What causes a CV axle to wear out?

What causes a CV axle to wear out?

The most common problem for CV axles comes when you have cracked or loose CV boots. This can happen the joints on either side of the axle, but most commonly it happens with the outer CV joint. Without the boot to hold the grease in and dirt out, the joint will lose its lubrication and wear out over time.

How do you replace inner CV joint boot?

Slide the outer cage down along the shaft. Take the snap ring out and remove the inner race, outer cage, and remains of the boot from the drive shaft. Clean out the grease; there’s lots of it. Take your time here because mixing old and new grease is not a very good idea. Slide the small band then the boot back onto the drive shaft.

What is the ring at the end of the CV axle called?

Answer: It’s commonly referred to as a retaining ring; not a snap ring. The ring at the end of the inner CV axle joint, is compressed by applying pressure on the joint shaft when the shaft is being pushed into the transmission.

How often do you need to replace CV axle boots?

CV axle boots often last the life of a vehicle and are not listed among items that need periodic replacement as part of vehicle maintenance. They should, however, be inspected at least once a year, or more often on high-mileage vehicles or ones that see what manufacturers describe as “severe” service,…

The most common problem for CV axles comes when you have cracked or loose CV boots. This can happen the joints on either side of the axle, but most commonly it happens with the outer CV joint. Without the boot to hold the grease in and dirt out, the joint will lose its lubrication and wear out over time.

How do you remove a nut from a CV axle?

Remove the cotter pin from the axle nut. If your vehicle has a cotter pin securing the axle nut, you will need to remove it. The pin will resemble a bobby pin with the ends folded back to hold it in place. You will need to use pliers to straighten the two bent ends of the cotter pin before you can remove it.

How does a CV axle work on a front wheel drive car?

A typical inner CV joint has three rollers on a tripod (spider) that can slide inside the CV joint housing, so the CV axle can extend or contract as needed. Typical CV axle (shaft) of a front wheel drive car with a Rzeppa outer CV joint and closed tripod-style inner joint. The inner CV joint can work under small angle too.

How to remove a cv shaft from a Nissan?

IE: no free balls, cage, and gear thing. They will all still be together inside the CV cup as an assembly. -Next, grab the shaft and clamp it in a vise with the dissembled end up (optional). Using snap ring pliers, remove the snap ring and gear thing.

Remove the cotter pin from the axle nut. If your vehicle has a cotter pin securing the axle nut, you will need to remove it. The pin will resemble a bobby pin with the ends folded back to hold it in place. You will need to use pliers to straighten the two bent ends of the cotter pin before you can remove it.

How do you remove the cv shaft from a car?

Remove the CV shaft from the hub bearing and steering knuckle assembly completely by hand. Place a pry bar in between the transmission housing and the CV axle bearing, and pry the CV axle free from the transmission gently. This process works only on the driver’s or left side of the vehicle.

Your mechanic inspects your CV boots during regularly scheduled maintenance check-ups. He looks for cracks and other types of damage that allow dirt and moisture to penetrate and cause the CV joint to wear out and eventually fail. Symptoms of this failure include popping or clunking noises and even shaking back and forth while accelerating.

Which is the right side of the axle to replace?

And it’s usually the right side that goes first because here in the lefthand-drive US of A, we turn sharper around righthand corners than lefthand ones. Sometimes the rubber boots covering the joints fail from age or are torn by road debris, letting the grease out and dirt and water in.

A typical inner CV joint has three rollers on a tripod (spider) that can slide inside the CV joint housing, so the CV axle can extend or contract as needed. Typical CV axle (shaft) of a front wheel drive car with a Rzeppa outer CV joint and closed tripod-style inner joint. The inner CV joint can work under small angle too.

What kind of joints does a CV axle have?

A CV axle or shaft has two constant-velocity or CV joints: inner and outer. A typical inner CV joint has three rollers on a tripod (spider) that can slide inside the CV joint housing, so the CV axle can extend or contract as needed. Typical CV axle (shaft) of a front wheel drive car with a Rzeppa outer CV joint and closed tripod-style inner joint.

How to get an accurate reading of the CV axle?

To get an accurate reading of the CV axle condition, find a smooth flat surface (such as an empty parking lot) and turn the steering wheel all the way in one direction and drive in a circle. Then turn the steering wheel in the opposite direction and drive in a circle.

How big are the CV joint bolts on a VW?

After 1992 VW moved to various inner CV joint designs depending on your vehicle, engine, and transmission combination. There is a longer version of these same bolts (#22418) for the cars equipped with the flat style serviceable inner joints up to from 2003 on. Pre-1999 a 8mm short (#22365) and 8mm long (#12355) version were used.

Where can I get a CV axle for my car?

No matter what make and model you need a CV axle for, you can get the right part at AutoZone. You might not know what a CV axle is, but you’ll notice when you’re driving on a bad one. Put simply, it is an axle that can transfer torque at an angle thanks to CV (constant velocity) joints.

What kind of nut do I need for CV joint?

If your removing your driveshaft, you’ll need an 8mm 12 point bit tool for the inner CV joint bolts, and the 30mm axle nut socket for the outer bolt. New axle nuts can be ordered as part #1971.