Give this a listen...CV joint?

[AndyBees]

Scrolling through photos on a chip from a camera I keep in the garage, I stumbled onto several of CV Joints.

Anyway, I thought this one is interesting. This a CV Joint, for a VW Jetta, is from a local nationwide name parts place. As I recall, I decided to inspect the joints to make sure they had adequate grease on the boot side......... what you see is what it had. (Made in China). I installed them for the guy. There were no photos the outer CV Joints, but I suspect I did pop-off the boots for an inspection.

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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI, two trips to Alaska, 2014 & 16. 1989 Tin-top unmolested.
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine, seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. 1975 Bay hopeful.

[Sodo]

[Abscate]

Even Torx externals would work fine there , as the dont get the crap in them that internal hex do. The physics of torx bits means there is much meatier contact area of bit and fastener
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[jkaput]

jkaput are your CVs still a knockin'?
Can you entertain a shadetree test for me?

I have this notion that you get under the van and grab your axles ....heh
And slide them left and right a few times
that action "may" dip your balls into some grease
& quiet the knock.

I can't test this because I ain't got no knock.
Only a CV knocker can test this.

If this works, then your CVs are knocking because they're dry.
And "the needle" may be all you need.
Which I'm then curious for how many miles the needle method will keep CVs quiet.


Hey Soto,
So that trick worked, at least for the 10 minutes of driving I did. I moved em back and forth and drove it around. No noise. So I got the 4 inch needle and i'll fill em up.

I'm just curious how this happened in the first place. Its not like grease gets consumed or anything, and the boots look really solid still. As I try to wrap my head around this, and try to determine when i'll need to do the CV's, its something thats is puzzling.

I order to ensure I smooth summer of camping, maybe I should get on of these for the side that knocks, and just install it? Last thing I want is to be riding the struggle bus this summer with the fam. Last thing my wife wants too.

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/vw-axle-shaft-assembly-gkn-251501203gx#fitment

[AndyBees]

[Sodo]

[E1]

Our experience as well… first van went 57,000 miles with a single shop-cleaning, around mid-mileage, when actually a wheel was loose. No idea how long they went unserviced before our purchase.

I thought it was a CV and limped 25 miles to a trusted shop in Flagstaff (R&R Automotive, recommended!). Never a CV sound or heat-up in 57K.

This van went about at least 20-25K with no prior history or maintenance or noise, re-packed with tranny swap about 20,000 ago, no noise ever.

I do routinely slide them back and forth, and also try to rotate them as if driving, to make sure there’s no or just barely-perceptable play.

One wonders if product run quality plays into this… or much likelier in my opinion, driving the van faster than designed for and/or for long periods and/or on hot days — not to mention factors like hammering them too hard on rough roads and/or for a constant stretch without a break and/or carrying too much weight and/or crappy quality, wrong grade, or filthy grease (torn boots already stated and a clear call).
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If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[jkaput]

Okay folks, new wrinkle. It warmed up, so I went outside to give it real good poking around, and I found that the boot is definitely trashed. Its got a half inch puncture in it. I filled the boot with grease.

My plan was to try and drive it to a buddys house about an hour from here and sleep in it tomorrow night after I play some music with them. Is this a dumb idea?

Secondly, what tore the boot like that? The moving the axel back and forth got rid of the sound (probably, like someone said, spread the grease back into the cv). A rock? I ca'n't imagine it was something internal that ripped it.

I guess i'll have to take the axel off to replace the boot, so now i'm in it. Might as well do the CV while i'm in there. Agreed?

Drivable now you think?

[Abscate]

People poking them with needles

Sorry , couldn’t resist. There is a lot of crap rubber boots out there and you probably got one. Price dictates. Clean them out , regrease , reboot with quality.
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[E1]

Some will say “Drive it,” some won’t.

If you have another car, take it.
If you don’t, take it.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans
The caveman’s first question to the headhunter: “Hey, you got any coffee?”

[Abscate]

Drive it and have fun. Fix it when you get back.

Since it’s already holed, you need to open it and get the dirt out, rinse it clean, then repack and reboot.

Couple hundred miles won’t hurt anything
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[Wildthings]