Replacing CV joint - help and advice please!

[The Red Baron]

I need to remove and replace a drive shaft CV joint after the gaitor split.

Is it merely undoing the hex bolts on each of the CV joints to remove the drive shaft and then taking the CV joint off the drive shaft? Or is it more involved?

Does the drive shaft simply push into the CV joint on it's spline, or is it attached somehow?

From what I can make out I don't need to remove the hub or touch any of the suspension bits, so can I get away without a geo set-up afterwards?

Does anyone know the torque setting for the CV hex bolts? What grease would people recommend for packing the CV joint boot? The 'bible' says use 85g, is that right?

I appreciate anyone's help and advice.

Cheers.

[livinblokey]

You will need a pair of circlip pliers that open outwards to remove the cv joint, best to mark it before removal so you can put it back on the same spline.

I replaced both boots at the same time because you can slide them both on from one end.

Got them delivered from clevor trevor, all four for 56 quid, also came supplied with grease and clips.

If you use about 4 extension bars on the ratchet its easier to work from outside the wheel arch to remove the diff end hex bolts.

[steve-V8s]

I need to do this job as well. Can you get the assembled drive shaft out without swinging the upright down ? I think that what whet the OP was getting at.

[spend]

Yes the CV's slide to compress the assembly and you can jiggle it out (as long as the car is high enough IIRC)

Just leave 2 bolts in at each end until the last so that you can still turn the shaft to undo all the bolts in turn, then rotate the shaft so that the last 2 can be removed without having to rotate (for access) IYSWIM

[steve-V8s]

Thanks for that. Is it not the case that almost every bit you want to take off a Griff requires it to be Jiggled about a bit. Good tip about leaving two bolts each end.

[The Red Baron]

Yes - all good advice. Had a closer look at the CV joint kit I'd got and it comes with gaitor, clips and a 90g tube of grease, so I'll use that lot.

I'm going in from underneath, so I'm hoping access to the hex bolts on the diff will be ok.

I think the technique of taking lots of photos before and during will be helpful.

[The Red Baron]

Yes - all good advice. Had a closer look at the CV joint kit I'd got and it comes with gaitor, clips and a 90g tube of grease, so I'll use that lot.

I'm going in from underneath, so I'm hoping access to the hex bolts on the diff will be ok.

I think the technique of taking lots of photos before and during will be helpful.

[The Red Baron]

After finding a CV boot had split and then some eagle-eyed chap on PH pointing out that there was a bolt missing I'm replacing the CV joint and boot.



I've got it all undone, but have now found the reason the bolt was missing was because it had sheared off! The remains of the bolt are buried in it's hole in the diff.

How do I get this out? I've been reading that the ezi-out extractors won't put up with much torque. The rest of the bolts were very tight and took lots of torque to get undone, so I don't think this is going to work.

Any ideas chaps?

[eff eff]

An ezi-out should work, the bolt head is gone so you don't have to overcome the clamping force, any resistance to removing the remaining bit will from the thread. As long as its not siezed by corrosion it should come out. Lots of penetrating oil and keep the ezi-out hole centred in the broken bit, if the ezi-out doesn't get it increase the drill size to tapping drill size and try collapsing what's left into the drilled hole.

[rigga]

Have you removed the drive shaft to access the broken bolt? the reason i ask is that the tightness when undoing bolts is due to the head of the bolt being tightened against the body of whatever its butted up against,as the head has been sheard off you might find that the actual threaded part of the bolt is not that tight in the hole,done many cylinder head bolts when the head has sheared off,removed the head and the rest of the bolt was finger tight..... if this not the case,and the threaded part itself is solid,then an easy out and some external heat on the hub body to expand it a tad might be your best option.

[steve-V8s]

Easy Outs are not in my experience all that easy, particularly when they snap off and you end up with a really hard piece of metal stuck in the thing that is stuck. I guess you have already tried this but having sprayed lots of penetrating oil in the thread can you get a nice sharp centre punch towards the edge of the sheared off bolt and encourage it to turn with a few gentle taps from you favourite hammer. If not I guess you will be drilling it out, but that may be best done with the Diff out of the car.