Club 80-90 Forums

After gradually worsening knocking noises (which were driving me potty) coming from the CV joints, I decided to change all 4 and cure the problem.

In order to minimise the downtime for the van (it is my daily drive) I had this brilliant idea.

I obtained two scrap T25/T3 driveshafts taken from vans with manual transmissions and purchased 4 new CV joint kits from Brickwerks. The old joints from the scrap shafts were removed and the new CV joint kits were fitted to the spare shafts. Great, I thought, I now only have to swap the shafts over for the ones on my van which shouldn't take too long.

Removing the two shafts from the van I discovered to my horror that my driveshafts were of different lengths to the two scrap shafts now resplendent in their new CV kits. They wouldn't even NEARLY fit. The offside driveshaft was about an inch longer than standard, and the nearside shaft was an inch shorter than standard. Upon closer inspection of the underside of the van, it became evident that the auto gearbox is offset from the centre line of the van unlike the manual one.

The job was eventually completed which entailed careful removal of the new CV joints from the scrap shafts and then carefully fitting them to my original shafts. The van is now back on the road happily with only about 7 hours of totally wasted time. It would have been a big help if I had known in advance the info I learnt the hard way.
MORAL.
If you have an automatic gearbox and you decide to fit a full set of 4 CV joints - - -
DO ONE SIDE AT A TIME AND DON'T TAKE THE "SHORTCUT" THAT I TOOK !!

I could of told you autos were different lengths.You should of asked.

The problem is of course that if you knew you had to ask, then you wouldn't need to ask. Perhaps a footnote in the wiki on the subject of changing CV joints on autos would have helped. Nothing in the wiki on the subject led me to make my OP above; to inform anybody else tackling the same job.

I was joking with you mate.Maybe it should be added to the wiki

I realised the jesting side to your comment, but had to respond "straightfaced" as it was a real problem which could have been avoided if a mention in the wiki had been made. I did read the wiki first and only really found a discussion about which type of retaining bolt heads were best to fit. (apart from 'how to remove, clean and replace that is.)

I just hope the post about my experience will save somebody else from repeating my mistakes. If a footnote could be added to the wiki as well, so much the better.

Thank god for this post - I was about to do the same! Phew.



Although I haven't read the wiki so it may have been updated, thought I would quickly do a search to see if there were any issues I should know about. I find having an early Aircooled auto things are not as they sometimes can appear and so best to check this great forum.

Feel for you though - I have made similar mistakes in the past which have led me to check here before I do anything, and thats not always bullet proof either!

I need to my driveshafts as a cv joint is clicking on my camper and cv boots are perishing but going to do rear suspension rebuild at the end of the summer.