CV Joints vs Axle assembly

[tim at unrealexpectations.ath.cx (stetson)]

I have one caveat to the rebuild/replace debacle that I learned recently.

I'm new to this whole wrenching for pleasure business and would only do it
if absolutely necessary and economy demanded it, ergo I've always used
remans. Now I'm finally hip to the concept my father tried beating into my
head while young.

DIY ensures that you get quality equivalent to the time and/or care
invested.

I've replaced both drive axles on the red 'Roc. The first was eventful
except that in uncharactaristically broke right AFTER the intersection and
that I had to do the replacement in a buddy's father-in-law's driveway.
It's the second that taught me a valuable lesson about remans.

After an extended forced sabatical from Rocs I had the time and
inclination to revive mine whose only fault (at the time) was a clicking
CV when turning (outer of course) which heralded imminent failure.
I went to my local friendly foreign car parts store and picked up a reman,
took it home and threw it in (this was b4 I had the beautiful star tool:
vice grips to the rescue!).

So it's in and torqued and I hop in the Roc ready for some serious
deprivation release, start it up, put it in gear, let out the clutch......
and it reacts as if I have the parking brake engaged, but it's not (it's
been broken since I bought the car!).

K then....put it in neutral jack and stand the front end again and try
turning the wheels. Dr. side is a breeze but replacement side is not
moving. So I loosen the axle nut to finger tight and try again, I can NOW
turn it and so now take the 'round the block test drive to the tune of
scraping matallic parts, so back out it comes.

When removed I can see where it was scraping just inside the spline end of
the shaft. I look at the orig. one and see where the scraping is on the
reman there is a depression just inside the splines on the inner hub side
about 1mm deep and 1.5-2mm wide all the way around the shaft, so back to
the parts store it goes to mystify the counter persons to the point where
they bug the owner.

"Yeah", he says, "I remember this happening a few years back but haven't
had a complaint for a while." and then proceeded to call the warehouse and
SPECIFICALLY order an "older" reman for my Roc. It came the next day and
works fine so far (6 mo.).

So now I know IF I ever do remans again to check for the divot just inside
the splines.

Tim


On Fri, 21 Nov 2003, Patrick Bureau wrote:

> Well if I had the time to mess with rebuilding my own cv joint I probably
> would.
>
> I always keep an old set of dead axles at the housse and I have been using
> remans on the scirocco for years without a problems, but I have had one blow
> on me (well split apart because the a-arm decided to take a walk one day -
> ie broken frame) I simply grabbed an axle in the garage with my oreilly auto
> parts bill, they ordered and provided me a new reman the same day.... 9
> bolts later and about 30 mins, axle is on and car back on the road. Its all
> about personal choice between changing bolt-on , and wanting to perform
> surgery with assembly... personally I like the bolt-on idea.
>
> but I understand Dave's point of view.
>
> do what works for ya...
>
>
> ATS - Patrick Bureau
>
>
<sneep>