RE: CV Joint R&R - NOT RECOMMENDED

[QSHIPQ@aol.com]

Eugene writes a HTH:
>There is another way to get the circlup out.Clamp
>the drivershaft in the vise.The outer CV joint 
>circup ring has its open ends bent outwards,and, 
>surprisingly, it's not fragile and very strong .
>First, straighten one of its ends using medium size 
>screwdriver (or small chisel) and a hammer.Second, 
>grab the other end using a nose pliers and pull it out
>as far out as you can. Third, grab it using vise-grips
>and pull it really HARD.Hammering it usually helps a 
>lot.The circlup gets trashed when it goes out this way,
>but who cares? Then it's out, just hammer the
>CV joint off the drivershaft.IMO, much easier then
>to hold the circlup ring open(not to mention you need
>a special pliers) and hammer the CV joint off at the 
>same time. BTDTx3 on my both Audis and it alwaysworked well. 

You are the annoited or lucky one Eugene.  Problem.  If that CV joint has a
ripped boot and has heat cycled, that circlip becomes brittle, and the above
method will not only lose the trailing end of the circlip, but snap the end
you are yanking.  No access to that circlip is not a fun procedure.  I spent a
lot of time removing a CV joint end for a guy that did exactly the above
without your luck.  Take that same pair of nose pliers, cut some notches in
the outside of the jaws, and use them to hold the circlip while you pound off
the joint.  Hundreds of thousands of CV joints are removed using the
audi/Bentley procedure.  The above sounds much better than the risk you
assume.  You lose on ONE of your above procedures, you buy a new outer joint
(minimum).  Not a risk I'd take or recommend.  That joint is expensive,
expensive enough to buy you a lot of the right tools to do this job correctly.
Considering all you need is 3 tools (circlip pliers, vise, 3lb hammer) the
right way is hardly expensive.

My .02

Scott Justusson
QSHIPQ@aol.com