cv boot replace progress

[The Cleaner]

I am kinda lost, what does the C clip do if you just hammer the joint off?

[hayaku]

the c clip acts like a spring... the cv joint squeezes that c clip into the groove that is on the shaft as its being installed. the best i can surmise is that there is a corresponding groove on the inside of the cv joint so that the c clip can expand into and help retain the cv joint once installed and keeps it from sliding off.

[The Cleaner]

Ahhhh, the c clip compressed when you remove the joint and expand when you install.... I GET IT !

Looks like it would be lot easier if the shaft want totally out of the car. a lot of your hitting of the joint must be absorbed by the inside joint expanding and contracting.

[hayaku]

Originally Posted by The Cleaner

Ahhhh, the c clip compressed when you remove the joint and expand when you install.... I GET IT !

Looks like it would be lot easier if the shaft want totally out of the car. a lot of your hitting of the joint must be absorbed by the inside joint expanding and contracting.

yep... thats how TIS instructs to do it.. shaft off the car. but doing so, you need to replace the radial seal where the shaft goes into the differential. will also need more diff fluid, so you might as well do a fluid flush there too.

but if you have special bmw tool, you cut 75% of the hammering. you still do need to hammer that cv joint back onto the drive shaft, but will not need it hammer the swivel bearing onto the cv joint.

[The Cleaner]

I think I got the picture now, the TIS is a little unclear on the joint removal but I see the deal now. I think the other thing that can be done is the inner boot can be replaced without taking the shaft off the car, if I plan to go in and do this when I do the brakes and lower control arm, I dont plan to come back to it again, so if I can do the inner without removing the shaft I am going to try. Did you see anything that would prevent that?

[abarth]

What worked good for me was the fork shape point-joint separator. I used a small hammer at first, that took me 10 minutes, and it would not budge. Then my brother-in-law came over with a big hammer, all it took was 2 hit and the cv came right off. Amazing what a big fking hammer will do. Ecko, you have our mental support.
Regarding the C-clip there is a groove on the shaft and a groove on the inside of the joint. Once those grooves line up the c-clip expends to its natural state and lock the joint to the shaft. It is not like a c-clip in a traitional sense. It is just a thick wire in a ring shape. May be a "c-ring" is a better term to use.

[abarth]

Originally Posted by The Cleaner

I think I got the picture now, the TIS is a little unclear on the joint removal but I see the deal now. I think the other thing that can be done is the inner boot can be replaced without taking the shaft off the car, if I plan to go in and do this when I do the brakes and lower control arm, I dont plan to come back to it again, so if I can do the inner without removing the shaft I am going to try. Did you see anything that would prevent that?

I believe you can do the inner joint without removing the cup/stud shaft for the front diff. The inner joint is a tripod joint and once the outer cv-joint is off the hub and the inner boot is off, you should be able to pull the joint free from it's cup. Actually if you are just doing the inner joint boot, the outter joint doesn't even have to be separate from the hub, as long as the hub is separated for the car.

[The Cleaner]

I just looked and the inner boot and it should be easy to change once the outer c/v joint is off. Just slide it off and slide on the new one before you do the outer, looks to be plenty of room. I am just waiting for the tie rods to come in and I am doing everything at ones. Wont own it much past 100k-120k anyway so this should get me there easy.

Originally Posted by abarth

I believe you can do the inner joint without removing the cup/stud shaft for the front diff. The inner joint is a tripod joint and once the outer cv-joint is off the hub and the inner boot is off, you should be able to pull the joint free from it's cup. Actually if you are just doing the inner joint boot, the outter joint doesn't even have to be separate from the hub, as long as the hub is separated for the car.

[hayaku]

Originally Posted by The Cleaner

I just looked and the inner boot and it should be easy to change once the outer c/v joint is off. Just slide it off and slide on the new one before you do the outer, looks to be plenty of room. I am just waiting for the tie rods to come in and I am doing everything at ones. Wont own it much past 100k-120k anyway so this should get me there easy.

yep.. that's the smart approach... there is plenty of room once the arms are removed to do the inner boot with the shaft still on the car.

[Ecko]

Ok well that wasn't soo bad after all! I wasn't getting anywhere by just chiseling off the joint and yeah I ended up becoming the "THOR" god literately by using two huge hammers. I used a 4 and 8lb hammer to get that SOB off. I positioned the 4lb hammer flat on the joint itself and said a quick Hail Mary. Two whacks later it was off That was the easy part cuz getting it back on was a PITA. Just like Hayaku, it took me just about minutes or so to get it back on. Once I put everything back together I took the X out on a quick "test" spin. Unfortunately I have to go back in and remove my dust shield as it got damaged (de-formed)pretty bad in the process. It's making a Shhhhhssssssssss type sound which is intolerable. Anyhow here are some pics of the process

Old (left) New (right) C-clips/rings


Thor tools!


No damage to the bearings.



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