outer cv joint removal

[s2driveruk]

car is testing my patience this week, latest little issue is that the cv joint on the nearside front will not part company with the driveshaft. I don't remember this issue when i changed one last year, wind in the driveshaft bolt and it popped off. This time it will not budge so presume the circlip is putting up plenty of resistance.

Any tips...I attempted to t**t it with a hammer as per the Haynes procedure but so far it doesn't even look remotely like it will pop off.

With crazy parts costs, annoying jobs and things like this, I am beginning to resent the bloody thing and wish i had something which didn't need me to get under it for hours and chase my tail sourcing parts

[andy10v]

I normally just screw in the bolt and it pops off, a gentle wobble as you screw the bolt in to make sure its going straight. Sometimes they are really tight, really have to wind it and it comes off with a bang!

You can remove the whole axle and clamp it in a vice to knock the cv off.

Could also try a puller on it.

Similar issue

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26702&highlight=cv+joint

It will be worth it once its done, I feel your pain though.

[s2driveruk]

Cheers Andy, I was giving it over 150nm torque on the bolt and it still didn't want to know, wierd, the last one popped with fairly light effort, this one i was thinking about damaging the gearbox! I'll try again tomorrow when blood pressure has returned to nomal

[andy10v]

That does sound tighter than normal! What about winding the bolt up to preload it, then hit it with the hammer? It might shock it loose

[s2driveruk]

yeah that sounds like a good call...will give it a go and see if it releases that way

[SteveH]

Whack it with a plastic mallet. They come off, but you have to give them a proper whack.

[5cylinderman]

On a previous occasion I have the same problem. I turned an old CV bolt to a tapered end in my lathe to locate in the dimple in the centre of the shaft. It worked first time. I reckon the first bolt I used wasn't pushing the shaft squarely and centrally out of the CV.

[s2driveruk]

yep that makes sense, it did lock out the joint so i was expecting it to suddenly give up its grip so I think it was square but not 100% sure.

[StickyWickett]

Had a similar problem with my avant, turned out somehow the retaining clip decided to try to come off with the joint and ended up extruding it between the splines into a weird paper-thin gear shaped ring.

That was with the bolt method using a big half inch breaker bar.

[Error404]

They are really hard to get off sometimes, I find often someone has reused the retaining clip and they hang up on the splines.

[s2driveruk]

I have taken to driveshaft off the car guess what still no sign of this coming off...need to get the car working for tomorrow morning...and genial beer earning thoughts????

[andy10v]

Can you sit the CV joint on top of the vice jaws with the shaft hanging through (jaws not tight on the shaft, just supporting the back of the cv joint), put a punch through the cv joint onto the ends of the shaft whallop it?

[AndyP]

Did you get it off? If not try heat

[s2driveruk]

so, after more that 3 hrs of dicking about trying to get the cv off, i finally managed it

this will give some idea of the force required to get it off:



Basically, after hitting the spider with to be fair massive blows to see nothing move at all, i was almost resigned to having to go to a garage but decided to try putting a caphead in so that it hit the end of the drive shaft, slot back on the joint the driveshaft bolt and started to torque it up, when i finally couldn't turn the torque wrench up any further (over 100nm), i then smacked the back of the spider again and it finally gave in.

Oddly had almost as much fun getting the new one back on

Thanks for the suggestions...closest i have been to throwing the towel in on the car!!!

[DJones]

so, after more that 3 hrs of dicking about trying to get the cv off, i finally managed it

this will give some idea of the force required to get it off:



Basically, after hitting the spider with to be fair massive blows to see nothing move at all, i was almost resigned to having to go to a garage but decided to try putting a caphead in so that it hit the end of the drive shaft, slot back on the joint the driveshaft bolt and started to torque it up, when i finally couldn't turn the torque wrench up any further (over 100nm), i then smacked the back of the spider again and it finally gave in.

Oddly had almost as much fun getting the new one back on

Thanks for the suggestions...closest i have been to throwing the towel in on the car!!!

David,

Bit late but you should have called I've a press that would have shifted it..

Darren.