CV Joint Removal Question

73hightop · Post by **73hightop** » Sun Apr 13, 2008 7:03 am

I am not very mechanically inclined but have been learning since getting my bus 2 years ago. Well anyway I need to change the boots on my CV joints. I think I can tackle this but I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction to locate the tool/press thing to remove the joints from the shaft. It shows something in the Bentley to remove them but I am unsure what it is. Also I ordered new boots before discovering this site and learning about the Lobro boots. Bus Depot has already sent me a brand not listed in the junk/acceptable pages. The brand is Meistersatz. Are these junk?
Thanks for any help

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:10 am

Mine slid right off with a litle cleaning, penetrant and some gentle nudging with a rubber mallet....the first time.

The second time I did this job I used a block of wood with a notch cut out to slide over the axle and I just yanked on the thing. This block of wood was handy for the install as well.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:36 am

73hightop wrote:I am not very mechanically inclined but have been learning since getting my bus 2 years ago. Well anyway I need to change the boots on my CV joints. I think I can tackle this but I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction to locate the tool/press thing to remove the joints from the shaft. It shows something in the Bentley to remove them but I am unsure what it is. Also I ordered new boots before discovering this site and learning about the Lobro boots. Bus Depot has already sent me a brand not listed in the junk/acceptable pages. The brand is Meistersatz. Are these junk?
Thanks for any help

I rent a two-jaw puller from AutoZone (it is actually a free loan) to pull the stubborn ones. If you accidentally mushroom the splines on the end of the axle shaft with an errant blow, you will be grinding and filing all the splines until the next ice age.
Colin

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:46 am

Good point on the AZ..I have used their free loan service as well.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:01 am

Do the joints have to come off the shaft for a grease repack?

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:34 am

I don't think so, or at least I didn't do it that way. I just made sure that the moly grease was covering every surface as well as I could. It is hard to inspect the joint for pitting/blueing if you don't take them apart tho.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:47 am

Thanks. I gotta do it SOON, within the next month.
Anyone up fer a little PARTY at my house??? Free beer..

Westy78 · Post by **Westy78** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:53 pm

Hammy I have a puller or two like the one Colin described. Pulled off the CV's like butta when I repacked mine. Let me know if you want a hand. It does make cleaning the joints a little easier.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:44 pm

Thank you, I will definately take you up on it, sometime soon if the weather ever breaks and after you get your bus rollin again.

ruckman101 · Post by **ruckman101** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 6:56 pm

Westy78 wrote:Hammy I have a puller or two like the one Colin described. Pulled off the CV's like butta when I repacked mine. Let me know if you want a hand. It does make cleaning the joints a little easier.

Me too, me too!

I have one axle off. I go slow, I know, especially the first time.

neal

Bookwus · Post by **Bookwus** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:20 pm

Hiya All,

This has to be the single dirtiest job in all VW land. Not very difficult at all from a technical standpoint. Just have to make sure that the CV joints are put back together correctly.

I have found that a piece of plastic wrap is an indispensible aid (for me anyway) to forcing the grease into the joint AND keeping that black gooey stuff offa my hands, pants, shirt, hair, living room rug and all the other places it can wind up.

satchmo · Post by **satchmo** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:38 pm

73hightop wrote:I am not very mechanically inclined but have been learning since getting my bus 2 years ago. Well anyway I need to change the boots on my CV joints. I think I can tackle this but I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction to locate the tool/press thing to remove the joints from the shaft. It shows something in the Bentley to remove them but I am unsure what it is. Also I ordered new boots before discovering this site and learning about the Lobro boots. Bus Depot has already sent me a brand not listed in the junk/acceptable pages. The brand is Meistersatz. Are these junk?
Thanks for any help

Nobody answered your question about the boots you have. I think they are the same as the ones I put on several years ago (got em from Bus Depot) and mine still look good. I would give them a try and keep a close eye on them.

If you received a little packet of grease with your boots you need to know that the amount in the packet is not enough to do the job completely. Get some more moly grease labeled EP (for Extreme Pressure) and put some extra grease in the boot so you can squeeze some more into the joint after the install and after several hundred miles.

Type2.com has an excellent pictorial on CV joint servicing. Take a look in the Library there.

Good Luck, Tim

bean5446 · Post by **bean5446** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:40 pm

I was just reading and writing about CV service on the vanagon list. I love doing it. Big, heavy metal parts, cool piece of engineering and I can do everything in my power to keep that part in good shape instead of becoming scrap. When I do eventually replace them, I'm cleaning one and keeping it on my desk to fiddle with.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:55 pm

bean5446 wrote:cool piece of engineering

Definitely. I am still amazed that 6 little balls drive your VW down the road fully laden up hills and hour after hour on the freeway. Mine are original and looking gawd awful pitted and blued and loose and clacky but they are well greased (with Valvoline semi-synthetic molybdenum disulfide grease and still-good Lobro boots at 125,000 + miles) and I shall keep them until they fail outright.
Colin

Jaffa · Post by **Jaffa** » Tue May 12, 2009 9:13 pm

I'm with you on that one Colin. Removed mine after hearing a regular clacking noise. Found that ALL the grease was dried out and not on the balls. Original 1973 Lobro joints, some mild pitting and blueing. But now they are greased up correctly I have no slop and no noises.

I was a real novice when I did this but found a really good article on the VanCafe website. This mentioned swapping the half shafts so the rotate in the opposite direction with the balls in different positions effectively on "new" surfaces. Seemed to work OK.

Craig

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