CV joints and other crap

[brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg)]

I pulled out my axle half-shafts last night, and I didn't enjoy it much.
I found more broken stuff then I was prepared for.  That list to follow...


First the tutorial for those who like that sort of thing (also known as
"What Robert Bentley _doesn't_ tell you"):

Subject car is a 1988 Scirocco 16v

1. Loosen axle nuts (30mm, 1/2 drive a must) with car on ground.
2. Raise front of car enough so that you'll be comfortable under it.  Use
   blocks or jack stands, never get under a car with only a jack supporting
   it.  I've seen hydraulic jacks 'let-go' before.
3. Go get your 12 pt 8mm triple square tool, nothing else will do as good
   a job.  Remove the 6 inner CV joint bolts from both sides.  Spray a
   cleaner or WD40 into the head of each bolt before putting the triple
   square tool in.  This will loosen the crap in there and make putting
   the 12 pt tool in a bit easier.  Knock the tool (once it's lined up) 
   to the bottom of bolt head with a hammer before you try undoing a bolt, 
   a partially seated tool will cause much heartache.  In order to keep the
   drive shafts from spinning, you can put the car in gear (just reach up
   to the linkage and do it from underneath) or jamb the wheels to keep them
   from spinning.  Either way, remember that you'll have to keep turning
   the drive shafts to get the other bolts.
4. Remove the axle nuts that you loosened in step 1.  Loosen the shafts in
   the hub splines, use a rubber mallet.
5. Remove the half shafts with CVs attached.
   -Passenger side:
   Remove the drive shaft shield that's attached by 3 (very very tight) 17mm
   bolts around the inner CV joint.  This will allow you enough clearence
   up into the engine compartment, past the shift linkage, to pull the
   outer CV joint from the splined hub.  You'll be suprised at just how much
   room you'll need.  Don't let the drive shaft rest on the shift linkage or
   you may bend it.  In order to relieve the pressure that the hanging 
   suspension is applying on the drive shaft, jack up underneath the A 
   control arm until the drive shaft is closer to horizontal. Be careful 
   that you don't jack so much that you begin to lift the entire car off 
   your jack stands or blocks.
   -Drivers side:
   Jack up under the A control arm until the pressure that the sway
   bar is putting on the arm is relieved. Remove the clamp holding the bar
   to the A arm.  We need this bar and clamp out of the way, you'll see why
   later.  Remove the ball joint clamping nut and bolt.  Trust me, this is
   the only way that clearance can be made to remove the inner CV from the
   splined hub.  Anyway, now that the sway bar is out of the way, there's
   a clear shot at the ball joint clamp.  Bang a hefty screwdriver in the
   slot to open up the clamp just a bit.  Don't bang the screwdriver into
   the rubber boot of the ball joint and split it.  Leave the screwdriver
   there to keep it opened up.  Jack up the suspension without pushing up 
   on the control arm, you want to be able to lever that downwards.  
   One way to accomplish this is to put a couple of wheel bolts back in 
   the rotor, put a board under them so the wheel doesn't spin, and 
   jack on the board.  You'll see what I mean if you try this.  Slide 
   another hefty screwdriver between the ball joint clamp, just beneath 
   the outer CV joint, and lever the control arm down.  This may take 
   a couple of smart smacks from a hammer, but the ball joint will come 
   out of the hub.  Get all the screwdrivers out of the way and gently 
   pull the whole suspension assembly away from the car until you have 
   enough clearance to push the splined drive shaft through the hub.  Whew.
6. R & R the CV joints.  An exercise left up to the reader.  I'll be doing
   that next, stay tuned.


What I found while doing this procedure:

-A broken passenger side sway bar retaining clamp.  (Run outside and check
 yours now.  I'll wait until you get back...)

-The driver's side inner CV joint was full of tranny fluid, no telling how
 long this has been going on, but it wasn't dripping.  I'd have noticed that.
-The driver's side ball joint is ripped and shot.

Yuk.  As if I didn't have enough of a job ahead of me.  I guess I'll just
have to order new tranny seals, I understand that if I order the right parts
that I get a 'free' 80% Velocity diff kit with those seals. :-)!  I'll be
saving my pennies.   This repair is going to take significantly longer then
I thought at this point...

What size drill bit should I use when drilling out my ball joint rivits?

Any other suggestions or comments?

==Brett
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