status: R

     Just a short note to describe a recent VW "incident" that might have a
     moral and some comments about Repco Metal Masters.

     I just got through replacing an outer Constant Velocity Joint (CV) on
     a 1979 VW Scirocco. Interestingly the joint took about a 6 months to
     fail to the point that it was obviously bad. One night running around
     I start getting a loud knock under heavy acceleration in turns and I
     first thought that it was bearing knock due to oil starvation. (No I
     don't have a baffled oil pan.)

     But it went away but came back later as a slight shudder in turns much
     like a tire out of balance. It also at times mimiced a warped rotor
     but finally in any turn that required a sharp angle a very load noise
     and tire thump was noticeable once each rotation with a severe case of
     torque steer that had a strong correlation with the thump.

     Well jacking the car up revealed that with the a sharp steering angle
     I could just barely rotate the tires through a very distinct point of
     resistance that would "snap" as the rotation passed through that
     point.

     Upon pulling the joint I found that a 60 degree piece of the internal
     ring that holds the balls had broken off and was stuck inside the boot
     plus the ring was cracked through on the other side. I have been told
     this is quite unusual though general wear and scoring is common. I
     must wonder what the final failure of a CV joint is? Do they ever come
     apart? Fail catastrophically?

     As I have mentioned before the proper care and feeding of your CV
     joints is important. As I discovered several years ago after cleaning,
     repacking, and rebooting all four the performance of the car was
     markedly improved with a sense that the tires made better contact with
     the road (less tire float?) and better steering feel and response. And
     once again the difference is quite noticable both at low and high
     speeds with once again a total lack of torque steer and a reduction in
     "road noise". The moral being if you're not happy with how your VW is
     handling up front don't forget you CV joints as a possible culprit in
     whatever the problem is, especially if you have a tire balance problem
     that won't go away completely with a spin balance. (I'm tempted to
     replace the other outer joint for good measure. I assume the inner
     joints suffer a lot less stress and tend to have a longer useful
     life.)

     The total cost including a new boot (no sense not replacing it while
     you're at it) was $110.84 from Olympic Autoparts located in Alexan-
     dria, Va and a couple of hours lying about.  This was for all W.German
     parts (CV joint and boot kits) exactly the same as you would get at
     the dealer.  (Some of the stuff is marked VW!) (Though I have not
     called I suspect the dealer cost for this job would easily top $225
     for parts and labor.)

     By the way I have been running Repco Metal Master for about 6 months
     and can recommend then highly. As advertised they don't squeak, dust,
     or fade. And they appear not to be either wearing themselves or the
     rotors out prematurely. Only one note; when they are ice cold they can
     be a little hard. A couple of times I have had to "jump" on my brakes
     just after getting going in the morning and I have detected that the
     braking is not as phenomenal as usual (it does spoil you!)

As to the cost of repair I called a local VW dealer and this is their phone quote for the job I did in two hours:

Boot kit - $20.00
Labor - $88.00
CV Joint - $310.00! (Out of stock!)

My guess with tax and shop supplies the cost would have run about $459.90, a difference of $349.06. You could go out and buy all the necessary tools and still break even even if you just did one joint! And remember the repairshops get parts for less than you when you buy them at a jobber (20% markup for the over the counter trade.)

Heavy-duty CV joints do exist. They are on GTI's and other VW's with increased horsepower. At least that is what I understand. Curiously when I bought the joint the clerk just walked in back and got one without looking it up. Usually indicates they don't come in to many different varieties at least for VW's. I would assume heavy-duty would mean bigger but this joint seemed to have been harden where the balls run but the old joint did not show any selective hardening. Maybe heavy-duty equates to more advanced processing and the joint I have is heavy-duty?

As to grease I just use what comes with the boot kits or CV joint and though the labels tend to be different it sure looks like it all comes from the same company and appears to be the exact same grease. By the way the company that made the joint was Lobro and the joint came with a 53 page German/English repair manual with color pictures all of 3 by 4 inches big. In case you are interested the German for CV joint is Gleichlauffestgelenke.

I have never seen comments about how often CV joints should be "serviced" but I would guess until a boot breaks they should be "ok" until they simply wear out or fail. But I agree running them with a broken boot will accelerate they eventual failure. I was not that happy with the boots I used last time. One boot started to surface crack soon after I installed it. I wish they would sell heavy-duty boots. The inboard boots are very hard to check and assuming you checked them every oil change that might mean running with a bad boot for a month or more!

By the way, before you run out to do your CV joints on another make of car check your shop manual. I understand that at on Honda's and Ford Escorts the job is quite a bit more involved.

--Rich Auletta
rauletta@sitevax.gmu.edu
rauletta@gmuvax2.gmu.edu
rauletta@gmuvax.bitnet 

These articles should be regarded as opinions and not fact. If any product's name or company is mentioned, no connotation should be taken for its actual quality, value or use. There is NO guarantee any of this information is correct. Neither the authors, editors, or those who maintain these archives take any responsibility for the consequences that may result from applying any of the ideas presented within these articles. Severe damage, injury or loss of life may result from applying the ideas presented.
Furthermore, before implementing any of the ideas, check whether such modifications are allowed in your state, province or country.

All articles may be distributed freely and copied (unless otherwise stated) as long as the original authors or origine are identified if available. 

From uunet!uunet!think.com!mips!sdd.hp.com!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpspkla!borowski Tue Jun 30 11:29:28 PDT 1992 Article: 6100 of rec.autos.vw
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Path: mdcbbs.com!uunet!uunet!think.com!mips!sdd.hp.com!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpspkla!borowski Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
Subject: Re: CV Boots, Hints and Advice anyone ?????
Message-ID: <31170040@hpspkla.spk.hp.com>
From: borowski@hpspkla.spk.hp.com (Don T. Borowski)
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1992 19:25:24 GMT
References: <1992Jun29.095753.11881@tcom.stc.co.uk>
Organization: Hewlett Packard Company, Spokane, Wa. Lines: 50

In rec.autos.vw, sunil@tcom.stc.co.uk (Sunil Nagpal) writes:

>I'm about to change my first CV Boot on my Scirocco this weekend, >It seems pretty straight forward, apart from one minor point which I >was hoping someone could help me on. >
>The Boot is an outer one, and what I was wondering was, do I have to >take off the outer CV joint to put the new boot on, or does it just slide >over somehow ?, also If I do have to take the CV joint off, is it >easier to take off the inner one, and slide the boot on from that end, >or from the outer CV joint end ?

To replace the boot with a regular (not split) boot goes something like this:

1. With wheels on ground, remove hubcap. Remove nut holding CV joint to wheel.
2. Remove bolts which hold inner CV joint to transmission flange (this is probably easiest done with the car up on stands).
3. Push inner end of CV joint up into engine compartment. Pull outer CV joint out of wheel. Note: You may need to remove one of the links in the shift linkage to provide clearance for the inner CV joint in this step.
4. Remove clamps from old boot. Remove outer CV joint. Some CV joints have a clip which must be removed first. Others can be driven off the shaft with a rubber mallet.
5. Put new boot on shaft. Reinstall outer CV joint. Put clamps on boot.
6. Put shaft assembly back in car. Reinstall inner CV joint bolts. Put shift link back into place.
7. Reinstall nut holding outer CV joint to wheel. Torque to 175 ft.-lb.

Donald Borowski WA6OMI Hewlett-Packard, Spokane Division "Angels are able to fly because they take themselves so lightly."

-G.K. Chesterton

From mdcbbs!uunet!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!wupost!sdd.hp.com!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpspkla!borowski
Tue Sep 22 08:38:39 PDT 1992
Article: 7471 of rec.autos.vw
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Path: mdcbbs!uunet!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!wupost!sdd.hp.com!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpspkla!borowski Newsgroups: rec.autos.vw
Subject: Re: R&R cv joints

In rec.autos.vw, larson@minerva.sws.uiuc.edu (Bob Larson) writes:

>In regards to the inner joint, is it really necesarry to use a >hydraulic press to tension the cv joint against the concave washer >when installing it back on the driveshaft? Anyone have any tips >on how to do this without a press? I have thought of making a >jig using woodworking pipe clamps to do this. Any ideas?

I used this procedure one the inner CV joints. To get it off, clamp the drive shaft in a vice. Drive the circlip out of the groove on the shaft with a screwdriver and hammer. Now, push the CV joint boot back away from the CV joint. Open the jaws of the vice just wide enough to clear drive shaft. Set the CV joint on the top of the jaws, and let the shaft hang down through the jaws. This will support the center (ball hub) of the CV joint. Now find a socket with an outer diameter small enough to pass through the center of the CV joint. Use this socket and a hammer to drive out the shaft.

To reinstall the CV joint, clamp the shaft firmly in the vice with the CV joint end sticking up. Install the dished washer, and then set the CV joint on the shaft. Find a socket with a diameter large enough to contact the ball hub well. The socket you used to remove the outer CV joint wheel nut will do. Drive the CV joint on as far as you can get it. Now, take the circlip and slid it down the shaft as far as possible. Find a socket with an inner diameter just large enough to clear the shaft. Place this socket so that it contacts the circlip, right at the gap. Now drive both the circlip and the ball hub onto the shaft. You should be able to get one edge of the circlip to drop into the groove on the shaft. When you do, you can then use a screwdriver and hammer to drive the rest of the circlip into the groove, starting at the point where the circlip is already in the groove.

One note. If all you want to do is clean and repack the inner CV joint, you can easily do this by tilting the outer ring of the CV joint and remove the balls. The ball hub will be left on the shaft, and the outer ring and balls will come free. Remove and install the balls from both the inner and outer sides.

Donald Borowski WA6OMI Hewlett-Packard, Spokane Division "Angels are able to fly because they take themselves so lightly."

-G.K. Chesterton

From: BBS::UUCP%"uunet!usc.edu!jan%dev7d.mdcbbs.com" 4-SEP-1990 23:36:32.87 To: info-vw@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:
Subject: CV Joints
To: info-vw@ames.arc.nasa.gov

I just did a CV-repack job (both inner & outer) on my 81 S, and I have some questions and comments.

Questions: The grease in both outer joints had somehow "mutated" into from a "toothpaste" consistency to a more fluid consistency like pancake sirup (not maple but the immitation stuff). Any ideas why this happened? My speculation is breakdown due to heat? Does this then mean my outer CV joints are shot as well. They still felt ok... Where did the heat come from? Probably the brake rotors.

If you have the right tools, the job is pretty simple. Getting the inner CVJ back on to the shaft was a bit of a problem because you need to apply pressure to get the circlip in place. The pressure is needed to compress the convex dished washer on the other side of the joint. Hammer didn't work (yeah, I know, you're not supposed to, but just look at the size of the hammer VW uses...) so I rigged something up with a chain, my vise, my hub puller and the 30 mm socket to compress that washer. I'll draw you a pic sometime.

One of my inner CVJ was shot (didn't move smoothly through all its motions) and was replaced. VWs price: ca. US$ 130, Engine Compartment (Redondo Beach -- ask for Dirk) & Wolf Sport: about US$55 made by Loebrow, apparently the same mfger VW uses.

Use anti-seize compound on the splines a bolts to make your easier next time.

According to Wolf-Sport: interchange the CVJs (left <-> right) both inner and outer, to wear the surfaces more evenly. Seems like sound advice.

Jan 

From: BBS::UUCP%"uunet!usc.edu!jan%dev7d.mdcbbs.com" 2-OCT-1990 15:42:35.04 To: info-vw@ames.arc.nasa.gov
CC:
Subj: RE: CV joint replacement
 

Some one liners for CV rebuild jobbers:

Get the right tools (it's worth it, believe me)
- T-slide and 30 mm socket to remove the axle (socket should clear the wheel)
- Vise
- CVJ tool (check what your car has = inner spline, hex, ?torx?)
- Big (preferably plastic) hammer (for new style CVJs)
- Can of Chemtool (to get the old grease off) & spray can of similar stuff Get CV grease (I found a grease pump to which you attach a needle very helpfull)

You may need new boots (VW has a rebuilt kit that has all you need) Throw away Haynes get Bentley and/or Muir If joints are still ok: swap them from left <-> right Remember: you *may* need a hydraulic press to get the inboard CV joint back in You may be able to rig something up with a vise & a hub puller, or simply not remove the joint (I'm not sure that's possible). Tube of anti-seize: Make your next job easy. (Use on bolts & axle).

NB: Clicking may also be caused by the inboard CVJ.

Probably forgot a few, but this should help.

Jan 

From: BBS::IN%"'jan@dev7.mdcbbs.com, jan@lipari.usc.edu' <uunet!usc.edu!'jan@dev7.mdcbbs.com, jan@lipari.usc.edu'%MDCBBS.COM:JAN%DEV7D>" 18-DEC-1990 00:56:44.73 To: lll-winken!uwm!bbn!jaborn@decwrl, ames!info-vw@decwrl CC:
Subj: RE: CV Joint Hitting

Yes, the manual sez "use a light metal hammer to drive the outer CV joint of the shaft".

Well... with me it went somewhat like this:

Lightweight hammers => nearly impossible to find. Bought a hard plastic (16 oz) at Sears.

Started tapping on the outside with the plastic hammer. No movement. Started hitting harder, nothing. Took out real hammer (20 oz) with small drift. Started tapping on the inside of the CVJ (not the balls, but the inner cage, taking care not to damage splines). Started hitting harder... Reverted to a block of wood against outer portion of CVJ. No movement. Finally, out of shear frustration, just whaked the outer portion of the CVJ with the hammer, and that did the trick.

Naturally, yours may come of easier... but judging from an old CVJ that is a paper weight now, VW must have reverted to the last method as well.

Anyone have a better way of doing this?

Caveats:

Some CVJs use circlips instead of this "spring-clip" The dished washer is often broken.

Jan 

From: BBS::IN%"uunet!CS.YALE.EDU!narem-james" "James E. Narem Jr." 18-DEC-1990 13:51:50.46 To: ames!info-vw@decwrl
CC:
Subj: RE: Jan's message on CV Joint hitting

Normally I'd mail to you directly but your "From:" line is useless. Hell, I shouldn't even get this message since I read rec.autos.vw but Jordan hasn't dropped me from the list yet.

There are a few ways of getting a recalcitrant outer CV joint off. As you noted, there are two types: the spring clip and the circlip. (Note that the inners are much different, and this discussion does not apply). The circlip kind is easy, you should always check for this before assuming that the CV uses a spring clip. Spray brakeclean in the CV to remove the grease (and wear gloves, the grease is somewhat toxic) and look for a gap in the inner ball race where the circlip on the shaft is visible.

The light metal hammer method to remove the spring clip retained CV uses a copper or brass faced hammer and really only works if the splines were greased when it was last assembled. It's easiest to do it when the boot is cut off completely. Try to hit the inner race or you run the risk of breaking the ball cage. The best way to remove it is with a large bearing separator rigged to press its face against the inner race. Open a vice to fit the driveshaft and slam the separator against the top of the vice jaw. The point of this is to distribute the force evenly on the inner race. If you don't have a bearing separator, use a LARGE pair of channellocks and strike a hammer against the pivot point of the pliers while holding the handle.

The general principle here is that the force applied must not only be in the correct direction, but the vector sum of the applied forces must be centered on the shaft or the splines will jam. It's similar to why it is better to tighten fasteners with a t-handle breaker bar than a one handle ratchet (though in this case it is a torque rather than a force).

Incidently, a bearing separator (with a two arm puller) also solves the inner CV joint circlip problem. If you can't get the circlip on with a 1 inch 12pt socket and a hammer, use the sep+puller to press the socket down on the clip until it seats. This avoids the absurd press setup shown in the bentley manual. Oh, it is a funny circlip. I use a Sears piston ring expander to get it on the shaft. Regular circlip pliers don't really work.

And since I'm babbling on about CV joints, here is the response I wrote to someone who asked (on rec.autos.vw, today, in fact) about the difference and interchangablity between old Golf and Passat (Rabbit and Dasher in the US) outer CV joints: 

I have had exactly the same problem on the US versions of the cars, namely the 1981 Rabbit (Golf) and a 1974 Dasher (Passat). The rabbit outer CV joints are a smaller diameter at the tapered part after the splined shaft and they have a small metal spray shield at the largest point on the taper. The Dasher outer CV is missing the spray shield and is big enough to lock up in the hub when the axle nut is tightened. I found out the hard way.

A year ago when my dasher rusted out, I took off the parts I thought might be useful and gave the car up for scrap. The rabbit broke a ball cage on the outer CV and lost a ball. Either kind of outer CV costs about $70 from aftermarket US parts sources, for instance, Rapid Parts of NY.

I wasn't in the mood to wait since my other car is disassembled, and I had the Dasher drive line and a lathe, so I matched the tapers and made it fit. It's been working for six months now. Only the inner bearing surfaces are hardened, the taper is real easy to cut.

The attaching method is different, but it turns out that the spring clip will retain the circlip style outer CV. There is a grove cut in the end of the inner race for the spring clip, but there is enough play in the cone and washer on the other side for the CV to hold. You could cut the grove but the inner race is difficult to chuck, so I didn't bother. I didn't save the Dasher driveshaft, so I don't know if it has the grove for the spring clip, so it may be necessary to cut a grove since the spring clip style CVs do not have an access hole for the circlip. You'd need a good sized lathe to do this, since the driveshaft won't fit through a 3/4" headstock feed hole. E.g. a dasher outer CV will fit a rabbit after cutting the taper, but the reverse is not necessarily true.

Do people with TOYotas need to know this sorta stuff?

..........jim (Narem@cs.yale.edu, decvax!yale!narem, Narem@YaleCS.BITNET) 

From: BBS::IN%"uunet!BBN.COM!jaborn" "Justin A. Aborn" 8-JAN-1991 22:10:27.13 To: "jan@dev7.mdcbbs.com" <jan@dev7.MDCBBS.COM> CC:
Subj: RE: CVJ from Hell (or these newer VW are too stuffed)

Jan,

You need to remove the bolt on the stearing knuckle/bearing housing that holds it to the ball joint on the suspension arm. It takes a little banging to get the ball joint stud out of the stearing knuckle, maybe a screwdriver in the slot that forms the "stud pincher".

You might have to remove the brake caliper to remove the bolt that holds the ball joint.

Justin 

From: BBS::IN%"uunet!mims-iris.waterloo.edu!tom" "Tom Haapanen" 9-JAN-1991 05:19:49.92 To: ames!info-vw@decwrl (Info-VW mailing list) CC:
Subj: RE: CVJ from Hell (or these newer VW are too stuffed)

Jan Vanderbrande wrote:
> Has anyone out there been successfull in removing the left hand > drive axle from an A-2 based car (i.e. > 85 Golf, GTI, Jetta, etc). >
> The normal procedure is:

>       Remove axle bolt
>       Remove Inner CVJ bolts
>       Turn steering wheel to full left (for left hand side)
>       Slide move axle & inner CVJ up towards the interior of the engine
>       Slide other end with outer CVJ out of the bearing assembly.

My friend Tom, who has done more CV joints than I've owned cars :) says that he removes the wheel, detaches the ball joint from the strut assembly, and removes the steering knuckle (I think I got that approximately right). After that it's easy to get to the CV joint.

[ \tom haapanen --- university of waterloo --- tom@mims-iris.waterloo.edu ] [ "i don't even know what street canada is on" -- al capone ] 

From: BBS::IN%"uunet!BBN.COM!jaborn" "Justin A. Aborn" 9-JAN-1991 12:56:46.82 To: ames!info-vw@decwrl
CC:
Subj: Left CVJ Removal

You can take out the left axel by disconnecting the ball joint from the stearing knuckle. No other disconnections need be made to get enough clearance to pull out the left axel.

You will need to turn the stearing all the way to one side. To the left. I think left.

If the bolt that holds the stearing knuckle to the ball joint stud is in the "wrong" way, you will need to move the brake caliper a little to get that ball joint bolt out. To move the brake caliper loosen the two bolts that hold it to the stearing knuckle. Pull the bottom bolt out of its hole, and pivot the caliper on the top bolt. This gives enough clearance to remove the bolt. Put the bolt in the "right" way when you reassemble the stearing knuckle.

Justin

In article <Csu9nK.AH9@world.std.com>, dec@world.std.com (Daniel E Collins) wrote:

> Hello All:
>
> I am having trouble getting the passenger-side axle\shaft nut loose. > The driver's side nut came loose without a whimper. I have bent a 4 ft > piece of pipe used as a breaker bar, and destroyed an 18 in. 1\2 drive > breaker bar. Am I missing something? Is the passenger side nut opposite > threaded?
>
> Thanks for any advice!
>
> -Dan 

A 3/4 Craftsman slide handle breaker bar costs about $25, a 3/4 inch drive 1 3/16 socket (equivalent to 30 mm) is about $10-12. You might be able to find a cheaper outfit at tool store.

BTW, it helps to support the handle or extension at its rotation point using a jack, jackstand, piece of wood, etc. so that the socket is perfectly square with the nut.

Good luck.

Bill
maslin@cvmfaculty.msstate.edu

78 Rabbit...since new! 82 Convertible...since last July!

From medtron!inst.medtronic.com!pc0100@uunet.UU.NET Wed Nov 10 13:31:21 1993 Return-Path: <medtron!inst.medtronic.com!pc0100@uunet.UU.NET>
Subject: Re: CV Boots...
To: cmice@mke.ab.com (Christopher Ice x2136) Date: Wed, 10 Nov 93 12:30:56 CST
In-Reply-To: <9311101328.AA00160@tinman.mke.ab.com>; from "Christopher Ice x2136" at Nov 10, 93 7:28 am X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Status: RO

As Christopher Ice x2136 writes:
>
> As a follow up to my adventures, I noticed I have a badly torn CV boot at the > wheel (driver's side). Anyone replace these things? Big job? Special tools? > Should I just leave it to the pros with the tools?

Not that tough to do. You need the big socket for the axle nut and the special clamp pliers (some auto-parts places will rent them) for the boot kit also need the trick sline wrench for the inside half-shaft bolts. (on the older coupes it's 8 mm triple-square on the quattro's it's a 10mm one. It _looks_ like a standard hex will fit DON'T try itlong story here abount stripped out grade 9 bolts and drills and easy-out's in dark cramped quarters ;-) ). Replacing the outer boot really isn't that hard. Check the Bently for the exact sequence for your make/model/year. It would be nice if the strut assembly was like the newer jap units in that the half-shaft could be repaired without removal , but it's not.

Basicly remove the brake caliper, remove the axle nut (before it's off the ground- big air gun required here) remove the inside bolts, remove any covers required , remove half-shaft. Outer joint- remove joint from axle (hammer it off or circlip it depends on car) clean old grease out (all of it) , inspect joint balls/races/cage for wear, if it's ok re-lube and re-assemble. I also clean and re-lube the inner joint at this time. I once caught a near catastrophic inner joint failure while repairing the outer boot on my coupe. The inner joint had NOT been properly reassmbled by the dealer after changing the clutch (I was pressed for time and it was cold out) the inner ball track was "flaking up" and disgorging metal fragments into the joint. Mondo discussion with shop about what,who,how much. They finally went half on the new part. I don't let them even wash my car after that! The tools run about $60 bucks or there abouts. joint kit is $25 bucks and includes the clips,washers,grease ,boot etc.

Really one of the simpler drivetrain maint. tasks on the car.

I think the book on labor is 3-4 hours. Enjoy.

>
> Chris
> --
> ========
> +---------------------| _ /| |---------------------+ Opinions expressed here > | Chris Ice, CMfgT | \`o_O' | Allen-Bradley Co. | are mine and don't > | cmice@mke.ab.com | ( ) | Milwaukee, WI USA | reflect the views of my > +---------------------| U |---------------------+ employer. So there!

>                        |  Ack!  |
>                       ========

We just did this on my 86 GLI this weekend. I assume the 90 is similar, although I guess the tranny is in a different spot.

Essentially:

• Remove wheel center cap or cover to expose the axle nut
• Using a good socket (Jetta was 30mm) and breaker bar, loosen but do not remove the bolt. You can fabricate a breaker bar using a good socket wrench with a lifetime warranty :-) and a length of pipe. Slide the wrench into the pipe, you'll figure out how to use it.
• Jack up the car, and use stands or whatever.
• You can remove the wheel if you like, it may not be necessary.
• Remove the 8 or so bolts holding the inner CVJ to the tranny. On the Jetta, these are 12 point 8mm female bolts that DOES require a special tools for removal. Sears claims to carry it, Snap-On does, I got mine at a local parts store.
• Loosen and remove the axle nut.
• Slide the axle up towards the engine compartment at the inner end, then remove it, outer CVJ first.

• On the bench, cut off the old boot and clamps.
• With a soft faced mallet, bang the joint off - there is a small circlip that holds it in place on the axle - once you've cleared it, it's off.
• Repack the joint with CVJ grease. Bentley recommends 1/2 tube in the joint, 1/2 in the boot. I put most in the joint.
• Put the joint back on, replace clips if necessary.
• Install the new boot and clamps.
• Reinstall the axle, axle nut and wheel.

This is all from memory, I'll have to add specifics in later. All in all, a much easier job than I thought.

| Dan |

--

Dan Simoes                                dans@ans.net
Associate Programmer                     (914) 789-5378
Advanced Network & Services               Elmsford, NY

Patrick,

$200 for CV boot replacement labor sounds waaayyyy too high. If you're mechanically adept you should be able to do it...although it is kind of a pain.

Whatever you do, do not buy the boot anywhere but the dealer. The dealer kit includes the boot, 2 clamps, a new axle nut (required), circlup, and the correct grease you should be running in there.

If you decide to do the job yourself, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Make sure you clean all (I mean ALL) the old grease from the CV joint. Clean with shop towels (blue ones that can be purchased at parts stores), and DO NOT use any chemicals. Most "cleaners" leave a small coating that will prevent the lubricant from adhering to the metal, which will reduce the lubricating efficiency.
• Pay attention to the direction the basket goes in the outter cassing. Ideally you should mark the casing and the basket, so you install it in the same position it came out. At the very least make sure you get the correct side outwards uppon assembly.
• Don't crimp the boot to tight against the joint, or too stretched onto the axle. This is the number one cause of premature boot failure. The Bently has a good picture and dimensions on correct assembly.
• Get the clamps very tight.

• With the car still on the ground, loosen the hub nut. Use the tube to increase the lever arm, as this nut is torqued to 160 ft/lb...and will be tighter from years of abuse.
• Lift the car and support on jackstands.
• Remove wheel.
• Remove lower ball joint. You should mark the position of the 3 bolts with whiteout, so you get the alignement close uppon assembly.
• Slide CV joint out of hub.
• Cut old boot from CV joint (yes, it is very messy).
• Using large hammer, hit the inner portion of the CV joint (the part attached to the axle, not the basket) to release it from the axle.
• Clean the axle and replace the circlip.
• Clean CV joint. (NOTE: another way to clean the joint is to put it in a pan with motor oil and heat it up. This will melt the grease and remove it...carefull when you remove the hot joint)
• Inspect the balls and the grooves for wear or discoloring. If there are hot spots (blue colored), you might want to consider a new joint. I've done CV boots on joints with 100Kmiles, and never had to replace one.
• Reassemble the CV joint, paying attention to the orientation of the basket.
• Add the supplied grease to the CV joint. The whole tube is not needed, but use as much as you can fit.
• Slide the new boot over the axle.
• Install the CV joint, put the rest of the grease inside the boot, slide over joint, and put the clamps.
• Reinsert CV joint into hub, and replace ball joint.
• Make sure you use the new axle nut
• Once you lower the car, tighten the axle nut to the specified torque (I think it's 160 ft/lb, but check the Bently)

There you have it. It's messy, and it'll probably take you half a day the first time, but it's definetly doable. I can do a CV boot on a VW in 30 minutes to an hour...which would be $70 at standard dealer labor rates, not $200.

Good luck,

Gerry.
90 G60-GT