cv joint help needed (1 Viewer)

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semlin

curmudgeon
Joined
Mar 27, 2003
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Location
north of 49
Sad story guys :-[- major advice needed. &nbsp:Driving home last night as I’m turning and I get a slight metallic clunking noise. This morning as I’m turning it’s way worse and I no longer have full lock. I creep into an alignment shop and they tell me my driver’s side axle is broken and I need a new cv joint. Apparently there is no lube in there and the passenger side is also almost dry. &nbsp:D-S is so dry its rusty. A new cv from Toyota is $700CDN plus $250 labour. To do the seals on that side is an extra $250. The other side is apparently silent and has some lube so not sure if they need to tear it down too.

Trouble is I paid to have all the diff and axle fluids changed at the beginning of January. Just called the mechanic who did it. At first he can’t remember if he topped up the axles but then he's sure he did. There is no goop leaked out where I park. The alignment guy says the seals are dry.

Any chance mechanic if did lube it that the lube leaked or burned off in two months? He's saying it could be from being immersed in water or the shaft could have been bad to begin with. I've convinced him to talk to the alignment shop. Of course they want the work so they're not much help so far.

Any suggestions on whether I should stick with OEM here or a good source for used? I can get a used cv from cruiserparts.net for $350CDN but I’ll have to wait two weeks for it.

Also, while I’m in there what else should I be servicing, renewing?
 
Other than what was mentioned on the 80's list, don't really have any other adv for ya.

Between Christo, GC, Dazza and crew, you get some pretty dang (see folks, I'm trying to clean up nicely) good advice. Anything I'd add ain't in their league.
 
Thanks Junk, I could have used your advice on how to abuse the mechanic but I'm more at peace now. I did double post :-[ this one on both sites as I seemed to be under the gun this morning to make a decision from the mechanics and I just felt like sharing the joy of an OEM parts quote from Toyota. 80scool came through while we were all discussing Eric's seat cover fetish over here ::).

For the rest of youse guys who don't read 80scool, the bottom line is repack your birfields or face my fate!

Folks over there believe adding grease through the fill plug on the axle knuckle does not get grease to the cv anyway -- you must repack and replace the seals as preventative maintenance.

I still want to know where the grease the mechanic said he put in went with the outer seals dry, but since the diff is overfilled and green, maybe it all seeped thataway. Whatever. I can only complain so loudly about useless grease he may or may not have added. Plus this way I found out I've got water in my diff since January so that breather extensions are going in before any more wheeling. Most I've had the axles underwater is maybe 5 seconds at a time, but that's apparently enough.

Anyway, I've chalked it all up to experience. I am basically out the cost of the new cv joint since the labour can be doubled up for the regularly scheduled maintenance that has now been scheduled for me just before my taxes are due :mad:. I'm replacing inner and outer seals on both sides (all OEM) and repacking or replacing all bearings as needed. I found an aftermarket for $190CDN from an offroad store here. They swear no problems with the brand (Fenco) and I just can't afford the hit for OEM at 3.5 x the price.

oh well, now I can take the train home.
 
Not much help to you now but I found a place here in Salt Lake City that will reman the existing birfs with a slghtly heavier cage for 140 a peice I have to admit I got the idea form Ben Christo's he adv there was a place in denver who would do it so I figured there was probably a place in my locality. Luckily this is a vendor I use frequently at my job so I get a 25% discount and I know they will do it right.
Dave
 
Simon,

Sorry to hear of your troubles. You certainly have been tourtured recently. Am I to understand that one of your knuckles was completely dry? That usually does not happen in a few weeks time. You should have had some warning of this, such as an accumulation of grease on the back of the ball, or perhaps an odor of 90 weight wafting up from the front axle.

A "dry" knuckle puzzles me. Usually the inner seal fails and washes all of the grease out. This results in a chocolate mess on the back of the ball and that "dead dinosaur" odor of gear oil.

Most service shops have no idea about the plug in the knuckle, or what they should do about it. I suspect that the last time the knuckles were torn down and packed, they were under-greased.........
 

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