The usual cause for CV bolts breaking is re-use and improper torque. They
probably broke flush and since they were loose the holes in the flange are
worn and elongated. You will probably be able to spin them out using a sharp
punch. If the holes are messed up you will need to have the flange
re-drilled or replaced.

Yes CV do sometimes just break and I have also seen the axle ends snapped
off.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
craig cowan
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 12:40 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Broken CV Bolts

Well,
Today I managed to break off the Outer (Wheel Side) CV whilst being a
ridiculous young driver having too much fun in a parking lot....
Anyway, I had to get it towed away very quickly, and it's about an hour away
from me.....
So, I'm planning to go work on it in the next few weeks, and have no real
rush, but I didn't have much of a chance to take a look at the damage.
I did see that it is infact no longer connected to the wheel, and I can move
it around freely within the control arm. As such, the car could not move
under it's own power. So my question is this:

What are the common Failure modes here?
Do the CV's Actually break? Or just the bolts?
If the bolts sheer off, would they be left flush with the stub axle? If so,
does this require removing the Big Nut and thus the stub axle?

Any Input would be appreciated.

-Craig
'85GL turned WESTY
BOSTIG in the back