Re-grease of front CV axle

[LMHmedchem]

Hello,

I have the passengers front CV axle in my shop for some maintenance. I have a new outer boot and am getting ready to install it after a bit of cleanup. I am tempted to flush out all the old grease with brake cleaner/carb cleaner/paint thinner/etc before adding the new grease that came with the boot. I like things clean and I like to inspect parts before they go back in. Inspection is difficult since I can't see anything under the grease. The CV joint is stiffer than I expected but does seem to work in that it moves in all directions. I don't see anything that is obviously broken, at least from what I can see around the grease. I am concerned that the packet of grease that came with the boot was intended to apply over the existing grease and that there won't be enough of it if I remove the grease that is already there. On the other hand, it looks like there is allot of grease in the package. I also don't want to bother to install a new boot and reinstall the axle if it's broken in some way I can't see.

What is the standard procedure for this?

Also, the inner boot is still intact so I wasn't planning on replacing it. When I stretch the boot, cracks appear down in the folds of the bellows. The cracks don't go all the way through the rubber as of yet. What is the story on how long these last? Will the inner boot fail soon after it starts showing this kind of wear, or can they still last a long time at that point?

Information would be appreciated.

LMHmedchem

 

[LMHmedchem]

In the end I split the difference.

I washed out all the old grease with brake cleaner. The boot was shredded, so there must have been allot of dirt and sand mixed in with the grease. I would rather have too little grease than grease with grit in it so I cleaned it all out. I also had no way of knowing if the new grease was the same as what was in there already. It should be the same, but mixing grease can cause its own problems so I just went with the new grease.

The CV joint looks fine and seems to move properly. I can't see any physical damage. After applying the new grease, the joint moves much easier and smoother than it did before.

I left the old inner boot where it was. I was not able to find a replacement in any of the 5 auto parts stores in the area here. It is supposed to be very nice here tomorrow and I want to get allot of the rest of this finished. I can't wait to have something shipped. I will keep an eye on the inner boot and replace it if it fully splits. I have replaced allot of the front end so it won't be nearly as difficult to get apart as it was before I replaced the rusty old stuff under there.

In case anyone is interested, there was more than enough grease in the packet for the joint. I didn't even use all of it.

LMHmedchem

 

[Mbrooks420]

I doubt there was much sand I the grease. If there were the cv would have failed.

 

[TechGuru]

Don't you have to remove the inner boot to replace the outer boot? (Unless you're using a cut open "quick boot" which is highly not recommended)

 

[KeenKilo]

They sell big tubs of grease at FLAPS. You can really pack it in there and have it all the same good high temp stuff like what goes with wheel bearings.

I had a Corolla that developed a noisy CV. I was able to palm a glob of grease in there to quote it down until I had the funds to replace.

I’ve only ever replaced the whole axle but if it works, it works.

Was there any issue besides the busted boot?

 

[LMHmedchem]

Don't you have to remove the inner boot to replace the outer boot? (Unless you're using a cut open "quick boot" which is highly not recommended)

I did use a quick boot. I thought I was ordering the style that stretches over the end of the axle but I must have ordered the wrong thing. I was surprised when I opened the package and had to look up what to do with it.

It seems to have turned out ok, this is the repaired drivers side,

I did the replacement in my shop and not upside down in the driveway. I was able to work the grease down into the bearings and get it glued really well. To me, the boot material is just too stiff, so I have my doubts about it holding together long term. Also, the boot is too long, but if I trimmed it down the diameter would be too small. So much for "Universal Fit". The smaller clamp is not in the grove on the axle but further in. If I put it in the groove I think that the boot would be too compressed. The seal is pretty tight but I don't know if it will hold the grease. I will play with it a bit more before I reinstall to make sure there is enough movement in the boot for the necessary range of motion.

As far as re-installation, I found a light gauge C-clip on the ground after I had removed the axle. This is a picture,

I am not sure where this goes. It seems about the right diameter to go on the inside end of the axle.

but there is already a wider and flat C-clip in that groove. The C-clip looks too large to have gone on the outside end of the axle.

Does anyone know where this part goes? The A1 Auto video of axle replacement does not mention this at all and I didn't notice this part on the passengers side. The only part I can find that looks similar is this one,

TIMKEN SL260013 Differential Seal

which includes a similar looking C-clip.


This post in, HOW TO: Front left differential seal replacement, mentions a c-clip holding the axle into the differential,

Basically you need to lift the frame to get the wheel off the ground, jack stand it so it won't fall on you. Then, I jammed a stick between the brake and the seat to hold the hub still while I undid the axle nut, I used a good impact wrench, got the nut off in one trigger pull. Then take brakes and caliper off the knuckle, hang the caliper off the spring, undo the top ball joint nut, undo the tie rod end nut and the stabilizer bar link on that side, at this point the knuckle is only held on by the bottom ball joint. I attached a hub puller, push the axle in till the axle splines were loose inside the hub. Then comes the part I didn't like, you sorta have to angle the knuckle where it'll be easiest to wrangle the axle outta the hub, once that's done, I took a large screw driver and ballpeen hammer to separate the axle from the diff. The axle is only held inside the diff by a circlip that gets compressed and allows the axle to slide out of the diff, so basically its just carefully separating the two of them without marring the aluminum or craking the the diff.

but I don't know if the post refers to the part that fell off of the part that is still on the axle. I just didn't notice where the part came from so I am a bit in the weeds.

LMHmedchem

 

[LMHmedchem]

I am going to have to reinstall this soon. I still have no idea what the C-clip I found on the ground is or where it goes.

Looking at the clip more carefully, I do not believe that it is the part I posted in this link,

TIMKEN SL260013 Differential Seal

Using the magnifier to look at the clip that comes with the differential seal, it looks wider then the ring I found. It looks like the clip that is already in the groove on the axle (that I posted a picture of above with the red arrow). If the clip that I found on the ground goes there, then it goes over top of the clip that is already on the axle, which seems a bit odd. Also, the clip I found is quite rusted and I don't really see how a metal clip could become significantly rusted inside the differential where it would be covered with gear oil. The clip that is still on the axle has no corrosion whatsoever that I can see.

Absent any additional information, I am going to have to leave this C-clip off and reinstall the axle without it. I don't want to risk putting something into the differential that doesn't belong there. I really find it annoying when I find a part that does not appear in any of the service part diagrams. It has to be part of that system, since that is what I uninstalled, so why does it not show up in any of the part diagrams? I don't have a Haynes manual for the suspension so maybe it would be in there but the part did not make an appearance in any of the repair videos I have watched and it does not appear to come with any of the replacement axles, including the Motorcraft part.

Unless anyone else has a suggestion I am going to assume that this is one of those parts that was on there originally but not included with replacement parts as it was considered unnecessary, like the hub dust seals, etc. I hope that is not a bad mistake but I am out of ideas. It's getting too cold to work outside so I would like to get this finished.

LMHmedchem

 

[LMHmedchem]

Well I finished this yesterday. The axle was a bit difficult to re-insert back into the front differential. I could feel that is was engaged with the gears but it would only go a bit of the way in. There really isn't any place to tap on the axle to push it in like there is to get it out so I just kept turning it and jiggling it and trying to work it in. Eventually it slid back in and seems to be properly seated.

I finished the rest of the suspension on the drivers side with the upper control arm and got everything back together and torqued. I will have to monitor the axle to make sure that is is staying in place and the the differential isn't leaking.

I still have no idea what the C-clip is or where it came from.

LMHmedchem