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Symptoms of a bad CV Joint and replacement costs
The clicking sound you hear when going through a bend is most likely an indication of a defect in a car's joints. In this article you will learn what they do and how to replace them, if needed.
CV Joints and their function
The car CV joint or hub is a connection between an input shaft and an output shaft that provides transmission at a steady rotational speed regardless of the variable angle of the joint. This is ideal for driving the front wheels, where the angle changes with the steering movement. Thanks to the CV joint, they continue to rotate at the same speed.
Every modern car with front-wheel or four-wheel drive (and nowadays also cars with rear-wheel drive or independent suspension) is equipped with four joints: two inner ones that connect the gearbox to the drive shafts and two outer ones that connect the drive shaft to the wheel.
The manufacturers advise replacement every 70,000 miles. However, it isn’t unusual for a vehicle to have 130,000 m on the clock and still have all the original joints intact.
-40%
AUTOFREN SEINSA Bellow Set, drive shaft
93 mm, transmission sided
Article number: D8260
compared to
RRP
£ 21,90
£ 13,07
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-15%
FEBI BILSTEIN Bellow Set, drive shaft
Front Axle, Wheel Side, Thermoplast, with grease, with clamps, with screw
Article number: 49070
compared to
RRP
£ 18,99
£ 16,03
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-30%
MEYLE Joint kit, drive shaft
Wheel Side, Rear Axle, with ABS ring
Article number: 314 498 0013
compared to
RRP
£ 118,26
£ 82,63
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-52%
TRISCAN Bellow Set, drive shaft
Article number: 8540 22
compared to
RRP
£ 44,45
£ 21,11
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
GSP Joint kit, drive shaft
with bolts/screws
Article number: 603011
£ 43,16
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
Signs of CV joint wear
The CV joint is a very sturdy part of a vehicle. If a malfunction happens, it often affects the plastic/rubber boot. The component is lubricated with a specific lubricant and sealed by the protective boot. If this is faulty, the lubricant will leak out. The reduced lubrication leads to faster wear of the coupling. In addition, grime and moisture can get into the component and cause additional wear. The outer linings are usually affected first, as they suffer more than the inner linings. In the case of a damaged boot, traces of grease may be found on the wheel rims. This is clearly different from axle or car body grease and is green or black in colour.
The click-clack noise, which you will hear when cornering, has already been mentioned. The problem is often connected to the steering gearbox. However, it is the typical noise caused by inadequate lubrication.
Replacing a CV joint
Most kits include the following:
- A CV joint
- A CV boot
- One container of grease
- One nut (if applicable)
- Two clips
-17%
Article number: 03312
compared to
RRP
£ 4,89
£ 4,03
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
GSP Joint kit, drive shaft
Non-Original design
Article number: 603016
£ 46,46
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
GSP Joint kit, drive shaft
Groove Type Inner
Article number: 899366
£ 41,34
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
SKF Joint kit, drive shaft
Article number: VKJA 8509
£ 55,52
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
Article number: VKJP 6001
£ 28,64
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
Replacement is quite a labour-intensive task, so it is advisable to get an extra pair of hands to assist you with this job. Proceed as follows to replace the outer joints:
- Apply the handbrake.
- Remove the car wheel trim and then the washer and nut from the drive shaft.
- Unscrew the nuts on wheels in the front first.
- Lift the front wheels off the road or ground and place a jack on both sides of the car to support it.
- Loosen the nut on the steering ball joint, but don’t take it off completely. Push the lower wishbone down with a suitable rod to remove the steering ball from the wheel hub assembly.
- When it is pulled out, take off the nut and put the wishbone down. Be careful not to cause any damage to the ball joint cover. You can now take the CV joint off the gearbox housing.
- Pull the hub unit outwards. Pull the CV joint off the hub and pull the drive shaft away from its former position. Have a helper step on the brake pedal. This will immobilise the brake pads while you remove the drive shaft. lock nut and ensure that the hub does not rotate.
- Remove the clip from the hub axle cover and remove the hub axle.
- Reassemble all of the above parts in reverse order and put the wheel back in place.
The price of a repair kit and/or replacement parts varies greatly depending on the model and make of your car. You can find a Ford Focus CV joint at quite reasonable prices. Another example, a hubcap for a Ferrari including the kit and drive shaft can be ordered online for around £60. If you have the repair done in a workshop, the labour costs can easily be £300 to £500, especially if you also have to replace the axles.
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