DIY: Inner CV Joint, R&R with new Redline CV2 Grease

[99MPower]

glad I was able to help you guys out

[Mr Estoril]

I have to go back and redo my left rear. Braided brake line was rubbing on the boot and cause it to split wide open.

[das borgen]

I have to go back and redo my left rear. Braided brake line was rubbing on the boot and cause it to split wide open.

those lines could stand to be a tiny bit longer and have some slack

[foscoe944]

I'm just about to get started on this right now and have a question, hopefully somebody can help.

One thing I notice is this o-ring pictured here. It is not in my boot kit and I don't see it listed as a separate part. Did it come in your rebuild kit? Did you just reuse the original one? I haven't started taking mine apart yet, so I haven't actually laid eyes on what's in mine.

(And thanks 99MPower, this is an absolutely awesome write up!)

10. Once you have the boot on the halfshaft, go ahead and reinstall the small collar ring on the halfshaft. Once you have done this, go ahead and put the collar on the halfshaft as well. Make sure you have the beveled edge of the collar facing the collar ring on the half shaft. They should go together, and the flat top of the collar will be facing up

[99MPower]

u have a 99 according to your info.

That "ring" is part of the half shafts, and you will re-use it on assembly. Just take it off, clean it up, and reinstall

:EDIT: any OBD2 half shaft with the thicker middle, will be this way. Its not included in anything you bought, you re-use the original

[foscoe944]

Wow, fast reply, much appreciated!!!

[99MPower]

Wow, fast reply, much appreciated!!!

I was browsing before I left for the day. Just happened to catch me at the right time

[foscoe944]

I was browsing before I left for the day. Just happened to catch me at the right time

What you mean you don't just sit around all day poised at the computer waiting for someone to reply to your thread?

Now that I have it apart I see that it's a metal ring, not rubber, and that's what was discussed earlier as the difference between early and later models.

[foscoe944]

I did my inners and outers over the weekend, took me about 8 hours total (just the rebuild time as I had already removed the halfshafts some time ago). Getting the axles off the car was the hard part, the rebuild was pretty easy thanks to this write up, just time consuming and a little messy.

I thought I'd share a couple small things I did which that made it easier, in case it helps anybody else.

When packing the grease into the outer joint, I used a small plastic disposable spatula from the hardware store rather than my fingers, I could really cram the grease in with it.

On the outers, during reassembly to get the new boot back on (Step #9) I used the BW outer bushing tool http://store.bimmerworld.com/e3646-r...tool-p580.aspx which fit over the splines so I could just push on the rubber boot just around the shaft. I just happened to have this handy, but anything that would fit over the splines like a large socket would work fine. It made getting the boot on a snap--I didn't swear at all.

The last thing is that I find the GKN Loebro boot kit to be absolute garbage. As everyone has found, the large band clamps don't even begin to fit. Also, one of my outers came with a completely incorrect metal cap, so I used my original instead. And the other metal cap was the right one, but it was such a poor fit that it deformed terribly when I tried to put it on. So I ended up tossing it and using both my original caps which are a perfect fit--fortunately I removed them carefully and didn't damage them. And the boots on my outers didn't fit very well either. Somebody else mentioned this problem too, they'll stay on when you put the NAPA clamps on, but mine were NOT a correct fit before hand. I don't know if going to the dealer would get a higher quality part, but I'd certainly give it a try next time.

[Skunk]

Dammit, Just realized my my outta rear boot is tore open too. This is gonna suck.
Thanks for the great write up though.

[E36BMWBUILD]

I rebuilt both mine using your diy and there smooth like butter! Thanks man!

[99MPower]

I rebuilt both mine using your diy and there smooth like butter! Thanks man!

no problem... like butter

[KYDM3]

First off, THANK YOU Calvin (and others) for this and your other multiple DIYs. I'm now knee deep in my complete rear suspension overhaul including bearings and CV joints and these have been infinitely helpful....

Second,
I haven't ordered my axle boot kits yet and I keep seeing that the GKN kit pieces (clamps) are not compatible and/or poor quality. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with the non-OEM "Empi" brand kits which are cheaper??? I've seen these offered by various reputable vendors. I typically go with OEM, and I'm not asking in hopes to save a few bucks, just wondering if they are any more compatible or perhaps better in quality???
Thanks again.

[99MPower]

same shitty clamps... get GKN kits and buy the NAPA clamps I posted. easy day

[cmzwirner]

Its always an easy day with you isnt it calvin? :P

[99MPower]

Its always an easy day with you isnt it calvin? :P

when you've done it as many times as I have.... sometimes, there is no choice but to be an easy day

[JETninja]

I had mine Safety Wired by an Ex-Indy Car Mechanic years ago. He did it for free, and earned my business for years. German Car Garage in Mission Viejo. Hope to find someone half as good up here in Seattle area when I don't have time to do it myself.

[KYDM3]

Help!
SO I finally started this DIY...I'm only at step 4, removing the CV Joint off the spline, and am literally stuck. One side came off easily. The other one will not budge! I cut the boot off to get a better view: The collar is moving freely. It seems the center carrier piece is just fused onto the spindle, there is no play in it whatsoever. I cannot see any damage to it or rust, and there is/was plenty of grease around it, I just can't get it to release. I dont want to damage the ball bearings but have started using some force and even tried light blows with a rubber mallet with no luck.
Has anyone had this issue before?
Any ideas on how to get it off?
(And yes, I removed the snap ring.)

Nobody has seen this before?
Just as an update, I removed the the other endcap which allowed me to remove the ball bearings and slide the cv joint up the shaft and out of the way. But I still have the bearing cage and the center piece around the spindles. I tried pulling it down against resistance with my vice with no luck. Its been soaking overnight in PB Blaster...we will see.

[KYDM3]

UPDATE, I never could get it off so I took it to a shop and had it pressed off...literally took him 2 minutes. So there you have it, just in case someone runs into this in the future.

[99MPower]

didnt see this post, but yes, I've had similar issues. I just put it in the bench vise, and hammer the shaft out with a 5lb sledge.

[ThreeD]

Good thread, I will be doing this over the winter. Thanks Calvin!

[ckpitt55]

Figured I'd bump this thread. It's possible to take the outer joints apart as well with some patience. I picked up a set of the 38 mm half shafts here locally and found some damage to the crimp on outer housings once I got the boots off. I didn't want to leave them to eventually fatigue and drop metal into the joint and destroy it, so I decided to see if I could remove them and fix them.

Damage (both were comparable)



Work along the seam of the housing with a screwdriver tangentially. Don't pry up yet, all you want to to is lift the metal lip slightly.



Once you've got it uniformly lifted all the way around you can started gently and gradually prying the crimp up and over the retaining feature on the housing. The key is to go slow - you don't want to yield the metal.



Once you're up over the lip all the way around, start tapping the housing gently to pop it off the housing. End result.



No harm done



Assembly opposite of removal.

[99MPower]

HOLY CRAP!!!
MAJOR score...

I have one extra half shaft I'll have to play with, and finish the DIY for the outer. THANKS for the heads up on that one

[ckpitt55]

HOLY CRAP!!!
MAJOR score...

I have one extra half shaft I'll have to play with, and finish the DIY for the outer. THANKS for the heads up on that one

no problem, your threads have helped me out tremendously in the past so thank you. figured it'd be of interest for track guys because you can't really clean the outer joint all that well just pouring in degreaser and letting it soak. just gotta be sure to keep the shaft orientation straight when it's all apart as the shaft itself is not symmetrical, you'll notice that when you get em apart. if you look closely above at the picture with everything apart, the inner joint side is longer once it tapers down than the outer is. The side I have taped is the inner.

The only problem with doing this is I'm not sure how many times the housings could be crimped / uncrimped / crimped, etc. technically if you don't yield the steel it has an infinite cycle life but its analogous to bending a paper clip back and forth - sooner or later it'll break along that crease.

Too bad no one makes anything like this for the e36 shafts: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-19...build-kit.aspx

[tjm3]

Doesn't really matter if the original crimp is gone or damaged. I just cut mine off on a lathe. There's another groove that can be used to either roll a new crimp or just put 6 or 8 dimples into that second groove with a semi flat, small chisel. Works perfectly either way.