#$%& CV joint... Any tips?

[BAMF]

I'm trying to remove the outer CV joint from my driver side axle and I'm stuck. I've got The axle in a bench vise and I've tried knocking it off with a hammer and block of wood, also tried wailing on it directly with a rubber mallet. I searched and found a post saying to slide a small socket into the hole where the axle bolt goes, then tighten the bolt down to pop it off... It tightens down, but then if just starts turning in the vise (and I don't have an impact tool.)

Any tips from those who have done it? Does the joint need to stay straight in relation to the axle? Do I need to specifically hit the inner race? I've done CVs on VWs before, but damn, last one I did was on a New Beetle with quite a few more miles and years than this and it came right off!

 

[Red5pade]

i havent done mine yet. i was planning on going to my parents this morning to do my drivers side but then i walked out side and got cold and said not today. i think ill pay dubwerx or eurofix in cincy to do it for me

 

[biggee72]

There's no snap ring on it?

 

[BAMF]

There's no snap ring on the outside of the outer CV, there's one on the axle that you have to beat the CV past to get it off.

I know it's not a good idea to use a steel hammer on the CV, but fux it, nothing else is working and I don't have a brass hammer. Gonna try that and if it breaks something then I guess I'll be calling Raxles.

 

[BAMF]

No dice. 'Bout to just buy a shitty regrind axle from Autozone. :banghead:

Bentley manual isn't much help, it looks like they just copy pasted the procedure for every type of axle that VW has used for the last 20 years, and they don't even say which part you're supposed to be beating on.

 

[Tutti57]

Just replace the whole thing and put a cheap one in. I have $60 autozone in mine and it's been fine. When I have to replace the other side I'll be doing the same thing.

 

[BAMF]

I just tried the passenger axle (split boots on each side) and I had the CV joint off in under a minute. At least I know I'm not crazy now. I think I'm set back even further now on the driver axle though... Apparently something is causing it to stick and I'm even more clueless about what to do than before. Not going to have access to another car until tomorrow, may just have to try to go buy a bigger hammer.

 

[flat tire]

You'll get it off eventually. I did this job a while ago and it wasn't fun but it was possible.

 

[BAMF]

I went out this morning and bought the biggest sledge that I thought I could use with any accuracy... Still no dice. So I gave in and took it to a shop, they couldn't get the joint off either! Said it was shot. I figured if a shop that does CVs and axles every day says it's stuck, it's stuck. Bought a reman from Napa... Haven't driven on it yet, but after inspecting and installing it I'm not a fan. What can you do though, car's been on jack stands since Friday. I figure I'll sock some money away and if another boot or joint fails I'll order some Raxles!

FYI, the CV boot clamp pliers that O'Reilly sells are garbage (Precision Tool brand.) The first pair broke on the second clamp, swapped it for a new one and that one bent while trying to finish the clamp that broke the first one! They didn't have another one in stock so I picked up a pair from Advance (Autocraft brand.) It looks identical to the first two and I figured it would break too, but surprisingly I did two more clamps with it and went back and tightened up the two I did with the Precision Tool pliers.

 

[silversquirrel]

there is a wire c clip in a groove near the end of the splined axle shaft. SUPPOSEDLY with enough of a hit, the clip compresses in its groove and the cv joint will slide off.
BUT, after beating on it due to it being rusted/jammed or whatever, inside, the stuck c clip will peen over /mushroom the end of the steel splined shaft, essentially riveting the cv joint on more or less permanently.

This happened to me once. Since I was replacing the joint, not just the boot, I used my dremmel with cutoff wheel(s) to cut the cv ball cage in 3 places, to remove the cage and balls, and thus removing the outer half of the cv joint, leaving only the inner part on the axle spline. then you can pry off the clip, and grind or file down the peened, mangled end of the axle shaft, so you can pull off the inner race and install the new boot and joint. NOT fun. btdt.

 

[flat tire]

there is a wire c clip in a groove near the end of the splined axle shaft. SUPPOSEDLY with enough of a hit, the clip compresses in its groove and the cv joint will slide off.
BUT, after beating on it due to it being rusted/jammed or whatever, inside, the stuck c clip will peen over /mushroom the end of the steel splined shaft, essentially riveting the cv joint on more or less permanently.

This happened to me once. Since I was replacing the joint, not just the boot, I used my dremmel with cutoff wheel(s) to cut the cv ball cage in 3 places, to remove the cage and balls, and thus removing the outer half of the cv joint, leaving only the inner part on the axle spline. then you can pry off the clip, and grind or file down the peened, mangled end of the axle shaft, so you can pull off the inner race and install the new boot and joint. NOT fun. btdt.

I remember now this was the issue with mine. Somehow I pulled it off... I think I put a spacer around something and used a bolt to back out it out somehow.

 

[Mrvdub444]

dude, I watched the foreman do mine. It was totally stuck on there. They brought out this hand-held jackhammer device to get it off. Best of luck to you. Try to penetrating oil. Then beat the shit out of it, if your was like mine.