Hey Ho just took my zx td for an MOT surprisingly it only failed on two points-the nearside indicator is busted courtesy of some c*ck who has hit my car while it was parked (no idea who did it)-the indicator is smashed but worse the front wing is slightly convex right at the tip and the end of the wing has been pushed slightly into the bonnet. I only noticed 50min before the MOT was due so didn't have time to get another one and thought I might get away with it because it still flashed orange only the outer lense was bust. Nope, fail point!
Second was a split nearside, outside, CV joint boot-worse luck! Thankfully it was the outside gaiter and not the inside. I have bought another-any good tips on fitting it? I have a Haynes. I take it it is not necessary to drop the gearbox oil to do?
That's it, just those two points it failed on!
Driveshaft Gaiter Tips
Moderator: RichardW
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these british nearside/offside expressions [:)]
- take it you mean the drivers side - in a RHD vehicle [;)]
- then it would be the car's RHS drive axle gaiter [:D]
If this is correct - it's the long RHS drive axle in question - which has an intermediate bearing which holds the axle in the diff. It won't come out that easy then - spilling out the gearoil.
As simple as the gaiter may be as spare - it's a small nightmare to replace [|)]
You'll need to dismantle the lower swivel joint - to allow the hub swing out for removal of the CV joint axle.
This means the center hub nut must be removed - and must then be loosened with weight on wheels - as it's a very tight fit.
Once the CV joint is hanging there - it has to come off the axle - to replace the gaiter. The CV joint is located on the axle by a circlip spring - which is the force to overcome removing the CV joint. This is best done with a heavy lump hammer - giving a single smart blow on the axle part of the CV joint. It's not violent handforce and repeated hammering that counts. It's the weight and a smart blow from the lump hammer that does the trick.
And here is where you have to be carefull - if you hit the outer part of the CV joint - damages are likely to occur !
I recommand you hose down the wheelarch the day before to prevent the best you can dirt getting into the open CV joint during work.
- take it you mean the drivers side - in a RHD vehicle [;)]
- then it would be the car's RHS drive axle gaiter [:D]
If this is correct - it's the long RHS drive axle in question - which has an intermediate bearing which holds the axle in the diff. It won't come out that easy then - spilling out the gearoil.
As simple as the gaiter may be as spare - it's a small nightmare to replace [|)]
You'll need to dismantle the lower swivel joint - to allow the hub swing out for removal of the CV joint axle.
This means the center hub nut must be removed - and must then be loosened with weight on wheels - as it's a very tight fit.
Once the CV joint is hanging there - it has to come off the axle - to replace the gaiter. The CV joint is located on the axle by a circlip spring - which is the force to overcome removing the CV joint. This is best done with a heavy lump hammer - giving a single smart blow on the axle part of the CV joint. It's not violent handforce and repeated hammering that counts. It's the weight and a smart blow from the lump hammer that does the trick.
And here is where you have to be carefull - if you hit the outer part of the CV joint - damages are likely to occur !
I recommand you hose down the wheelarch the day before to prevent the best you can dirt getting into the open CV joint during work.
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nah - nah [:D]
The short LHS axle has a VERY nasty habit of axial excursions - when you least expects & wants it [8D]
You'd definately not be the first to be alarmed by a nasty fast growing greasy spot on the floor [B)]
- honestly - once the CV joint is out the hub - it's so much easier to work on the completely removed axle.
There is a drain plug in the diff - no problem - the least thing to fear doing this job - I tell you [8)]
The short LHS axle has a VERY nasty habit of axial excursions - when you least expects & wants it [8D]
You'd definately not be the first to be alarmed by a nasty fast growing greasy spot on the floor [B)]
- honestly - once the CV joint is out the hub - it's so much easier to work on the completely removed axle.
There is a drain plug in the diff - no problem - the least thing to fear doing this job - I tell you [8)]
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Oh yes Richard - these split gaiters has been around for y's - to much grief for owners [;)]
The problem is to avoid that greasy mess from the CV joint reaching the gaiter seam - should be "no problem" in theory - but allways seems to proove the opposite. Guess the prof. garages for y's have stopped using them - as they never seem to be reliable (either !).
The problem is to avoid that greasy mess from the CV joint reaching the gaiter seam - should be "no problem" in theory - but allways seems to proove the opposite. Guess the prof. garages for y's have stopped using them - as they never seem to be reliable (either !).
[:)]
Hello!
From experience the split gaiters were crap, but you can buy boots that stretch over the joint while leaving the driveshaft in the gearbox. You still have to remove the shaft from the hub end but with the stretch boots, you place over a long tapered cone and cover it with lube and then slide the boot over. I no not of the cost but if u really enjoyed doing CV boots it may well justify the expense!
[:D]
Hello!
From experience the split gaiters were crap, but you can buy boots that stretch over the joint while leaving the driveshaft in the gearbox. You still have to remove the shaft from the hub end but with the stretch boots, you place over a long tapered cone and cover it with lube and then slide the boot over. I no not of the cost but if u really enjoyed doing CV boots it may well justify the expense!
[:D]
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David Goddard
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I removed a drive shaft from a BX Auto without spilling a drop of oil! I parked the car half on the footpath - that gave a 6 inch lean; then jacked up the already high side to the maximum extent. I
found the job to be unexpectedly easy on the BX. Being able to de-pressurize the suspension is a boon.
found the job to be unexpectedly easy on the BX. Being able to de-pressurize the suspension is a boon.
I was almost caught with one of these on my BX.
I was sold a "stretch" boot and went to a driveshaft specialist I know to borrow his cone. The first thing he asked was "what colour is it?" and when I said black, he responded that it isn't a stretch, that stretch are normally brown & that worldwide there's a move against stretch boots due to them not lasting & problems fitting.
He was right; mine was definitely not a stretch. I grunted, snorted, lubricated, heated, pushed, pulled, f@r+ed and swore & no way could I get it even close to going over that cone, so I decided I'd pull it out and do it as a normal one.
<b>Fact:- Did you know that the Tri-ax joint has 35 needles in each arm of the Tr-Ax? </b>
I didn't until I pulled it off either....what a bloooooody mess....needle bearings all over the floor and of course they don't just fall out, not these babies, they explode out like a shotgun cartridge. Anyway, after about 2 hours impersonating my Anglo Saxon hunters & collectors heritage, and checking some CX shafts I had there & convincing myself that I wasn't going mad & CX driveshafts didn't have needle bearings in them, we knocked the end off the drive shaft & fitted the new boot. Refitted & greased the 105 needles back into the Tri-ax joint, wrapped it in duct tape to prevent an action replay with the needles, refitted & lived happily ever after.
I would suspect the ZX could have the same idea on the driveshaft that has the centre bearing and personally, whilst it's not that bad a job once you've done one, given the current weather over there & the potential time frame on the car being prepared, I'd suggest you search out a driveshaft specialist & arrive there with boot in hand & simply say, "fit this" & drive off in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, job completed & no risks taken. If you take the shaft out & just get him to fit the boot; 10 - 15 minutes (including paying teh bill.) It's that kkind of job....simple once you know how.[}:)][:p]
Alan S
Alan S
I was sold a "stretch" boot and went to a driveshaft specialist I know to borrow his cone. The first thing he asked was "what colour is it?" and when I said black, he responded that it isn't a stretch, that stretch are normally brown & that worldwide there's a move against stretch boots due to them not lasting & problems fitting.
He was right; mine was definitely not a stretch. I grunted, snorted, lubricated, heated, pushed, pulled, f@r+ed and swore & no way could I get it even close to going over that cone, so I decided I'd pull it out and do it as a normal one.
<b>Fact:- Did you know that the Tri-ax joint has 35 needles in each arm of the Tr-Ax? </b>
I didn't until I pulled it off either....what a bloooooody mess....needle bearings all over the floor and of course they don't just fall out, not these babies, they explode out like a shotgun cartridge. Anyway, after about 2 hours impersonating my Anglo Saxon hunters & collectors heritage, and checking some CX shafts I had there & convincing myself that I wasn't going mad & CX driveshafts didn't have needle bearings in them, we knocked the end off the drive shaft & fitted the new boot. Refitted & greased the 105 needles back into the Tri-ax joint, wrapped it in duct tape to prevent an action replay with the needles, refitted & lived happily ever after.
I would suspect the ZX could have the same idea on the driveshaft that has the centre bearing and personally, whilst it's not that bad a job once you've done one, given the current weather over there & the potential time frame on the car being prepared, I'd suggest you search out a driveshaft specialist & arrive there with boot in hand & simply say, "fit this" & drive off in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, job completed & no risks taken. If you take the shaft out & just get him to fit the boot; 10 - 15 minutes (including paying teh bill.) It's that kkind of job....simple once you know how.[}:)][:p]
Alan S
Alan S
According to the guy I spoke to, they don't seem to split, just "suck in" & get pinched/munched by the CV particularly the triax end.
I was shown the brown ones & they were made of an entirely different type of material than normal boots but it could be a case that you guys get things over there we don't see here; we are in the colonies after all.[:D][:D]
Alan S [;)]
I was shown the brown ones & they were made of an entirely different type of material than normal boots but it could be a case that you guys get things over there we don't see here; we are in the colonies after all.[:D][:D]
Alan S [;)]
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That's an interesting story you told there Alan!
It's done now-I bought a new gaiter from a local motor factors, two litres of Total BV Transimission (stung for £4 per l from Citroen) and the l/h driveshaft/differential oil seal. I half attempted to do the job without removing the drieshaft from gearbox but while messing around at the hub end the gearbox end came out a bit and like Anders said the oil poured. So I removed the whole shaft and drained the rest of the gearbox oil. With the whole shaft out and in a vice it was easy enough to separate the CV joint from the shaft and fit the new gaiter-it certainly would have been very hard to get the CV joint off the shaft with the shaft still in the gearbox as you have to strike the inner race of the cv joint quite hard to strike it off the end of the shaft.
Fitted new oil seal, put shaft back in, reassembled the bits you have to undo to remove a driveshaft, then refilled gearbox with ~1.8l of Total BV and ~.2l of 'Greased Lightning' which is a rival product to Slick 50, I wanted to see if the gearbox will be a bit smoother with this ptfe additive in it.
I also did a bit of 'panel beating' and managed to get the new indicator unit I bought to fit in. I have my MOT retest today at 11.20 so hopefully it'll pass.
It's done now-I bought a new gaiter from a local motor factors, two litres of Total BV Transimission (stung for £4 per l from Citroen) and the l/h driveshaft/differential oil seal. I half attempted to do the job without removing the drieshaft from gearbox but while messing around at the hub end the gearbox end came out a bit and like Anders said the oil poured. So I removed the whole shaft and drained the rest of the gearbox oil. With the whole shaft out and in a vice it was easy enough to separate the CV joint from the shaft and fit the new gaiter-it certainly would have been very hard to get the CV joint off the shaft with the shaft still in the gearbox as you have to strike the inner race of the cv joint quite hard to strike it off the end of the shaft.
Fitted new oil seal, put shaft back in, reassembled the bits you have to undo to remove a driveshaft, then refilled gearbox with ~1.8l of Total BV and ~.2l of 'Greased Lightning' which is a rival product to Slick 50, I wanted to see if the gearbox will be a bit smoother with this ptfe additive in it.
I also did a bit of 'panel beating' and managed to get the new indicator unit I bought to fit in. I have my MOT retest today at 11.20 so hopefully it'll pass.