CV boots cracked

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Grease is leaking out in clumpy form. I recently purchased the car and dont know how long its been this way.

I know it needs to be changed... Can I just put new boots on and regrease inside? How will I know if the joint is bad? Its not making any noise yet...

thanks in advance

Roy M · 06-03-2003, 11:25 PM

Easy job and very satisfying (in the kids playing in mud sort of way!).

Check out this post CV joint disassembly

and go to Warrens extract from the manual.

Cheers

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Roy thanks for the link that will help. If the joints arent making noise yet, could I assume that they are good and just a repack will be sufficient?

Roy M · 06-03-2003, 11:54 PM

I'm no expert but if they feel reasonably smooth and show no marked signs of wear or overheating I would have thought they would be ok. I cleaned mine up (it was surprising how 'oily' my probably 15 year old grease was) and repacked. After working them off the car to get the grease distributed properly I refitted and have had no problems whatsoever. Try a search on cv joint and see what the general opinion is.

In the end they're tough things after all!

The other point to bear in mind is it's an easy job (once you've got the rear axle nut off) so if repacking doesn't work it's not the end of the world (and a job is even easier second time around!)

Superman · 06-04-2003, 07:01 AM

I'd probably repack them, subject to inspection. Do not repack them without first disassembling and cleaning them. You'd be wasting your time. The dirt in there would kill them.

Early_S_Man · 06-04-2003, 07:27 AM

Here are a couple of sites with pics of typical damage that is indicative of CV's needing replacement:

http://www.type2.com/bartnik/cvjoints.htm

http://volksweb.relitech.com/cvjoints.htm

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Sonic,
What a coincidence! I was under the car removing the fuel pump ('74 has it in the rear, not the front of the car) and I noticed one of my CV joint leaking black, gooey grease all over but no noise or problems, so I''ll have to take care of that. I also noticed that the rear shock on the same side as the leaky CV joint is leaking oil as well, so it looks like I'll be replacing the rear shocks as well. The one's that are on there now are green and have a white stripe on them. After I take care of my cold start problem I have these projects to look forward to!

caliber60 · 06-04-2003, 08:53 AM

Replace the whole shaft, it's not expensive, about $150 each.

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

caliber... where did you find $150? Pelican is $209 for a new axle.

Warren...thanks those are good links. Those little Kraut wagons have some things in common with our faster more stylish Kraut wagons.

Question: I read somewhere that the outer CVs on the 86-89s are NOT servicable and that a new axle would be needed if they had gone bad.....

Does this mean I could attempt to repack them, but if they are shot then a new axle is the only way to go (for my 86)?

caliber60 · 06-04-2003, 12:08 PM

Sorry for the error, TRE charged me $199 for each shaft with $170, $85x2 hours labor. They asked me if I want they to repack, about the same price as a new shaft, I asked them to replacc both shafts.

Roy M · 06-04-2003, 11:17 PM

I had my '88's off and couldn't see a way that the outers could be removed for replacement and all the links I have read indicate that the Outer Cv's are irreplaceable

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Roy... do you know if the boots be changed out on the outers, and the joints relubed?

If that is possible, then it would be easiest and cheapest as I do not believe the joints to be damaged.

Roy M · 12:19 AM

Yes - changed my outer boot as that was the one that split. You've go the detail but paraphrasing- remove driveshaft, remove inner cv, slide off outer boot, clean and pack, replace boot, put on inner boot, clean and pack inner, replace and then refit driveshaft - dead easy on my car but I did look like the creature from the black lagoon when I'd finished!

Getting at the actual CV on the outer was more difficult but a combination of brushes compressed air and degreaser sorted it. I then dried it all off thoroughly, pushed grease in and worked it the joint to spread it around before refitting.

Sonic dB · Sonic dB's Garage

Thanks Roy for explaining that...