i am about to put on a new suspension (eibach pro kit, tokico struts) and the replacement boots and what not, but i plan on going autocrossing once summer rolls around, i hear people talking about cv joints alot, but i am not very familiar with them, are they a worry, what about preventive maintence and how can i check for damage

Chris

 

yeah i think mines messed up
im not really sure but there a loud clunk whenever i turn right
so theres more money gone

 

yeah..the cv joins are what connect the wheels to the axels...mine are shot too and they make a poping noise when i turn...real loud and embarassing, just take wide turns and noone notices. i have a 93 and it's like close to 400 buck to get them replaced. just make sure the boot around the axels isn't damaged and cracked(located behind wheel). once the crack and all the grease inside comes out...time for new ones...

 

anything bad about drive on bad cv's?
like me dyin or somethin when it makes me crash

 

I have a 93' and i had to replace both axles and when they are bad they are loud and annoying, it cost me $300 to replace both axles. You can go to an auto parts store and buy the axle fully assembled for about $100 and do it yourself! Ive also replace the wheel bearing which is also pretty loud and annoying it was only $40 to replace (DIY Job!).

 

thats pretty cheap actually
do the cv's come with the axel?
was that a ton of work to do

 

they come with the axel and yes, it is a ***** to do yourself...one heard this, never tried. i know if you drive too long with them out, the wheels will come apart from the axel and won't spin...no spin, no go....so, it will leave you standed, but not sure on death mine have been like that for about and 5 months and nothing yet( knock, knock)..next pay check they will be fixed though

 

tell me what tools you used to do the wheel bearings. also where did u get bearings for $40?

 

My drivers side went in December. I rode around for a few months with them messed up and knocking. Then all of sudden, one day everytime I accelerated on the highway, my car would pull to the side that was broken. Hitting the brakes did the same thing. Then a few minutes later, klunk, klunk, klunk, klunk. I don't know exactly what happened, I just know I could NOT handle the car anymore. Had to pull over and get towed. Next day got the axle replaced and was on the road again that afternoon. I have gone through about 3 - 4 axle per side in the last 5 years. When your cv boot is ripped or torn, you WILL know. You will have grease on the exterior of your car. And your rims will get dirty faster than normal. You WILL KNOW.

 

ive belive i can manage to figure out if i have a problem cv joint

but my question is how can i prevent it, or how can i tell when one is going before it pops

or... should i just hope it doesnt, and when it does get it fixed?!

so many questions... so few answers

 

ugh.. newbies..

here's what a blown CV boot looks like:


When you see this, take the car to the shop, or buy yourself a new pair of axles and do it ASAP. I know people that have drivn for years on bad boots and never had problems. others, the car falls apart in weeks.. but don't let it go too long.

one of the first signs of a blown boot is that your wheel will be completely covered in grease, oozing out from the holes between the spokes. black, nasty mess.

when the axles start clicking on you, they're trash. throw them away. (actually trade them in. remanufactures axles are about $70 at a local parts store, and they charge you a $50-80 core charge, which they refund when you return your old axle).


If you've got the tools, then it's actually a fairly easy DIY job. take about 2-3 hours per axle if you haven't done one before. I can do both sides in under an hour now..

 

thanks matt
looks like i get to do more work than just my cai
im sure ill be askin some more questions sooon cuz im pretty retarded with a lot of stuff
but thanks for helpin me out

 

I got the bearing at Autozone. Pretty easy to do you just have to take the hub to a machine shop and have the old bearing pressed out and the new one pressed in! Then you just put everything back together!

 

well if you have to take the hub to someone else then it's really not a DIY ya know? if you want it to be a DIY then you need to have a press at home.

 

thanks for the info matt, but yes i tried to search (cv is a hard to search for) and there isnt much info on it, i was looking for something more definitve, and you provided, thanks again

Chris

 

quick question guys???? i just bought my axle last night for the left side and i was wonderin' since it can be a DIY job, does the old axle slip right out of do u have to like press it in or somethin with a special tool?? does the new one slide right in??? after u put in the new axle all u have to do is jut put back the big nut in place with the safety pin and thats it right???

 

So are prices basically the same everywere for CV joints and axle assebbly? This may be a dumb question, but are there performance ones that can take abuse, or is it they just get old after 150k.

 

I never said anything about searching... I was jsut commenting on the fact there were half a dozen newbies trying to talk about something they don't understand like they know what it is...

 

Yes, the axle is a DIY thing..

here's the instructions.
http://www.ee.utulsa.edu/~mblehm/faq...t%20change.txt

Booner, yeah.. prices are pretty much the same. should run you 50-80 each for remanufactured ones. arond 120 for a new one. (reman are just as good at this point)

 

i've seen so called higher performance ones. but keep in mind unless you're putting down massive HPs and torque numbers they are pretty much a waste of money. if u snap your axle then yeah...getting a stronger/hi-po axle may be in order.