CV Joint Bolts

JTB · 11-01-2000, 08:06 PM

Anyone have any tips on keeping the CV Joint bolts tight? I seem to have a constant running battle with them. This past weekend I had the driver side outboard CV come completely off at the track. I was accelerating hard out of the pits and fortunately only zinged the engine to 7000 rpm. All of the hardware was still there so I was able to fix it, but I am getting tired of fixing it. The other three CVs were also loose and had to be tightened.

I torque the bolts to spec, use stock lockwashers and this last time even used new hardware.

JTB

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Loctite would be my first choice....

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Rich Herzog from the 914 Rennlist goes with what may be the "belt and suspenders" approach. Loct-tite, torqued to spec, and safety wired. BTW, it's not easy drilling safety-wire holes in the heads of those bolts...

--DD

Robert Helt · 11-02-2000, 10:04 AM

Man, do I have the solution for this. Same thing happens to me, so.... I got boxes of aircraft nuts, bolts and washers. Bolts with the holes crosswise in the heads. Then used stainless steel wire and zig zagged them down. Absolutely no problems....
Brother Bob

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

In aircraft (and race car) circles, that is known as "safety wire". You need to wind it so that the wire is always pulling the bolts in the "tighten" direction, BTW. Carroll Smith's "Prepare to Win" book has some good descriptions of how to safety wire things.

--DD

Jim Smolka · 11-02-2000, 05:55 PM

Safety wire is a great solution.

However, I have found another solution that I have success with. I use special 8 mm lock washers that are not split. Instead, they have many anti-slip groves in them. Works for me in a 3.0 SC 914.

Just my $0.015 (US) worth.

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Smoke Daddy

JTB · 11-06-2000, 09:54 PM

Thanks.

Jim - the washers you describe are what I am already using.

I have a safety wire drill jig for the bolts but was hoping to avoid that. It looks like it would be a real bear to wire the outboard bolts. I guess I will try the Loctite for now.

John

Germain · 11-08-2000, 04:40 AM

Hello all.

Okay, heres an answer that doesn't involve safty wire.

Use lock washers with allen head screws and drop just a hint of loctight near the head of the screw. I'll try to dig up the loctight that I used, since there are something like 50 differant types.

I've ran this for about 2 years with no problems.