Rear CV replacement

[syncroandy]

The nuts themselves aren't expensive. In the past when rusted/fubared I've just sliced one side off close to the threads with a 1mm disc then knocked the remains off with a chisel.

[jed the spread]

Before anyone gets carried away with gas axe's and new drive shaft parts or dare I say it, the dreaded grinder you just need to do a very simple thing that will cost nothing more than a packet of posh biscuits. Wait until 12.30 when your local garage is having lunch, take your 46mm socket bit with you and drive down to the garage armed with posh biscuits and 46mm socket, take the split pin out of the castle nut and while they are eating your bribe stick the socket on the end of their windy gun and take your castle nut off (the impact action will make short work of it) and pop it back on again, pop the pin back, drive home and now the cracked nut will undo with the help of the pole.

Job done

(i only know this because Jake and I had to do it once with my doka)

jed

[lloydy]

Hoping mine are a bit easier Have been putting some plusgas on every evening to hopefully make things easier.
I've also had temptation dangled in front of me to get the trailing arms galv'd, seems worth it on a 16" due to cost/rarity of replacements, so i'm plusgassing them as well. But that hurt will go on another thread

[syklist]

Thanks for all the encouragement.

I finally got the nut off yesterday. More liquid wrench followed by heating up the nut with a gas burner a few times, before hitting the nut on all sides with a hammer. That made a lot of crud fall from the nut/driveshaft area and when I tried hanging off the long bar the nut finally started moving. Once it started moving it was easy to get off.

Looking at some threads on the JK forum it looks like I got away lightly. I also discovered that the 46mm castellated nut is no longer available in Norway, not from VW nor anyone else So I have had to order them from JK.

Now the next problem. The brake drum is rusted in place. I think the problem is between the protruding hub carrier and the circular hole in the middle of the drum. It is full of rust and so knocking the side of the drum will not produce any movement between hub carrier and drum. An hours worth of fiddling hasn't got the drum loose. So today I will take a knife and try and dislodge all the rust in the fine groove between the drum and hub carrier.

Still, I'm in no hurry seeing as it will take at least a week for the driveshaft nut to arrive (assuming all goes well)

[chuckle-bus-tom]

I'm coming in way late on this, but thought my meagre information may help someone! When I changed my CVs a few years ago, after the previous owner had done a messy gearbox change and left grit in them, I started the job with rounded off nuts. After angle grinding the gearbox side off I was left to improvise at the hub side. A trip to my auto factors yielded six 99p 12mm socket pieces that hammered snug over the CV bolts. Made light work removing them, binned the lot and used shiny new bolts from BW.

Glad I got that off my chest.

[jebiga41]

Thanks for all the encouragement.

I finally got the nut off yesterday. More liquid wrench followed by heating up the nut with a gas burner a few times, before hitting the nut on all sides with a hammer. That made a lot of crud fall from the nut/driveshaft area and when I tried hanging off the long bar the nut finally started moving. Once it started moving it was easy to get off.

Looking at some threads on the JK forum it looks like I got away lightly. I also discovered that the 46mm castellated nut is no longer available in Norway, not from VW nor anyone else So I have had to order them from JK.

Now the next problem. The brake drum is rusted in place. I think the problem is between the protruding hub carrier and the circular hole in the middle of the drum. It is full of rust and so knocking the side of the drum will not produce any movement between hub carrier and drum. An hours worth of fiddling hasn't got the drum loose. So today I will take a knife and try and dislodge all the rust in the fine groove between the drum and hub carrier.

Still, I'm in no hurry seeing as it will take at least a week for the driveshaft nut to arrive (assuming all goes well)

Glad you got the hub nut off it's all about having the right tools get yourself a fat bloke to stand on your scaffolding bar I have the same probs being light. Brickwerks do the castle nuts regards the brake drums hit the face of the drum they seem to rust on around the stub axle also you can turn the adjuster through the access hole in the back to loosen it off from memory I think it turns up but don't hold me to that hope that's of help

[syklist]

Progress! Brake drum off, and the three bolts holding the backplate put up no resistance. I have managed to get all the inner CV joint bolts off first try. Snag warning: the outer CV joint bolts are rounded and very rusty, I guess someone else tried to remove them and failed before we bought the van.

So here is the question, Jed's video shows that it is possible to take off the backplate without removing the driveshaft. Assuming this works for me, is it possible to pull the driveshaft through the trailing arm once the bearing carrier has been removed from the trailing arm? Is there sufficient clearance in the trailing arm to pull a driveshaft through with CV joint attached?

[jed the spread]

Yeh I think so, but as you have to undo the inner to take out the drive shaft you might as well just pull it down and out from where your lay on the inside.

jed

[syncropaddy]

Is there sufficient clearance in the trailing arm to pull a driveshaft through with CV joint attached?

Yes

[syklist]

Thanks to all for the advice and tips. The dismantling was actually a lot easier than I expected. The driveshaft is now off and the CV joints removed. I had to use an angle grinder to get the bolts off the outer CV joint. Both CV joints are beyond re-use, so i have ordered some new ones. My local parts shop wanted NOK 1500+ for ONE CV joint (that's about ukp 170). I ordered the CV joints from another shop in Norway at the more reasonable price of NOK 1300 for two (including postage).

It's now -15'c outside (which would be -10'c in the garage tent with the heating on) so it is a good thing that I have to wait for parts.

[PetenAli]

So have you worked out whether it was the bearings or the CVs - or both? Or have I missed a post?

Well done though - I feel a wimp because its been wet and windy over here - but minus 15C ughh

[syklist]

So have you worked out whether it was the bearings or the CVs - or both? Or have I missed a post?

Well done though - I feel a wimp because its been wet and windy over here - but minus 15C ughh

CV joints fubar, one fell apart once the boot was off, had lots of wear marks on the inner bearing race, the other one had rusty water in the joint and was quite stiff. I haven't even bothered cleaning it out. The wheel bearing had too much play in it for my liking, and I had to remove it to get the driveshaft out anyway. I might as well replace everything while I am at it.

Even if the CV joints and bearings are not the cause of the noise these parts definitely need replacing. I'll post back once I have all the bits and have put the van back together again.

With 4kw of heating I can raise the temperature by 5'c above ambient in the garage tent. Sheer luxury! The missus bought me some insulated overalls for Christmas, that makes a significant difference too.

[syklist]

OK rebuild continues.

One end of the driveshaft is rather rusty and pitted. I'm inclined to replace it but wondered if anyone has re-used a shaft in this condition?



I am not sure I want to wait another week for a replacement driveshaft if this one is serviceable.

[..lee..]

i wouldn`t be too worried to use it. you should be useing a sealing fluid around the end of the cv boot seals anyway to maximise the waterproofing once the cv boot clips are on and tight. i run a bit of sealer around for extra insurance. this sealer should take up the pitting and result in no water ingress.

lee.

[syklist]

The job is coming along, the driveshafts are back together waiting to go back on the van. As it is only -5'c out there at the moment, snowing gently as it does at this time of year, I have been working on the wheel bearings tonight.

The inner ball bearing was not a big problem, there is a shoulder that stops the bearing going down too far which makes things easy. But I am uncertain as to how far down the roller bearing should go down. There doesn't seem to be a shoulder in the housing to on the roller bearing side of the bearing carrier. At the moment it is flush with the housing which leaves a couple of millimetres between the rollers and the spacer that sits around the driveshaft between the two sets of bearings. Have I got it about right or should the roller bearing outer race go in a bit further?