Repacking a joint!
 

Hello,
Could repacking your CV joints be a realistic soultion to a knocking rear?.. Hey, it's CHristmas season and I'm sure we could all benefit from good advice on saving money. All good advice and insults are welcome.

Frank B;)

Supposed to do it every 30,000 with an inspection before the repack.

Use a degreaser on the parts if you clean them with a solvent. The residual solvent breaks down the moly grease.

If you can mark the axles just put them back in with the ends switched so they rotate the other way.

I've made a few last by replacing the damaged ball bearings with ones that were ok.

Note: On the automatics the axles are different lengths,

5 speed manual. Socal, what actually causes the clicking? Is it the bearing Races, being dinged?.. or just no grease and ALOT of friction?..

Frank B

The grease drys out and lets the ball wear a pit in the races.

As the axle turns the ball unloads and moves a bit.

Then as the ball comes under load again it is forced into the worn pit and -- click.

I've not seen a CV joint fail with just a bit of wear. Regreased a few and got away with a few more miles before the clicking noise was more than I could take. They do tend to go out of balance though.

cv joints
 

All that Socal has said. Replace the ball bearings, they can be bought seperately.

Do not place a cable tie on to the end of the rubber boot. I know a person that did it, and his new boot ripped open in a couple of weeks.

Some people even turn the cv joints around, from diff to wheel.
I have never tried it.

Get the right size socket for the bolts on cv joints, dont use an alan key.

Careful not to bang your head while doing the job.

I had no knocking on my rear end, yet one of my cv joints was well worned, the ball bearings black and blue from lack of grease.
Look for pics, on my post. "Rear caliper or hand brake rubbing"
Good luck http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif

Just one more note for you to consider:
if you're planning on doing hard driving (ie track), I suggest you NOT use the standard grease, but use something called: LE Grease instead. (It's red in color, and is extra, extra sticky to the touch!) It won't dry out as quickly and lubs the joints better.

(Note: it's also go to use this stuff when re-packing your wheel bearings.)
-Z.

Read this
 

Thanks for the advice everyone. Z- I drive hard everywhere ;) I took a friend (he has a 200 NIssan Maxima) for a spin and he was white knuckling his kneecaps pretty good. Nuthiong like tearing up Eastern Pa's Country in a German Supercar. Nothing like trees whizzing by you and getting a zero Gravity sensation at every slight incline in the road.. He wants to sell his Nissan and get a 944. OOps! was I Naughty or did I maybe just save another 944 from the wrecking yard? He never could understand ( when I was Racing) how I could handle speed and all of the adjustments ( On a Mountain Bike) that you had to make constantly. I think I just gave him a Shotgun example what Life is like in Franks World. I think, he thinks there is something wrong with me. He just doesn't understand how someone can react to graviy changes along with physical adjustments to a moving object. I tried to explain it to him like this.

Imagine you are running and you can feel the ground.. O.K.? now imagine you are driving and you can feel the ground (just like in Cycling or Motorcyle racing or touring) When a Vehicle is designed and tuned to Feel for you (transfer) and give you an accurate transfer os sensation of what is happening..you can almost become Part of your Vehicle, and you work together as a team. He thinks I'm nuts. I think he's probablly somewhat correct, but then again he's never been in a Porsche before I took him for a ride.

I let him take it for a ride while I sat on his condo steps talking to his Hot as S**T M.I.L.F. Neighbor. He came back Smiling with a confused look on his face. He tried to explain to me that he's never drivin a car that "wants to go for a ride".. YES!! I told him.. it wants to go!! and go and go and go... duh!!.. hehe..


Frank B;)

Twist on both ends, grab at one end and swing it by that end untill all the herbage settles. twist that end again. Light and enjoy.