No drive

[CovKid]

They don't HAVE to be VW bolts (around £2 each via main dealer) - just good quality high-tensile ones.

[nobbyfox]

At least yours was an easy fix. This happened to us last year on the way to Suffolk. Stranded outside Ipswich causing a large tailback!!
As you can see no teeth at all on the CV joint!

[Broadacus]

Thanks nobbyfox for the picture.
Was an easy fix if you take into account waiting in the van for one hour for the breakdown truck to arrive, whilst stuck against a kerb with the nose sticking out, on double yellow lines at a busy junction. Then stopping the traffic in the middle of Warwick for approx. 10 minutes whilst it was loaded on the back. It was then towed from my from drive to a local garage where they had to remove the hub and drill out the broken bolts and replace them, at a total cost just below £300

As this has happened to a few people on this forum, my next question is what makes it happen and what will prevent it happening in the future. My van is going back to the garage in a months time to have the other side drive shaft taken off cleaned and replaced with new bolts.

[nobbyfox]

Glad you enjoyed the photo.
We had the same symptoms. mechanical noise but not moving when clutch engaged. I thought it was clutch but RAC man confirmed the CV joint. AND it happened on a saturday afternoon so all car hire places closed and all garages shut.
Our breakdown cost considerably more as we were without our accommodation for our holiday (broke down on route to the campsite)
Had to hire one of those expensive canvas tents with all amenities included, but not worth the money at all. £100 per night!!!!

A pain.

[CovKid]

The friction washers get lost or bolts not wound up tight enough. The allen key ones are ok if tightened properly, but not quite as good at the splined ones. Don't be tempted by ones that seem a bargain unless they are highly recommended by someone you trust, but equally paying the earth for them can be foolhardy. Lots of info here though: https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ge ... nts_repair

CV bolt check should be part of servicing in my view. As a miminum, check underneath when you check your oil. Any unusual noises from underneath when putting your foot down or taking it off should be investigated. CV bolts DO give warnings before they go. Sometimes a clattering noise or slight sponginess when taking up drive is a sign that things are not right.

Outer ones, which are harder to get at tend to go - guess folk don't notice or ignore them for this reason but because its an awkward space to work in, they don't get tightened properly. Needs an extension to get at them and even then you can generally only access two at a time then have to rotate the wheel to get at the next two and so on. When bolts go, they can get bent making a roadside repair difficult or even impossible. Sometimes an angle grinder is needed.

Friction washers not always easy to get hold of when you need them. You can roughen ordinary washers with a really brutal file (not sandpaper or emery cloth) if you get stuck. In theory you could use threadlok but in reality, everything tends to be too greasy to rely on that.

In any event, the driveshafts have a LOT of work to do so crap bolts or crap joints will fail prematurely.

As this has happened to a few people on this forum, my next question is what makes it happen and what will prevent it happening in the future. My van is going back to the garage in a months time to have the other side drive shaft taken off cleaned and replaced with new bolts.