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Muftobration Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2014 Posts: 90 Location: Acton, MA
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Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 7:46 pm Post subject: Defect on CV part? |
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I am in the middle of a Bostig conversion and decided to replace my CV boots and repack the joints. Here's the driver side taken apart:
After I got all the grease cleaned off, I noticed a small defect on one of the parts. These are the two best pictures I could manage without a macro lens:
Is this anything to be worried about? I did not notice any issues or noise while driving. It does seem to be within the contact patch where the ball has polished the part. These are Empi CVs that have been on the van since I bought it two years ago. _________________ 1985 Westfalia full camper - Bostig v2.0 with several updates |
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Syncronoid Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2012 Posts: 1111 Location: Stanford, CA and Bend, OR
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Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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Pitting. Impending doom. Replace! _________________ '90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32584 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Tbob Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2007 Posts: 417 Location: Pensacola, Fl.
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:06 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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I am with Dave, Run 'em. I have been doing that for decades. It began out of necessity, and after moving to an area (the Lower Midwest) with no Volkswagen activity whatsoever, and no ready parts sources that didn't depend on shipping, became normal operating procedure. Never a failure. I would run that with no worries.
As an aside, although I had no failures, and considered the cv joints a robust part on an otherwise non robust vehicle, there may be more vibration transmitted with the worn cv joints I run than with new ones. I have never been able to tell. _________________ 1969 Deluxe, owned since 1973
1973 Westfalia, owned since 1983
1980 Westfalia, watercooled conversion
1985 Westfalia, stock!
1986 Westfakia, Audi I-4 conversion
A couple of trucks and a couple of Jeeps |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17114 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:44 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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Run it especially if they are original vw parts. _________________ ☮️ |
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Muftobration Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2014 Posts: 90 Location: Acton, MA
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:15 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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Thank you all for the seasoned perspectives. I will put on the new boot and pack this with plenty of grease! _________________ 1985 Westfalia full camper - Bostig v2.0 with several updates |
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MarkWard Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005 Posts: 17114 Location: Retired South Florida
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:18 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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As I assemble the joint, I coat all working surfaces with grease first. Once it is assembled, I then work the grease from the backside to the front working the joint through its full range. This ensures every thing is coated. _________________ ☮️ |
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Jeffrey Lee Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014 Posts: 1488 Location: Wisconsin
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:35 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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This would be a wise occasion to 'flip' that joint when reinstalling, to ensure that the pitted area is no longer the primary contact area under normal running.
Just determine which way that joint will rotate and in which direction the drive force will be applied, to avoid the damaged area.
As already mentioned, the pitting is minor in this case, esp. if an OEM CV joint, and there are many more miles left in it! _________________ Camp Westfalia
Camping Tips • Newsletter • Cool Campervan Apparel
www.CampWestfalia.com |
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Wildthings Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005 Posts: 50337
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:01 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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Assuming this is not on an automatic, then just swap the axles side to side when you reinstall them so that the balls run on a clean surface. By doing so you should at the very least get the same number of additional miles out of the joint as the joint already has on it. |
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Muftobration Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2014 Posts: 90 Location: Acton, MA
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:27 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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This is great advice. I had heard the advice of flipping the part, but I didn't know whether that was actually possible, since it is not symmetrical front to back along the axle. You can see one side has a raised lip and the other side is flat.
My second thought was to install the axle on the same side of the van, but flipped around so the CV that was on the tranny would be on the wheel and vice versa. However, that actually wouldn't change the load surfaces; it would just change the face from driving the load to being driven.
Wildthings suggestion is perfect for my case. I have both CVs off, so I can just put this one back on the passenger side instead of the driver side. _________________ 1985 Westfalia full camper - Bostig v2.0 with several updates |
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Italjohn Samba Member
Joined: October 29, 2016 Posts: 193 Location: Molde, Norway
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Muftobration Samba Member
Joined: June 11, 2014 Posts: 90 Location: Acton, MA
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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Italjohn wrote: |
Remember to clock them during assembly
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Excellent video. Thank you. When I put new boots and repacked the passenger side axle last year, I made sure to orient the parts within a CV correctly, but I did not pay attention to how the CVs were rotated relative to one another. "Clocking" is new to me! I'll ensure they're correct this time. _________________ 1985 Westfalia full camper - Bostig v2.0 with several updates |
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?Waldo? Samba Member
Joined: February 22, 2006 Posts: 9752 Location: Where?
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Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:47 pm Post subject: Re: Defect on CV part? |
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It is necessary to clock U-Joints because they do not turn at a constant velocity and the proper clocking (and angles) allows the differing velocity to be cancelled. Unlike U-joints, CV joints operate at a constant velocity (thus the name). From what I have read, clocking them will not reduce vibration and will not increase the articulation of the joint. What positive effect do you expect from clocking them?
Also, on the CV joint rebuilding video, when it is said,"this side toward the gearbox, this side toward the wheel", that is misleading. The CV joints should be assembled so that they are symmetrical on the axle and the axle could be installed either direction without issue. It would be much more appropriate to state "this side toward the center of the axle, this side toward the outside (toward the wheel or gearbox)". |
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