CV joint - potential problem

[Cody Forbes]

I want to start off by clarifying some terminology. A CV joint has 4  
parts; the outer race, the ball bearings, the cage that holds the  
balls in alignment, and the inner race. Sometimes different terms may  
be used, but definately the 'cage' is definately being referenced  
incorrectly here. Don't take this as me being an ass or something, I'm  
just trying to abate some possible confusion.

With that clarified, the outer race and inner race have a specific  
alignment. If you are looking at the race head on as installed you can  
see the individual ball races alternate between intersecting going  
away from you and towards you. This leaves an alternating series of  
wide gaps and narrow gaps between the ball bearing races. When you are  
assembling the joint you want the inner and outer races aligned  
opposite of each other. An outer joint wide gap should be adjacent an  
inner race narrow gap. It's easy to check once you got just 2 or 3  
balls installed. With the CV nice and straight you should be able to  
slide the outer race fairly freely up and down about two inches. If it  
won't telescope it's not assembled right.

-Cody (mobile)

On Jun 13, 2010, at 11:14 PM, "Ed Kellock" <ekellock at gmail.com> wrote:

> I was going to say something similar.  A friend and I disassembled and
> cleaned one of his CVs on his urS4 and when the CV was reassembled,  
> it would
> bind once the axle nut was tightened fully.  Turns out we had it  
> reassembled
> with one part backwards.  I don't recall the scenario very well, but  
> sounds
> like it must have been the cage that we had backwards.
>
> Ed
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: quattro-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:quattro- 
> bounces at audifans.com] On
> Behalf Of NIck Miller
> Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2010 8:28 PM
> To: Radek
> Cc: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: CV joint - potential problem
>
>
> You probably put it all back together wrong is all.  Don't worry  
> about it
> too much.  I do believe the actual joint on the V8 will be the same  
> as the
> 90, but only if they are both auto/auto.  I'd take the CV for the 90  
> apart
> again and relate it to the V8 one if you wish to take that apart.
>
> Basically, you'll notice that the "cage" on the outside has a raised  
> lip on
> one side, this is supposed to go outwards so that the balls on the  
> inner
> cage don't fall out, and the same for the inner cage.  Basically,  
> they have
> that lip for retention and they go together opposite of each other.   
> Tough
> to explain, but that's what you have to look for when comparing  
> them, and
> try and use the V8 one as a blue print.
>
> On that note, I probably wouldn't reuse a joint that had dried up  
> grease in
> it.  The ball bearings are surely shot, and those things have factory
> tollerances unlike anything else you'll ever see, I believe at .0001  
> in
> relation to what they go into.  I may be off, but it sounds right,  
> that's
> the range for BBs in a turbocharger which spin up to about 100krpm,  
> and a CV
> axle certainly doesn't go that fast, but its still a high speed unit.
>
> Anyway, hope it helped.  I have a few sets in my garage but they are  
> just
> recently rebuilt, not too sure I want to take them apart for  
> reference.
>
> ~Nick
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