The cv thread lives on!

What I'm wondering now is: what methods are acceptable for cleaning up
my axles before putting the new joints on?  Is sandpaper a bad idea for
some reason?

Thanks again, guys,
Wes

Sudhir Desai wrote:
> hehehehe~ true.
> I never think about those things.
>
> I think the only things not fun about working on the van are the
> engine, transmission disassembly, and replacing coolant.
>
> Sudhir
>
> On 3/5/06, Mike Collum <collum@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> Shouldn't your advice have stated that it was for those who have a huge
>> vat of Saab CV grease and think the procedure is fun?
>>
>> I've had my '84 since '91 and I've repacked the CVs once.  At that time
>> I swapped in one used axle (repacked, of course) because the joints on
>> the one axle were just too far gone.
>>
>> I've read that they should be done every 30,000 miles but I tend to
>> exceed that mileage with visual inspections of the boots.
>>
>> I got my '85 in 2002 and have only inspected the boots several times.  I
>> have no idea when they were last serviced, but they're not giving me any
>> problems.
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
>> Sudhir Desai wrote:
>>
>>> For that much money? Definately not.  I did it because I have a huge
>>> vat of saab cv grease laying around and it was fun.
>>>
>>> ~that's pretty bad to pay almost $1000 to get em done. :(
>>>
>>> Sudhir
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/5/06, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Would you still do this if you had to pay $150-$200 for it? Shop labor
>>>> here is now ~ $85/hour. Plus taxes. Is this frequency really value
>>>> added.
>>>>
>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Sudhir Desai [mailto:sudhir.desai@gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 9:32 AM
>>>> To: Dennis Haynes
>>>> Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>>>> Subject: Re: (rear) cv joint
>>>>
>>>> why not?
>>>> I did it with my red 'n white van.  sure, it might have been overkill,
>>>> but I never had a cv "go bad" on me.
>>>>
>>>> On 3/5/06, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Annual CV joint inspections! Please stop! The real trick to CV joint
>>>>> life is using the proper lubricant. Shortly after the Vanagon got the
>>>>>
>>>> WB
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> engine CV joint noises where becoming a common problem. Around '86, VW
>>>>> changed the grease to some higher temperature formulae. This
>>>>>
>>>> eliminated
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> the problem. The grease that is supplied in all of the aftermarket
>>>>>
>>>> kits,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> (blue tube) is the older grease. If you get the kits from the dealer,
>>>>> you get the later grease (white tube). Also, for the front outer
>>>>>
>>>> joints
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> the dealer kits have the correct high strength, longer locking nut.
>>>>>
>>>>> Dennis
>>>>> 1987 Syncro Westy
>>>>> FUN BUS
>>>>> 235,600 miles original CV joints and engine.
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>>>>
>>>> Behalf
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Of Sudhir Desai
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 7:31 PM
>>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>> Subject: Re: (rear) cv joint
>>>>>
>>>>> When I was at skip barber, we rebuilt the cv's in all the cars at
>>>>> regular intervals as they were rotated in and out of service.  What I
>>>>> remember most was the scrap pile that contained mountains of junk cv's
>>>>> that had very little wrong with them whatsoever (the small grooves you
>>>>> mentioned would have been cause to junk the entire assembly).  That's
>>>>> on heavy usage racecars, so there's not exactly a 1-1 correlation, but
>>>>> I would recommend purchasing a new set of 4 and then getting to know
>>>>> them better by rebuilding them once a year.  :D
>>>>>
>>>>> my $.02
>>>>>
>>>>> Sudhir
>>>>>
>>>>> On 3/4/06, Wesley Pegden <wes@cs.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks for all the replies and help!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here's the damage report.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have all joints out and pretty well cleaned up.  None of them are
>>>>>> perfect: two of them have shallow grooves in the outer ring, but no
>>>>>> pitting.  Is this cause for replacement?  (If so, I need to replace
>>>>>>
>>>>> all
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> 4).  The joints weren't making noise while on the car, and off the
>>>>>>
>>>> car
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> in my hand, they felt good and smooth.  The grooves average perhaps
>>>>>>
>>>>> 1cm
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> long and 1mm wide, and they're not very deep... some are easier to
>>>>>>
>>>> see
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> than to feel, and some are easier to feel than to see.  But then
>>>>>>
>>>>> again,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> some tracks on the outer piece have 2 or 3 of these (usually in
>>>>>>
>>>>> parallel).
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> One of the joints has a ball with a little nick on one of the balls,
>>>>>>
>>>>> and
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> a little bit of pitting in some of the tracks of the outer ring (in
>>>>>> addition to the grooves)---I guess I'm thinking I need to replace
>>>>>>
>>>> this
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> one.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Finally, the last one has slight pitting on several of the balls,
>>>>>>
>>>> some
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> wider grooves on the outer piece (one almost a cm wide), and
>>>>>>
>>>>> significant
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> pitting in one of the tracks on the inner piece.  I guess I'm
>>>>>>
>>>> thinking
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> need to replace this one.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So, I guess my question is... am I right that I'm best off replacing
>>>>>> these two, and is it unwise to keep the other two, whose problems
>>>>>>
>>>> are
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>> mainly grooves?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks very much,
>>>>>> Wes
>>>>>>
>>>>>> .John Rodgers wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nope!  Wear rates are diferent in each CV and that wear changes
>>>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>> specs. our fits and clearances in the mixed parts would be all out
>>>>>>>
>>>>> of
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>> whack. The mixed-and-matched CV assembly wouldn't hold up very
>>>>>>>
>>>> long
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>> and there would be ve\irtually no reliability. The thing would
>>>>>>> probably come apart and leave you stranded halfway between
>>>>>>>
>>>> Somewhere
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>> and Nowhere, USA.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> John Rodgers
>>>>>>> 88 GL Driver x2
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Wesley Pegden wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I think everything I've read has been pretty clear about this,
>>>>>>>>
>>>> but
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>> just want to check... I can't mix and match pieces from two of my
>>>>>>>> (original lobro) joints to get one good joint, right?  The
>>>>>>>>
>>>> stamping
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> on
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>> both joints is the same:
>>>>>>>> VW [logo] 211 501 331 B
>>>>>>>> LOBRO 49/83 W/GERMANY % N
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> (The percent sign is a diamond with a W in it).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Thanks very much,
>>>>>>>> Wes
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Wesley Pegden wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Let me rephrase that... does a nick in one of the balls mean
>>>>>>>>>
>>>> that
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>> JOINT needs to be replaced?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> -Wes
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Wesley Pegden wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Does a nick in one of the balls mean a new bearing is
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> required??
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Thanks...
>>>>>>>>>> -Wes
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Sam Walters wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> For excellent instructions on CV removal, cleaning and
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>> reassembly,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>> installation, check these two links.  The second expands on
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> the
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> first.
>>>>>>>>>>> Pictures and explanation of how to know you reassembled them
>>>>>>>>>>> correctly.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> http://volksweb.relitech.com/cvjoints.htm    Tom Carrington's
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>> web
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> site
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> and Ben Huot's additions to this at
>>>>>>>>>>> http://www.benplace.com/cv_joint_maintenance.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>>>> Sam Walters
>>>>>>>>>>> Baltimore, MD
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> 89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside
>>>>>>>>>>> 85 Westy Weekender
>>>>>>>>>>> 85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> powered
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> All incoming and outgoing email scanned by
>>>>>>>>>>> automatically updated copy of Norton AntiVirus.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>
>