Ever seen a CV failure like this? OUCH!

[Syncro Jael]

Ever seen this kind of damage? A split ball, cracked cage, and pits everywhere!
Here are photos of the clacking joint. Beware these photos will give you nightmares if your CV's make noise.

We just got back from a long road trip with the van. About 300 miles from home I noticed a CV joint clicking when leaving after being camped in below freezing temperatures. Once back on the highway, I never heard it again.

Last weekend I went to Southern Utah and did some off roading. I heard the clacking again and knew it was time to service the joints and find the failing joint. I did feel a vibration when accelerating in any gear and it was progressively getting worse. When I got off the highway and turned a corner towards home the van really started surging when accelerating. I was happy to be within a mile from the barn, residential speed, or would have stopped driving it any further. Yes, it was that bad!

I had replaced the joints in 2014 and polished all but one of them. This was a different CV GKN joint than the others and the surfaces were already smoother than the "Three Ringed" Lobro GKN joints that I try to purchase. All the polished joints still looked good except one. I will post the updates in my previous thread:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6...;start=140


The last time these were serviced was about 25k miles ago.

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1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat)

[dhaavers]

So...Subaru <vs> Lobro...Subaru wins, I guess...???
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[newfisher]

Similar Lobro vs Suby experience with heavily loaded and torquey 2.5. Switched to 944 joints and some expensive grease that T3 Techniques recommended and havent heard a peep.....or crunch

[dobryan]

I've been running a Subie 2.5 for over 100,000 miles and have had no CV failures. I am stock height. Are yours lifted at all?
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[AndyBees]

With brand new 944s in my TDI Vanagon, I had whacking issues in less than 6k miles.

I removed both axles in a campground at Dawson City, Yukon to inspect. I found all four with somewhat caked dry grease with one really bad (most likely the one that was whacking). I had used the grease that come with the CV Boot kit (purchased separately from the CV Joints). It was graphite grease.

I re-greased them with NAPA brand graphite grease... no more whacking. But, the one that was loud did seem to be loose when I inspected them a year later for another long trip.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[termuehlen]

Well, now that you mention it...

I replaced all 4 rear CVs with Lobros at the end of 2015. After about 10,000 miles, I noticed a pulsing through the gas pedal upon acceleration, particularly when turning and accelerating. I noticed that my inner passenger side CV boot was already torn. When I took that CV joint apart, lo and behold one entire ball had self destructed. The rest of the joint surfaces and balls didn't look horrible. I checked the other joints and they all looked fine. I replaced it with a new Lobro and new boots all around, no problems since (knock on wood).

All were the standard "three ringed" Lobro joints that you mention in your post.
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1988 Westfalia automatic Subaru OBD1
1986 syncro tintop wbx

[IdahoDoug]

Wow! So, I think you boys with the lifts should all be doing accelerated CV repack schedules. I know a thing or two about various powertrain joints and there seems to be a bit of a "lore" here that X inches of lift is OK. Operating angle is as destructive as added weight which is as destructive as added power which is as destructive as poor CV maintenance. I think things will go better if the extreme angle joints always have fresh grease. Might require a bit of a crazy often schedule if you have several of these factors in play.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[tjet]

[Abscate]

Those CVs were running locked at end of range. Something in the axle geometry is not right. Are you lifted or suspension modded?
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.ssS!

[zeohsix]

[AndyBees]

And, keep in mind, the OPs CV Joint could have been the first one made on Monday morning by a dude that partied all weekend... just a bad CV Joint right out of the box. Or, just the one Ball Bearing could have failed placing stress on the others along with the metal debris...

Also, besides raised vehicles, in the conversions (Subbie, TDI, etc.) if the motor mounts are not centered, it will change the angle of the CV Joints as well as reduce the in and out range of the axle. And, if the engine is not level, the angle of the CV Joints will be changed.

But, having said that, you would think there is some leeway for engine torque, even with the weaker WBXer engine!
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[AtlasShrugged]

[newfisher]

[Sodo]

[newfisher]

"" So MY question to SJ is, does your van have longer shocks or any other mods that increase the 'droop' beyond OEM? ""

This^^^^

[Sodo]

Hey SJ..... is this a clue?

I would expect to see the main "wear area" to be at the same level. It looks like that 'component' which should float to a neutral position was running at a strange angle continually. Do any other joints have this off-angle wear pattern? It could be manufactured defective.

Could be photo parallax, but just trying to help!
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Syncro Jael]

I am running Old Man Emu shocks. The cv joint on the same half shaft did not have any signs of running at its limit like this one. I will also note that this joint still had plenty of creamy grease and was not dry. My fender lip to axle is 19.25" when the van is unloaded. I'm not sure if this joint was just defective because the other three show none of these signs of being at the end of their limits. I would expect a cage to fail before a ball bearing.

I am replacing all the joints in the rear at this time with the Lobro joints that have the 3 rings on the boot side.
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia Hightop - NAHT
Subaru EJ25 Forged Frankenmotor, Triple Knob.
Jael = (Mountain Goat)

[tim_ha]

[Sodo]

Seems like the wear area should be at wherever the ball spends most of it's time and at max force. And there should be consistency.

I can't see the real part, just have a pic. Maybe it is consistent around the part.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Syncro Jael]