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The following information is from Townsend Imports. As you can see these joints can be disassembled. Also, the tripod needle bearings can be taken apart, cleaned, greased, and assembled. I have actually done this.
TOWNSEND:
Outer CV Joint Disassembly
Wash or wipe off as much of the old grease as you can first. Leaving some in the joint makes its disassembly easier. Tap one side of the middle ring in the joint down so a ball comes up out of the cup. You may have to pop the ball out of the hole by gently getting a small flat screwdriver behind it. Keep removing the remaining balls the same way. When all the balls are out, turn the inner part so one of its "arms" is in line with one of the holes in the middle part (cage).Rotate the middle part so its holes line up with the "arm" on the outer part. Turn the middle part on its end and remove it from the outer part. The inner part will come out of the middle part now. Wash it all up. Look on the thrust surfaces of the inner and outer parts. You may see worn lines across the face of the inner part and depressions on one side of the faces on the outer part. Here is your clicking noise. Now its decision time.
I have had joints with wear go back together with fresh grease after being cleaned and swapped to the other side of the car go a long long time with no noise. Some are just too far gone to chance reinstalling though. They may work fine, but have the noise. I have seen many making noise last for years before getting any worse when cleaned and repacked.
If you reassemble the joint, put some new grease in the outer part first, insert the inner part into the middle part. Note the inner part has an inside and an outside. The circlip goes to the outside, facing you so from the end the driveshaft inserts. Put the middle part back in the outer part and align its holes with the grooves in the outer part for the balls. Turning one grove and hole up at the time, insert the balls, one to a groove. Its easier to me to insert them on opposite sides as you go one to the next. Pack the joint well with grease . Good quality boot kits come with a new circlip for the outer joint too, us it. The circlip installs into the inner part of the outer joint.
Now, if you cleaned the splines well, the joint will slip back on the driveshaft. Put whatever grease from two tubes I have left after packing the joint, into the outer boot. Line up the splines ( universal, no 'master' spline) and push the joint back on. Sometimes tapping the end of the joint with a soft hammer is needed to spread a new circlip to let the joint start on. If you have to beat the joint on, something is wrong. When the joint feels like it went home, pull back on it to make sure the circlip fell into the groove on the driveshaft.
Pull the outer Boot up and onto the outer joint. Give the joint a few twists through its range of motion to burp out air and get the grease moved around. Make sure its groove is in line with the groove on the joint for the big outer clamp. Install the boot clamp as you did the smaller inner ones.
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Tripod Bearings
If you need to replace the tripod bearings, place the driveshaft in a vice and remove the circlip on the end of the shaft. Tap the old tripod bearing off, noting that one of its faces is tapered. This face goes on the shaft first so the bearing will seat deep enough to allow the circlip to be reinstalled. Not much of a problem getting the old one off as putting ht new one on. With the old one you can fail away, just don't damage the splines on the drive shaft. With the new one, you have to be careful not to loose a cap. A socket that fits the edge of the inner part of the tripod bearing can be used between it and the hammer to protect the caps from getting struck. Be sure and use a rubber band around the caps to help keep them in place. A punch may be necessary to fully seat the tripod bearing on the shaft, never strike the caps to seat the bearing, just its inner most part, near the splines. Be sure and start the tapered face of the tripod first, just as the old one came off. Its seated when the circlip will go on the end of the shaft and fit in its groove there. See below for pictures of the shaft and bearings.
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posted by 69.182.3...
, Tue, 1 Jan 2008 11:04:36
, Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:45:19, Tue, 1 Jan 2008 15:07:14
, Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:52:33, Tue, 1 Jan 2008 16:29:24
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