Paging auto experts (CV joint related)

[bagtagley]

I had a wonderful surprise while putting new rotors on my car today. No, I'm not talking about having the car apart and finding out the jackass gave me the wrong brake pads, but that was definitely a nice surprise. What I'm referring to is taking the driver side wheel off and seeing grease coating everything. I knew right away what it was, and a quick look at the CV boot confirmed my suspicions.

I'm going get a shop to do the work, simply because I don't have time. However, I have a couple questions. First, I noticed a popping sounds about a week ago which I figured was the CV joint. Is there any chance, after having driven about 400 miles since then, that I can just replace the boot and be okay? Is there any way to tell how much damage has been done? Secondly, assuming that the thing is toast, how long can I safely drive the car? At the very least, I need to get back up to school (160 miles). Any problems with that?

Edit: Any reason not to go with a remanufactured part?

[El Chupacabra]

If you've got popping noises, the CV joint itself is probably toast already.

However, if you want to try, you can clean out any dirt/grit that's in the joint, repack with grease, and install a replacement boot over the old joint. Parts stores carry split boot CV joint boots that allow you to replace the boot only, on the car (no need to pull the CV joint assembly). I did this once, years ago, on a car where I noticed the boot cracking but before there were any other symptoms like popping noises. It held up fine for several years, until we sold the car.

-Karl

[Shin-to-Win]

If it's not pulling while driving in a straight line, you should be able to get it back to school, be careful of how much you turn the wheel and don't do any u-turns. You can try the new boot option, but it takes only slightly less time than installing a reman axle. If you heard a pop or experience any kind of sounds when the wheel is turned, the joint is toast.

For most cars, you can buy a remanufactured axle with two new CV joints stuck onto an old axle. Onlt the axle is old, the joints are always new. That is by far the easiest option and only slightly more expensive than replacing just the outer joint. If a shop is doing the work, it is probably cheaper to replace the axle, since the R&R on the joint is an extra 1/3 to 1/2 hr.

What kind of car?

[Parvo Pup]

CV joint makes noise - the splines have been ground by dirt and road crud - they are history.

Split boot - would probably work for your return trip IF you clean the joint first - blast it with a couple cans of WD40 and repack with axle grease before installing the temporary split boot.

CV Joint replacement - check with NAPA Auto - depending on your car - a new unit and boot kit (with core trade) will run between $40 and $80.

Swaps on newer (1990's and up) cars are usually pretty straight forward.

Wheel comes off, rotor and caliper assembly comes off (support with some kind of jack so you don't strain the brake lines). At this point - you will remove the actual hub from the axle end to expose the head of the CV joint. The CV joint has a cogged rod that fits inside of the axle and engages a keeper gear within. The joint you see is but one end of the actual CV unit.

Most times - the CV will only have been "held" in place by the hub - so you can just pull it straight out of the axle. Grease up the new unit - slide back into the axle housing carefully so as to engage the internal splines without jamming them. Re assemble everything and away you go.

Cheap tip - go to an Auto parts store on a busy day and just "Free Read" through the Chilton repair manual for your car on the CV removal particulars. Better yet - spend the 20 bucks for the next time you need to self-repair.

[mmmthmtskier]

I've done a boot replacement and an axle replacement, and the axle replacement is the easiest and safest bet, all-around. Slopping your hands with axle grease was the messiest experience of my DIY car care history, one that won't be repeated! There are many forum sites for cars with excellent tips on your particular make and model. Each car has its own peculiarities, do a little research to see if it's best to have a shop do it or if you can tackle it yourself. If you have some experience with working on cars, I think you could handle it. A good manual is a must. Off the top of my head, the one tool you might not have for the job is a large puller(to push the axle off the brake assembly). Everything else could be borrowed or you will already have. Good luck!

[bagtagley]

Thanks for the tips

I put a split boot on to ensure a smooth ride home. There was ample grease left in the CV joint, and it was surprisingly grit free. However, the fit of the boot is suspect, so I don't trust it for more than a few weeks.

I agree that if I'm getting the hub assembly pulled, I might as well get the whole thing replaced, rather than just the boot. It also looks like a whole axle assembly is my only choice, as CV replacements are not available for this car. However, at $65 for the whole get-up, it's not a big deal.

I'd definitely do this myself if I wasn't at school. Unfortunately all my tools are back home, and I won't be able to go back for a while. I know a guy that runs a good shop up here, and labor for this is minimal, so I don't mind getting it done.