Driveshaft Reconditioning

[peter_m7uk]

Looking at my Haynes manual on Sierra driveshafts, I was amazed by

the hacksawing procedure necessary to do anything with the joints.

It set me wondering, if one of the gaiters had split and needed replacing,

would it really be necessary to go through the whole hacksaw palaver?

Although my gaiters are intact, the rubber is clearly a bit old and brittle

and I thought it would be an idea to replace them. Maybe stick some new

grease in there while I'm on. But unless I'm being rather dumb, it seems that you'd have to remove a joint to be able to slide new gaiters on. So, just wondering what other people have done? Do you just give the driveshafts a

bit of clean up, then use them as they are?

 

Cheers,

 

Pete

[Andy Spencer]

I did all of mine earlier this year. You can buy new rubber gaitors that you stick into hot water then over a cone to get them on. Or, if you are lazy like I was, I used the split boots that you glue together - mine have done 1300 miles now and are good as new. Bit pricey at a tenner or so a go though.

 

I did not recondition other bits of the driveshafts though. If you have a knackered one it may be easier to pop to the scrappy - that's what I did.

 

Andy

[peter_m7uk]

Thanks Andy My driveshafts don't seem to be knackered at all -

The bearings are even silent! Just wanted to tart them up a bit.

 

What sort of grease did you use in your spider joints? It seems a lot

runnier than normal grease. Also, did you just "pour a bit in" ? Haynes

is on about using 15g at particular points, but you can only do that if

you take the joint apart.

 

Pete

[Guest chris brown]

Most motor factors sell the stretchy gaiters that you turn inside out and slide up an oiled cone and then once on the shaft all you need to do is turn them the right way and tie wrap them on. I wouldn’t recommend fitting the split type as in my experience even if you do get them superglued together and it only takes the smallest amount of grease or oil and you wont, they don’t last long.

[Guest piddy]

Like chris said be carful not to get grease or oil on them.

but I used slit boots five years ago and have covered 11,000 miles and there still as good as new.

[peter_m7uk]

By the way, I'm sure I've allowed my CV joints to go to "an angle

greater than 13degrees" several times, as stated in Haynes. But

has anyone found this matters in the slightest?! I could understand

if you were actually driving the car and the joints were under load

at a big angle, but during handling in the workshop, can it make

much difference??

[Guest salty_monk]

Didn't make any difference to mine.... as long as you don't force the joint apart orfling them around I'd think you'd be ok...

[Andy Spencer]

Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure mine were closer to 30 degrees at some points (especially when pulling them out of the diff and rear wishbones).

 

Mine were shot because they had been contacting the body (MK1 monocoque, a common problem apparently).

 

Andy

[Guest chris brown]

As has been said it doesn’t matter unless they lock up then you have to be very careful when getting them straight again as it means one of the balls has got its self into the wrong position but if you prod around on the boot with a finger they can usually be got back into position as they cannot come right out with the shaft still in place.

[peter_m7uk]

I ordered some stretchy gaiters from my local motor factor, but when I went to collect them, I told the guy that I'd never done this job before. His attitude was "Oh, it's a bloody difficult job, are you sure you can do it?" etc. It was enough to put me off and have a rethink, so I didn't buy them there and then. Starting to wonder if he was being a bit pessimistic though? Anyone fitted the stretchy boots with the cone technique? Just how difficult is it and do you risk knackering the rubber?

 

Pete