Itinerant Air-Cooled

In the past, Amskeptic has written about the benefits of swapping sides of CV axles. So, after 11,506 miles, I did mine like this:


I wonder if the next time I should rotate them only, keeping them at the same sides?

BellePlaine wrote: I wonder if the next time I should rotate them only, keeping them at the same sides?

You accomplish nothing by keeping them on the same of the car, even if you flip them end for end you will have the same wear patterns in the same "windward" spots on the tracks as the forces go through the axle. Only by crossing the centerline of the car do you change all the prior "windward" wear contact points to the fresh "leeward" ones, as now, the forces go through the axle in exactly the reverse.
Colin

The picture didnt quite explain the procedure and the sailing jargon only complicated it.

iF i am to do perform the famous 'Bay Bridge flip' manouver from the comfort of my driveway, then

Outer driverside ends up at ______

Outer passenger side ends up at ______

Other questions re CV axles: are early Bay and late bay interchangeable ? I notice the bolts seem to be of different length...also some of the donuts seem to have gaskets, others not...
Do the stamped numbers on the hub piece always face outwards ?

The Procedure: put the driver's side axle on the passenger side, and vice versa. It's that simple. End-for-end does not matter.

The joints are interchangeable, 68-79, as entire units, although construction details changed over the years (different ball sizes, etc.). Bolt lengths can't be very different, or
the ends would scrape on the behind-flange stuff. The joints were all the same thickness, so a bolt that worked in joint A should be fine in joint B. Some early designs of
the funny 2-hole spacer-washers are not compatible with later 1-piece boot+flange units. Nobody cares about gaskets, and I gave up on donuts thirty years ago.
Here's some CVJ lore: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=432312

dingo wrote:The picture didnt quite explain the procedure and the sailing jargon only complicated it.

Put the left on the right and the right on the left, as kreemoweet wrote.

Tack the damn bolts to the keel and raise the plank ya limey
Colin