CV joints

[Gazz]

That's it. Thanks mate. Everyone just says drop the rear but neglects to mention that part. I've done the shock part before and didn't really need to go the twine route, just pulled the shock down with my hand and guided it while an assistant jacked the hub up.
Don has mentioned this in his usual generously helpful way.
Not to mention deQs highly technical "kin tight" alert. He must have a different type of torque wrench to the one I have, can't see that reading on mine. Off the scale?

 

[BMW3.0CSi]

Hi all,
I have been working on the joints this week and I didn't read this post before I started. A tip for those who didn't mark everything is that the inner casting and the outer casting have to be in the pattern as I pointed out in the picture. Small inner vs wide outer or the other way around but not small inner vs small outer or wide inner vs wide outer. If you would do that last option (it is possible) be aware that the inner casting is not able to move anymore and it will cost you some force to get things disassembled again. It even might stuck as I experienced .

 

[Skiver]

deQuincey - this is an extremely helpful tutorial! I just replaced my CV joints this week. Interestingly I don’t have bolt and nut like yours, mines a ‘75. The hex head socket cap bolt straight to the flanges on both diff and wheel hubs which have screw threads. It was a pain trying to loosen them while trying to stop the axle from spinning. I had another episode trying to get a bolt out which was bent and ended up rounding the head. Only took me 10 hours to get it out!

 

[Krzysztof]

deQuincey - this is an extremely helpful tutorial! I just replaced my CV joints this week. Interestingly I don’t have bolt and nut like yours, mines a ‘75. The hex head socket cap bolt straight to the flanges on both diff and wheel hubs which have screw threads. It was a pain trying to loosen them while trying to stop the axle from spinning. I had another episode trying to get a bolt out which was bent and ended up rounding the head. Only took me 10 hours to get it out!

Many mechanics in their shops spending hours in some cars (including BMW) trying to loose Allen-headed screws.

Later one you can see cars with strange mechanical solutions or lack of some screws.

It is very important to be sure the Allen is pushed till the end of the screw head. That's the main common root cause of damaging the screws clogged by mud, rust and grease.

 

[Ohmess]

deQuincey - this is an extremely helpful tutorial! I just replaced my CV joints this week. Interestingly I don’t have bolt and nut like yours, mines a ‘75. The hex head socket cap bolt straight to the flanges on both diff and wheel hubs which have screw threads. It was a pain trying to loosen them while trying to stop the axle from spinning. I had another episode trying to get a bolt out which was bent and ended up rounding the head. Only took me 10 hours to get it out!

Yes, there are three different flanges on the differentials that fit into our cars. One of them has threaded holes with socket head cap bolts.

Best way to avoid trouble with removing the cap bolts is to clean them inside the area where the allen head wrench inserts before you begin. Use a pick and dig out all the grime and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

 

[aearch]

YES GOOD THING to do you can buy allen head male sockets

Amazon.com : 10mm allen socket

make the job easy - i use my big air compressor and air ratchet to do
all my work now. should have done this long time ago
so now work is so much easier and faster.

 

[Skiver]

YES GOOD THING to do you can buy allen head male sockets

Amazon.com : 10mm allen socket

make the job easy - i use my big air compressor and air ratchet to do
all my work now. should have done this long time ago
so now work is so much easier and faster.

Yes looking at getting an impact wrench now. You’re right should have bought one a long time ago rather trying to figure out how to squeeze breaker bars in tight spaces…

 

[Cornishman]

To undo those tight drive shaft Allen bolts I :
Locked the wheel hub with a piece of soft wood approx 4 by 4 inches and 4 foot long, shaped to fit the wheels studs pattern, then resting one end on the ground to lock it. I copied the idea from a post somewhere on here where they machine wood to replicate the wheel stud pattern.
Cleaned the Allen nut extremely well.
Used a 1/2 drive breaker bar with Allen key socket, when properly inserted I gave it a good tap with a hammer.
I cracked these Allen bolts off one at a time starting on the diff end.
Two were extremely tight so that was a two man job, one to pull on the breaker bar, one to tap / shock the head of the Allen socket, I felt this was safer than just pulling the breaker bar really hard.

I replaced all bolts when I reassembled It.

 

[Barry.b]

Thanks for doing the write up , it was a great help !
It made a SUPER messy job a little bit easier