62 How do CV Joints go bad and how can I prevent it from happening?
Description
This article is from the VW Technical FAQ, by with numerous contributions by Jan Vandenbrande others.
62 How do CV Joints go bad and how can I prevent it from happening?
A: CV Joints wear out over time, like any other moving part. However they wear
out prematurely when the boot that surrounds them cracks and lets in dirt,
or when the CV grease deteriorates.
The boots crack because of age or because of street debris, and therefore
the outer CVJs (esp. with the more exposed CVJs in A1 cars) are most
subject to tearing. To detect a tear in outer CVJ boot is easy: it'll throw
black grease all around your inner rim, around your brake.
Whenever you check your tire pressure, check for those signs.
To detect a rip in an inner CVJ boot, and small cracks in the outer, you
need to manually inspect them. If you detect a ripped boot early, you can
get away by merely repacking the CVJ boot with CVJ grease and a new boot.
NOTE: VW and Loebro sell boot kits, that includes everything you need for
the job (about US$15).
If on the other hand, you did not detect the rip early, or you hear a
knocking sound when you turn, you may have to <NOISE> replace the entire
CVJ, a messy procedure requiring special tools.
Other symptoms of a bad CVJ includes increased & uneven steering effort
while driving.
CVJs also fail because the CVJ grease deteriorates over time because of
heat exposure.
Here too the outer ones get the most beating because of the heat generated
by the brake disks.
Generally, you should repack the outer (& change the boots) every 60k
miles. The inner ones usually last closer to 100k miles. If however you see
pitting and scoring of any of the inner surfaces you may as well replace
them.
Tip: [First heard from WolfSport, reported by [Borowski]) There are many
times when both wheel drive shafts need to be removed (two torn boots,
etc.) This is a perfect opportunity,to switch the CV joints to the opposite
sides. They will then wear on different internal surfaces, extending their
life.
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