Auto and Truck Repair and Advice
Serving the Gainesville and Hawthorne Florida Area
CV Joints (Constant Velocity Universal Joints)
All front wheel drive cars have two drive axles: one for each front wheel. A special type of universal joint, called a CONSTANT VELOCITY UNIVERSAL JOINT, or CV JOINT for short, transmitts the power to each wheel, while allowing the wheels to turn from right to left. Another set of CV joints are on the inner end of the two axles: these compensate for the up and down movement of the suspension.
These CV joints have grease inside of them. This grease is held in place by CV JOINT BOOTS: rubber coverings which hold the grease in and keep dirt and moisture out.
These boots should be replaced and the grease renewed every 50,000 miles. In addition, road hazards can fly up and tear the rubber boot. Once the boot is torn, vital lubrication slings out and dirt and moisture get in the joint. In a matter of only a few weeks or even days THE AXLE IS DESTROYED!!!
HOW TO PREVENT THIS?
Get your axles serviced at the 50,000 mile intervals. Also check your CV boots regularly: if you see a tear, or grease slinging out, get them fixed IMMEDIATELY!
HOW DOES A BAD CV AXLE SOUND?
A bad axle will make a clicking sound when you turn around a corner, but will be fairly quiet when you're driving straight ahead.
Check out this website for more about CV AXLE FUNDAMENTALS
The Economechanix Cyber Mall
We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry!
Thank you for visiting the ECONOMECHANIX WEB SITE. Please feel free to comment. We also serve the surrounding communities of Alachua, High Springs, Hawthorne, and Newberry! Gainesville has been my home since 1974, and I've loved Gvl and the Gators since I came here in the fall of 1974 to attend the University of Florida. I loved it so much I stayed and opened my car repair business. Originally it was out of the back of a 1963 Chevrolet wagon, but in 1977 a fellow mechanic and I opened an auto repair shop with actual walls, etc. I stayed in the same location for 26 years, and recently moved my operation to property I bought 15 miles east of Gainesville. I am doing most all the repairs myself now, having reduced my overhead from $1500 per month to practically nothing. I do work by appointment only. I mostly work only on my established customers cars, but I will occasionally take on new clients. E-mail me and I will either make arrangements to look at your car, or I will recommend you to someone who will.
George G. Scott, Jr.