Either the CV Joints Are Crap or I Am Doing it Wrong

[porschpow]

I just replaced the CV joints twice already in under two years.

On this new one I feel a grinding noise when I turn to the left.

Either Autozone sales crap for CV joints or I am doing it wrong. I watched videos, researched, etc. I am sure I am doing it right. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

The only way you can really damage a new CV Joint is by turning it while it is hyper-extended during the install (although, I do avoid Autozone like the plague).

My question is:

1) Are you absolutely positive this grinding noise is coming from the CV Joint?
2) Did you replace only the CV Joint or the entire halfshaft?
3) When you reinstalled the halfshaft, did you do so with the spindle fully removed, and didn't attach anything on the spindle until you set it on the halfshaft? Or did you just remove the lower ball joint and outer tie rod end, and pull the spindle toward you while fishing the new halfshaft into place?
4) Did you turn the new halfshaft at any time before everything besides the wheels was properly torqued?

 

[porschpow]

1) it sounds like it is coming from the CV's (it's now happening when im turning left and right
2) I replaced the entire shaft...TWICE
3) What do you mean by this? The spindle on the halfshaft? I removed the lower balljoint and fihsed the halfshaft into place
4) what do you mean by turning the halfshaft??

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

The spindle (where the strut, lower ball joint, halfshaft, and outer tie rod end bolt onto).

I generally recommend removing the spindle entirely when replacing halfshafts so that you aren't bending them, as well as other components, at extreme angles fishing everything into place.

As far as turning the halfshaft ... meaning ... once it was attached to the spindle, you didn't spin the halfshaft (as when the tire is rotating), until everything was attached.

 

[porschpow]

but what would a bent spindle do to contribute to the halfshaft making that annoying clicking noise?

Well in order for the halfshaft to go into that groove in the tranny, don't you have to turn it until it pops in?

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

If you spin the halfshaft with everything pointing straight, nothing bad happens. If the halfshaft is at an extreme angle and you turn it, it puts a lot of stress on it and can damage it. They require your full attention when installing them.

If you are bending the spindle and the halfshaft at a crazy angle during the install, and it gets spun, game over. That's why I recommend fully removing the spindle when changing one.

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Also, once the halfshaft is in the spider gear carrier assembly, you push it in to snap the c-ring in place.

 

[porschpow]

Right I know there is a sweet spot in the c ring that you have to find once you spin the half shaft, in order to get it into place

 

[porschpow]

I didn't knwo about the angle thing....how much of a pain in the but is it to remove the component that holds the half shaft/strut/ball joint in place?

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Getting the halfshaft out is actually the hardest part. Loosen all of the components (lower ball joint, outer-tie rod end, strut tower), use a pickle fork to separate the joints from the spindle, remove hardware, pull straight out off the halfshaft.

Did Autozone by any chance have a lifetime warranty on those?

 

[porschpow]

Well im going to have to go back (second time) to replace the halfshaft

 

[Donabed Kopoian]

Hopefully you have better luck this time around. Sucks getting dud parts. Been there, done that.