Quick CV boot replacement question

[Caddyman]

I read through this post; search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keyw ... t&start=15
but I still was wondering about a few things.

I have a boot kit just like this one to reboot my caddy. http://www.autohausaz.com/search/imagee ... 98201D.jpg



I have a few questions;
Does the inner boot kit not normally come with clamps or straps?
Why is there two cupped / dished washers (one internally serrated, one not)?
What is the order of reassembly? clamp (if I had one), boot, cupped / dished washer (which way and which one?), tap the CV joint into place with a socket, then circlip?

Thank you in advance.

[zman]

I have never done that job but I would say after the boot is fitted the washer with the teeth goes on second dish up direction and the washer without teeth is under the retaining clip dish down. For the clamp just use a zip tie snug,not tight.
Thats just from what I have heard though, I usually buy complete axles.

[82vdub]

According to my Bentley manual, the assembly is in this order:

Axle shaft
boot
dished washer
inner CV joint
circlip

The dished washer goes with the dish portion towards the end of the axle shaft (concave facing the end of the shaft). I don't know why there's two washers, but maybe the CV kit fits many different shaft sizes, and one has to use a grooved washer to fit. I'd use the one without if it fits properly.

I think the last time I've done an inner CV it didn't come with a clamp. I think I just used an aligator clamp on it. Since the inner CV is so close to the transmission, any unbalanced weight on the shaft isn't going to have as much of an effect on the inner joint that it would on the outer joint, since the iner joint is not at the end of suspension travel. Ironically, the exploded view in the Bentley doesn't show a clamp on the inner CV boot, but shows both on the outer boot. Maybe it's not needed and you can use a zip tie as zman suggested instead of my aligator clamp method.

I've serviced my CV joints many times over the years. If you're not careful when cleaning them, you may bend the joint far enough to get a ball to fall out, and then (for me anyways), it's hell getting the ball back in and correctly. I've even assembled a CV joint back together incorrectly, where it was stiff and wouldn't flex. Took probably 45 minutes of messing with it trying to figure out how to get the thing to flex so I could get it back apart, then all of a sudden it comes apart without me having a clue what I did or why. So, if this happens, there is a specific way to put them back together so this doesn't happen. I have a Bentley, and I've never been able to correctly figure out what way I'm supposed to line things up so it goes back together properly.

[Caddyman]

Thanks for the input guys.

I assembled everything back the way the Bentley manual says. With the exception I used a hose zip tie for the boot. Good suggestion zman, but I beat you to the punch (I had already put one on). I just have to assemble the joint now and install. Like you, 82vdub, I too assembled the joint together incorrectly the first time and the joint would not flex at all. I then looked and the joint has two different ODs on either side so it can only fit one way. Makes sense because it has to fit into the output shaft. Thanks again.

[Fatmobile]

Sometimes when you go to put the c-clip on; it won't go.
The CV won't go on far enough,
not enough of the slot sticks out for the clip to fit in.

If this happens, don't fight it.
Pull it back off,
take the dished washer and file the high spots on both sides.
This makes it a little thinner, doesn't take much.

[Caddyman]

82vdub, you're not kidding. I thought it was easy to put back together but I've done it 4 different ways and it still won't flex.

This may be the problem; is the main inner "gear" supposed to have the flat boss down or up?

[82vdub]

There's a proper procedure listed in the Bentley manual (that I don't have at the moment) and I've never been able to fully understand what to align where either as listed in the Bentley.

[Caddyman]

82vdub,

I finally figured the reassembly process out. I reassembled it two or three more times with no luck so I decided to cut the other boot off and look at it. After I cut clamps and boot off I removed the boot and started wiping off the grease. During this process I remembered one arrangement I hadn't tried yet and it worked. See what you think of the procedure.

I still have one question though. Like we were talking about earlier, I have two cupped washers, one is internally serrated one is not. If I put the plain cupped washer on the ID is large enough to go all the way past the second groove all the way to the boot. If I use the serrated cupped washer it is retained right after the second groove. I assume I need to use the serrated washer?

So here is the procedure.



CV joint reassembly procedure.

1. First disassemble everything and clean all the parts in a parts washer or use brake cleaner.
2. Inspect the cross/gear, steel balls, and the cage.
3. If you see surface pitting and/or delaminating, stop and replace the half shaft or the joint (surface pitting/delaminating is an indicator of immediate complete gear/cross failure).
4. Install CV boot and cap with enough clearance to work with the CV joint.
3. Install race onto cross/gear (you can't install it after you put it on the driveshaft).
5. Install dished washer, dished down or dished towards the outer CV joint.
6. Install cross/gear & cage assembly fully against the dished washer with a hammer and a socket large enough to clear the driveshaft (cross/gear has a tapered bore so it can only be installed one way).
7. With the cross/gear installed fully, install the circlip (snap ring).
8. Take a look at the housing. It has a large OD and a smaller OD. Large OD is the boot side and small OD is the transaxle output shaft side.
9. Put the old axle nut on the outer CV joint threads and stand it on end.
10. Now look at the cross/gear. You will notice wide gaps and narrow gaps where they are machined on the OD/circumference face. Also with the housing right side up you will notice the same pattern. In order for the CV joint in question to flex you will have to match up the patterns to their opposite (i.e. cross/gear narrow is lined up with a housing wide). See Picture "Step 10".
11. After you have the proper alignment rotate the cage up and the housing down and start dropping in the steel balls. Keep in mind you will have to put in the steel balls from both sides.
12. Lube up the steel balls, cage, cross/gear, and inner housing using all the grease supplied with the kit from both sides of the joint.
13. Pull the small end of the CV boot up to the grooved section (I zip tie this end, even though the kit doesn't come with a clamp) on the driveshaft and line up the cap holes with the housing holes and you are ready to bolt the CV half shaft back into place.

[Caddyman]

Need some more help guys. Like I said in my last post I took my outer boot off to see in the hope of finding out how to assemble the inner. Well now I can't figure out how to get the outer together. What I'm having trouble with is the cage and the steel balls. Which way does the cage go (it's different on each side) and how do I get it put together? Also, what is all the parts for? I understand the boot, grease, clamps, plastic cone washer, and the dished washer but what about the 2 weird snap rings? I think the tension snap ring goes to the lower groove to prevent the dished washer from going past the groove? Thanks.

Here's a picture;

[joat]

the open snap ring goes on the end of the shaft before you shove it into the outer joint (which is hidden after assembly) It holds the joint together...

the other clip is for another application.

[Fatmobile]

Yeah, both those clips hold the CV on,
the other one is for early axles, with the clip on CVs.

[Caddyman]

Hey guys thanks for all the help.

I've got the order down on how to reassemble now. But, I still can't get the steel balls assembled with the cage in the joint. Anybody know how to do this? Help!

[Fatmobile]

Put in 2 opposite balls.
Then tip it up and put 2 in one side,
then tip it the other way and slip the other 2 in.

[Caddyman]

Put in 2 opposite balls.
Then tip it up and put 2 in one side,
then tip it the other way and slip the other 2 in.

Sorry to bother you one more time. I still can't get the joint assembled. I can get the cross into the cage and I can get the cross and cage together into the housing. The problem I'm having is the cage slots and the housing slots won't line up to let the steel balls be inserted. If I was able to rotate the cage to line up with the slots it would work but the OD of the cage is too large to rotate in the ID of the housing.

[82vdub]

I've not had a good track record with trying to put CV's together in my past. I've watched you struggle with this for a while, and maybe it's time to take the parts to a repair shop and have the guy show you how it goes together. He'll probably take 10 seconds and put it together.