CJ Joint Disassembly

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justgimmecoffee
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CJ Joint Disassembly

Post by justgimmecoffee » Thu May 20, 2010 10:04 pm

I've got my axle disconnected and on the workbench but can't get it apart. I don't have a vice but that wouldn't seem to help at this point.
I"ve removed the outer race and all of the ball bearings and tried several attempts at whacking the backside with a hammer. I've used a two arm puller and then a 3 arm. The cage is pretty much in the way when using the puller and I"m afraid to torque on it too much.

I'm going to let it sit overnight with some liquid wrench or somethin.. any other ideas? This is day 3 of replacing my CV boot repair job.

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Update May 21, 2010
Took the entire assembly down to my local Subaru dealer. They pressed off both inner races and tossed it all in parts cleaner. All parts disassembled and cleaned for $20, what a great deal.

The inner races and cages are now mixed up as I'm unable to tell which one came off which side. Balls and outer races were kept separate. Hopefully that is not too big of a problem.

Tomorrow is Day Six of this project, hoping it all goes back together.

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Amskeptic
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Re: CJ Joint Disassembly

Post by Amskeptic » Fri May 21, 2010 5:54 pm

justgimmecoffee wrote:local Subaru dealer pressed off both inner races and tossed it all in parts cleaner.
races and cages are now mixed up.
They truly should have known better. Subarus have CVs too, and the same rules apply, do NOT mix them up. They are precision parts that are matched to each other. Go ahead and try to reassemble correctly. If you find that your assembly job is threatening to bind up, stop and try the other CV's outer unit on this inner hub. Get them both assembled dry to your satisfaction before greasing anything. The cages are not half so critical as the balls which have learned to live in their respective outer and inner tracks.
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hambone
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Post by hambone » Fri May 21, 2010 6:43 pm

It's been a while since I've done this, but doesn't the cage come off first with the right angle?
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justgimmecoffee
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Post by justgimmecoffee » Fri May 21, 2010 9:55 pm

the same rules apply, do NOT mix them up.
yea, I keep saying that to myself. Did everything I could, even had the balls from one side individually bagged but the final mixup negated all that.

I can't drive 8 hours to Maupin wondering if i got it right. I think I hafta buy new CV joints at this point. :pukeleft:

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Post by Randy in Maine » Sat May 22, 2010 6:05 am

If it were me, I would just repack those joints the best I could and see how they work. Even not perfect joints will work for a very long time if they are well cleaned and lubricated.

I would also find a set of half shafts in the classifieds or elsewhere and would rebuild those also on your own schedule. Seal them up well in ziplock bags and hopefully you will won't need them for a long time, but if you do you will have them ready to go.

Just my 2 cents....
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Post by Bookwus » Sat May 22, 2010 9:04 am

Hiya Barry,

And I'm going to take the opposite side of sword from Randy.

Look, if this putting together of random parts into a CV is really going to bug you (reliability-wise) then spend the bucks (about a $45 a pop) and breath easier.

As Colin and Randy have already advised, I would be inclined to reassemble and check for correct play and feel. But this is a peace of mind matter and you have to go with what is going to make you feel secure.
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Post by justgimmecoffee » Sat May 22, 2010 5:18 pm

Update: 5pm Sat. May 22nd.

I liked Randy's idea (no offense, Mike) so I decided to put it back together and see how it went, while planning to have a backup ready to bolt on as soon as possible. I'm trying to get this *simple* job done before Colin shows up in three weeks.

Based on what I think are scoring marks made while trying to disassemble the only side I worked on, I believe I have the races and cages placed correctly together. Since the bearings were always kept separate, though not in any specific order, I think I have the parts correctly separated.
So, back together the joints went. It was tricky getting the balls in the cage and having it all fit together, but I finally got it. However, there are issues I'm concerned about....

-The CV joint does seem to bind up at certain positions. One joint does it far more than the other one. I can't tell if it's because its being moved outside of its normal range of motion or if its normal tightness of a fresh, clean joint. But it doesn't feel right.

-Putting them on the halfshaft is going to be a pain. I've placed one joint on the end and whacked on it pretty good with a mallet & wood block. It moved maybe a 1/8". I will probably have to get it pressed on again.

Based on these two things, I may end up just buying a new pair. Which is a drag because the closest acvw FLAPS shop is 45 minutes away and closed on the weekends. (nobody here is open on the weekends. :( this is not going well.

Image
(edited...
In this pic, the joint on the left is assembled correctly according to instructions I found on the 'net. I tried to assemble the right-hand one incorrectly just to check and could only fit 5 bearings in and barely got it apart.

Both joints are now assembled as per the one on the left; one is still binding worse than the other one. Don't know how normal the binding is.. should it be a silky smooth motion as I wobble it around? It 'catches" in some places and I have to finnesse/reef on it to get it unstuck.

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Post by ruckman101 » Sat May 22, 2010 5:33 pm

I think the inner cage is wrong on one of those. That's probably the one binding. In any case, they aren't assembled the same.

The one on the right I think is correct, with the thin division of the inner cage bearing paths pointing to the wider division of the outer cage bearing paths.


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chitwnvw
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Post by chitwnvw » Sat May 22, 2010 5:58 pm

Yeah, I seem to remember that they go together in a way you wouldn't expect...

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Post by SlowLane » Sat May 22, 2010 7:21 pm

Repacking CV joints has got to be the messiest job on a old VW. The grease seems to get absolutely everywhere.

Yup, the narrow bits on the inner race line up with the wider bits on the outer race, as you've discovered. Also, IIRC, the ball cages have an inner and an outer side, too. I think there are circumferential grooves on one side to indicate which is which. Check Bentley if you have one.

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