Hello,

how much of free play in outer cv joints is normal (if any
is normal at all)?  The other day I noticed that I could
rotate my wheels/hubs for several degrees without rotating
the drive axles.  To be more precise, there is about 5 mm
of free play measured at the perimeter of the brake disc.
Should I be concerned about this?  I don’t hear any
clicking noise when turning but there is a slight clunk
when I go on or off the throttle at very low speeds.  The
car in question is a 91 Golf, 1.8 8v, 194 kkm, with
original drive axles/cv joints, I suspect.

Thanks, DDM

William Gallas wrote in message
<0%Vs6.3776$M%2.291523bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att>...
>Menace,
>
>Is the drive shaft not moving until the play is taken up on the outer CV?
>
>--
>Regards,
>Bill Gallas


Hi Bill,

no, the shaft stays still while I'm moving the hub/brake disc.
As soon as I go through the free play range, the shaft
picks up and starts rotating along with the hub.

As a side note, I do have a bad wheel bearing on driver's side
but there is the same amount of free play in the cv joint on the
passanger side where the bearing is ok...  But I don't think the
wheel bearings matter here anyways...

Thakns, DDM

Even new ones have some play.  As they age, there's play between the
shaft and center as well as between the center and the outer race.
Don't sweat it.  If they do not click on turns, and they aren't
slinging grease, your time would be better spent worrying about obese
children or homeless pets.

On Mon, 19 Mar 2001 01:17:44 GMT, "William Gallas"
<wngallasworldnet.att> wrote:

>Dennis,
>
>I second what Mr. Jim said, you should have zero play.

Agreed, with any miles at all, there will be some play.  I've known some FWD
vehicles that at low speeds, you could tap the throttle and nearly give
yourself whiplash.  Not worn OUT, just worn...

                                                steelmage

Ramses wrote in message ...
>Agreed, with any miles at all, there will be some play.  I've known some
FWD
>vehicles that at low speeds, you could tap the throttle and nearly give
>yourself whiplash.  Not worn OUT, just worn...
>
>                                                steelmage
Ramses,
now that you've mentioned it, I have another question: can worn CVs give
you the same sort of symptoms as worn / loose engine mounts?  My car is
not completely smooth when going on or off gas at low speeds i.e. there is
a bit of a clunk (no whiplash, though, unless I get really careless with
the gas ;-) ).  Last fall I had the front mount and transaxle mount
replaced.
The front one (rubber) was weak and the transaxle one (hydraulic) was
leaking.  I haven't noticed much improvement with the jerkyness - the clunk
is pretty much still there.  Now, before going ahead and replacing the last
(rear) mount, maybe it's my CVs that are causing the annoyance...

cheers,
DDM

Motor mounts can give that play and "clunk" I was speaking of, I've usually
found it's a combination of slack in the drivetrain and the mounts.  If your
going to keep the car I'd go ahead and replace the mount, least you'll then
have a whole new set on it.

                                              steelmage

Dennis,

While your replacing the wheel bearing, remove both cv shafts and switch the
cv joints on the right to the left and left to the right, put on new boots
and grease with the proper grease and you should be good to go. I've used
this procedure to transfere the wearing surface to the other side of the
bearing and it works well.  If you had a really bad one you would know it.
Some play is normal for used ones. The clunk you mention is most likely the
front or rear motor mount.

Joe

>how much of free play in outer cv joints is normal (if any
>is normal at all)? 

It depends on where the actual play is coming from.  There should be zero play
between the balls and the races in the rotational axis.  However it is not
unusual to have some play between the splines of the shaft and the splines on
the inner race.  If you are not having any noise from the joints when you turn,
then don't worry about it.
axleman at aol dot com