Hey guys, I just want to know if anyone on here have ever tried rebuilding a CV Joint - Axle?

here is my previous post about my axle..
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=3&i=115690&t=115685#115690



My DRIVER side axle boot is torn and now bearing inside is no good anymore.

So I can just tear the boot off and remove those bearings. Then replace those bearings from my extra PASS. side axle that I happen to have laying around here. I have no need for it.

I can always tear it apart and use those good bearings and put them over to my blown DRIVER axle.

I already have those aftermarket boots which I got from The Drive Shaft Shop - (driveshaftshop.com) here that I plan on using.


The reason is that my boots wont tear easily again. Those must be really good and durable. Cuz its thick, flexible and rubberish. Unlike our stock plastic boots.

The whole point of that is I dont think I should waste some money on a brand new or used axle. Because I will HAVE to tear those plastic stock boots and use the new rubber ones, no matter what!

Please tip in, if any of you have some experience. Or I'll have to find out myself by tearing those apart and figure it out.

What are you asking? Has anyone ever rebuilt a CV? Yes, I have for one.
You don't have to destroy anything to take the apart (although it's easier that way).
Use plenty of bearing grease, but not so much that it comes back out later. Snap ring pliers make getting the joint off the intermediate shaft much easier.
Feel free to ask any other specific questions.

How hard is it to remove the bearings?

Other than that, I guess thats all I want to know, thanks!

Getting that damn snap ring out is a b*tch. Once it's out though the rest is fairly easy. On the outboard side just spin the race sideways and pop out each of the 6 bearings until they're all out, then the race pops right out. The inboard side pretty much pulls out and almost falls apart. This is all once you have the boots off.

well Art(mr. suspension) told me that you can buy a complete rebuilt half-shaft for about 15 dollars less than a rebuild kit. so instead of rebuilding the cv joint, jsut replace the entire half shaft



My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again

^^ What is a key word for that part? CV Joint? Which is facing on spindles. That will be great if I can get that part!!

So I can ask around at parts store locally.


As for snapping off those boot rings, I'll just use a chisel or flat head screwdriver with a hammer. Shouldnt be a problem.

Thanks guys so far!

I've rebuilt plenty of CVs, but its always easier to just put in a new axle (halfshaft). FWD axles are called halfshafts, since they are essentially half the axle shaft on either side of the transaxle. A parts store half shaft will come with both inner and outer CVs, as well as the axle itself.

I've never done it on a cavi, but I've done lots and lots of torn boots on VW's you have to remove the entire outer CV joint to change the boot, if its off I don't see any problems with throwing a new joint on while its apart, even if it is from the other side they all attach the same and work the same. Just a quick side by side visual but I'd give it a shot

You rarely need a whole rebuild kit. I guess it would depend on why you want to rebuild them in the first place.
Cavi is probably very similar to a VW, CV has to come off before you can get the boot off.

i did an outer cv in my cavi, not too hard at all, had it all apart and cleaned everything up then realized there was nothing wrong other then a torn boot so i put a new boot on and its been good for the last year and a half

^^^ that reminds me

I've done a ton of outer boots, just a couple inber boots, and I've only 1 time ever seen a CV joint go bad, and that was on Rolling Death (my 86 Jetta with 245,000+ miles on it)