Knocking noise and strange CV boot wear

[blackglasspirate]

Just got back from Baja and was about 45 minutes away from my destination when I started hearing this loud knocking noise from the rear that seemed to match the rotation of the wheels. What a great way to end the trip!

Anyway, the noise was coming from rear driver's side and would happen when going straight at any speed (particularly when gas was applied), but would come and go. I just put on those CVs a few months ago so I didn't think the CVs would be the issue. Well, I dropped the axle and, lo and behold, there's next to no grease in the CVs. I had packed them with a healthy dose of Redline CV2 when I installed them. Where did it go? No idea.

The inner CV looks a bit worn already but what I really noticed were indentations on the metal rim of the CV boot from where the balls of the CV must have hit against the rim. It's the same on the inner and outer CV and has me a little concerned. Anyone ever seen this before and know what could be causing that?

Here's a video of the knocking noise:

Link


I haven't put the CVs back together yet but plan on hopefully doing that tomorrow. For what it's worth the axle is OEM, CVs are EMPI, and boots are Rockford.
_________________
'87 Vanagon GL Westfalia
IG: @holidayatsee
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[shagginwagon83]

My transaxle flange seal was leaking gear oil into the CV joints (this was just for the one side connected to the transaxle). There was hardly any grease/fluid in there.

Not sure what else could have gone wrong.
_________________
Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[Abscate]

[brickster]

Manual or automatic? Spring lift?

[Jeffrey Lee]

The indentations you mention are nothing to worry about; they are designed into most Vanagon CV boot flanges. Some are hemispherical like yours, while others are elongated, but all are intended to provide clearance for the balls while providing a snug fit elsewhere.

EDIT: If these indentations were NOT originally present in the boot flanges when installed (as detailed by the OP below), and only appeared later, then they probably should NOT be present now, and may instead indicate a fitment or other problem.

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Camp Westfalia
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[dobryan]

I used CV2 grease once a few years ago and it dried up and got cakey. I have gone back to the stock moly grease and all is well. I notice that T3 does not carry the CV2 grease any more.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[blackglasspirate]

[Wildthings]

The dents in flanges of you boots look like they are from contact with the balls, and not from any intentional stamping of the flange during manufacture. Note that your dents are not evenly spaced but match the positions of where the balls actually were with the boot alignment you had. Don't know if this actually hurts anything or not, but might put undue force on the cage or something.

[blackglasspirate]

Yeah, they definitely weren't put there by the manufacturer (even looked at stock images of the rockford boots to confirm, since I couldn't remember), but if it's fairly normal for this to occur, to the point where some manufacturers shape the flanges that way, then it maybe isn't as severe as I thought it might be. Hoping to put it all back together this afternoon and see if there's any improvement.

[thatbaldwinlife]

[brickster]

[blackglasspirate]

[Dan57]

I had a knock with my Empis also, had dents in the boot flange like yours except a lot deeper, turned out the axles were so loose they were sliding back and forth in the splines on acceleration.
You might pick up a couple of new Empi axle assemblies, or do what I did and bite the bullet on new German 944 Axle assemblies- I got mine from RMW and haven't had any trouble since.
It seems sometimes with the Empis it's the luck of the draw as to whether they will last or not.
Dan

[blackglasspirate]

Well, the inner CV was way more worn than the used/good spare I had so I swapped it out with that one, greased them up with normal moly (unfortunately just the run of the mill that I could find at Oreilly's), put it back together and the sound is gone.

Must have just been that the CV2 grease dried out, causing the CVs to run dry and wear out way faster than normal. I can't say that I would fault EMPI on this one - I think even a German joint would have had issues under the same conditions.

Anyway, fingers crossed that I am in the clear!
_________________
'87 Vanagon GL Westfalia
IG: @holidayatsee
FB: https://www.facebook.com/holidayatsee

[Syncro Jael]

I have had very good results with Caterpillar Desert Gold Grease. Ever since I installed it, never another CV joint issue with thousands of miles.

I had some high end buggy friends tell me about it.

Just an FYI.

https://www.racereadyproducts.com/new-stuff/cat-extreme-application-grease-desert/
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat)

[dobryan]