Hello! Thank you for reading this tech file on how to pack you joints. This file will teach you how to maintain your CV (constant velocity) joints, repack them, and if necessary replace the boots. Note the principles from this guide can be applied to all vehicles using CV joints, not just the CRV. Let s start with the basics. Here is what you front CV joint should look like. Some quick notes: This is the metal shaft that goes form the transmission to the wheel. The joint is covered by the black rubber boot, which is also known as a bellow. This is the main joint, but there is another similar joint at the wheel that should also be inspected. Inspect your joints every time you change your oil, which should be every 3,000 miles in winter or with hard driving; every 5,000 miles in summer.
Here is what your front joint should NOT look like Notice there is axle grease that has been spat out from the joint. This is the grease that lubricated the CV joint. If your joint is leaking, it will dispel all the grease within 5000 miles or less, depending on how bad the problem is. Once all the grease is dispelled your joint will seize up and you will destroy your axle. The boots can leak for a number of reasons. Road debris can jump up and cut your boot, which has happened to one of our CRV owners before on an improved dirt road. More commonly though, especially if you increase your tire size, drive aggressively, or put in a taller lift, the angle the joint operates at can cause it to dispel the axle grease. If your CV joint is leaking for reasons other than this, you will need to install a front camber kit to correct the issue.
If the problem is a broken or cut boot, you cannot replace the boot without replacing the CV drive shaft. Or so the dealership would have you think. Universal replacement boots can be bought at an auto parts store for less than 20 dollars. There are universal boots that screw together and can be installed without removing the shafts, but these boots will not work for very long and should only be used as a last ditch patch just to get home from work. If the problem is with the shaft angle on your CRV, you can correct this by purchasing one of our camber kits. If you are having this problem on a different car, adjust the camber as negative as it will go. (Most cars have a camber adjustment, the CRV s do not) If you do not want to do anything, or can t do anything right now, you can simply repack the grease in the joint periodically as needed. Okay, so here is what you need (minus this boot, use a vehicle specific boot such as what is featured in the next picture.)
Note the ring clamps are also different; you will need to get special CV boot clamps from an auto parts store. Otherwise the work drive clamps will rip open the new boot. The grease you need must say CV joints on the label, and it should be for an import car if you have an import or a domestic car if you have a domestic car. We also recommend mixing this grease with 10% conventional Lucas Oil Stabilizer for added resistance to thermal breakdown. You will need one rubber glove, some paper towels, steel wire cutters, and some new worm drive ring clamps. You will need one that will fit a 3 diameter and one that will fit a 1.5 diameter. If you need to replace your CV boot, again use a vehicle specific boot, not the universal screw together boots. So take these tools under your car and have at it. Use the wire cutters to clip the large ring on the inside of the CV boot. Using your gloved hand you can pull the boot down along the shaft and have a look at the CV joint.
We were fortunate to get to this boot before all the grease was gone! If there is any old grease left (hopefully there is, if not consider replacing the CV joint), wipe it out with a clean paper towel. Using your clean glove hand, open up your grease can and grab glob. Stick that glob into your CV joint. Don t be shy, pack it fat!
After the joint is repacked, slide the boot back over the housing on the transmission. Replace the clamp you cut off with a nice new ring clamp. Again this has to be a special CV boot clamp!
Pretty easy, huh? Usually you can do this in about half an hour for both front joints. Rebuilding your CV joints The worst case scenario, you have to rebuild your CV joint. This can happen if you try to install a lift kit on both sides of the front axle at once, characterized by the spindle refusing to pop back into place. This is because the CV bearings have come out of the cage and will need to be put back in. This can also happen if you destroyed the bearings in the CV joint due to a lack of grease (if the teeth on the shaft are messed up then you will have to replace the entire CV joint and CV drive shaft) You may also use this method to replace a broken CV boot without having to remove the driveshaft from the transmission.
So jack up one side of the car at a time, do not try to do both sides at once. Disconnect the upper control arm, lower ball joint, and steering tie rod end. You will probably need to separate the ball joint and tie rod ends from the spindle by using a ball joint pickle fork. It looks like a tuning fork with tapered edges that will fit around the bolt in the connection to the spindle. Slide it in gently between the metal surfaces, taking care not to puncture the rubber boots on the lower ball joint and tie rod ends. Tap the end of the fork gently with a hammer until the connecting bolt comes out from the spindle.
If your CV bearings had already come loose from the cage, the CV drive shaft will fall out of the cage that connects to the transmission. See the next picture for the empty cage.
This next picture is what will have come out of the cage. Notice one of the bearings has fallen off of the CV joint.
This is what your front driveshaft/ spindle assembly might look like now. Notice the ball joint pickle fork on the floor by the tape measure. This is what is sued to separate the tie rod (by WD40 can) from the spindle. It can also be used to separate the lower ball joint in the same fashion.
These are the bearings; there will be three of them. It s these three bearings that go over those three pucks on the end of your CV drive shaft. That is what fits in the CV joint cage. The goal will be to realign the bearings with the cage. If your bearings are broken in half or melted, something crazy like that, they will need to be replaced. Otherwise continue to use your existing bearings. Let s take a moment to go over how to replace the boot now and then come back to installing the CV drive shaft. In the following image notice the small ring clamp on the geared end of the CV axle. This is what holds that three puck thing in place. You can pop it off with a flat head screwdriver but be careful not to send it flying across the garage floor.
Once you get this little ring off the three puck piece will slide off the geared section. If these gear teeth are obviously damaged or ground off, you will need to replace the CV driveshaft. Otherwise you can take the three puck piece off and slide off the broken CV boot. Slide the new boot back on and clam the small end around the CV driveshaft.
You can now put the three puck piece, little clamp ring, and bearings all back together. Should look like this. These bearings have all been cleaned; yours will hopefully be covered in disgusting sticky black goo. Clean it off so you can put new clean goo in there. Also for reference here are the bearings, three puck piece, and ring clamp.
Now to realign the bearings with the cage. This will be frustrating and probably not pop right in so be patient. Once you get it aligned it will all fit nicely into the cage, try spinning the bearings around so the rectangles fit into the three grooves in the CV joint cage. The CV driveshaft will be very heavy since the spindle is still connected to it. You can loosely reconnect the upper control arm to help you hold it up while you align the bearings with the cage. Once the CV bearings are back in the cage you can reconnect the lower ball joint, tie rod end, and upper ball joint. Also put back any strut mounting bolts you may have taken out along the way. The advantage of this method is it allows you to rebuild the CV joint or replace a broken boot without replacing the CV drive shaft and without removing the
Spindle nut. The suspension and steering does need to be completely disconnected though. In summary this is a worst case scenario, be sure that your spindle is back in place properly before driving the car. If it will not go back into place, you will likely have to undergo this procedure.