What are CV Axels and CV Boot?
All front wheel drive and all wheel drive cars use CV axles. “CV” stands for constant velocity. Your engine and transmission are mounted to the
September 7, 2021
What are CV Axels and CV Boot?
All front wheel drive and all wheel drive cars use CV axles. “CV” stands for constant velocity. Your engine and transmission are mounted to the body of the car such that they don’t move up and down with the suspension. The suspension and wheels, on the other hand, do move up and down to absorb bumps. The CV axle is a shaft that has two constant velocity joints at each end. One end comes out of the transmission and the other end mounts in the wheel hub. The two joints let the axle continue to spin as the suspension moves up and down and while you steer the car. A front wheel drive car will have a CV axle on both the passenger side and the driver’s side. An all wheel drive car will an additional two in the rear of the car. Each CV joint is covered by a boot that looks like a rubber accordion. It’s function is to hold the grease in and keep dirt and water out. Mileage, road conditions, and normal wear and tear can cause these boots to rip. When they rip, the grease leaks out and dirt and water get into the CV joint, causing it to wear out. This wearing out of the CV joint often creates a clicking noise in the front of the car while turning.
The constant velocity (CV) joint sends power from the transmission to the wheels (typically the front wheels). The CV boot is a flexible rubber boot that protects the joint, preventing water and dirt out of the joint, and keep grease inside of the CV joint.
When should you replace your CV axles?
There is prescribed time to change CV axles. Overtime, they simply break, and unless you get your car regularly examined by a mechanic, you might not know that you car had torn boots which will lead to your CV axles getting damaged.
- You hear a clicking noise when turning that comes from the front of the vehicle.
- You see heavy black axle grease within your wheel or on the ground around your vehicle.
- Your vehicle vibrates at high speed.
When should you replace your CV Boot?
- A grease leak: Grease leaks are the most common symptoms of a damaged CV boot. With time, the rubber CV boot gets dry or breakable and ends up cracking or tearing. Holes in the CV boot can cause the grease within the boot to leak on the inside of the wheel. It’s also quite common for the grease to get flung onto the chassis or other parts of the bottom of the car as the CV axle turns.
- Vibrations: Another signs of a damaged CV boot is vibrating coming from under your car close to your wheels. SInce a broken boot can enable dirt, debris, and moisture to go into the CV joint, there may be damage to the CV joint as well which causes can cause vibrations. If you are experiencing vibrations, this usually means that your CV axle will also need to be replacing.
- Car clicks during turns: If the CV axle gets damaged as a consequence of a torn CV boot, it is likely that you’ll hear clicking sounds. Clicking sounds during turning is the sign of a serious problem, as it indicates that the CV joint has become loose. A clicking CV joint will need to be replaced since at that point, it’s usually past the point of being salvageable.
How are CV axles replaced?
The car mechanic will:
- Confirm that the axle shaft requires to be changed.
- Remove the wheel and also change the damaged axle.
- Torque all fasteners and wheels to factory specifications.
- Refill any lost transmission fluid
- Inspect tire pressure.
- Do a road test.
Things to keep in mind when replacing CV axles:
- Your vehicle has several axle shafts, however in many cases, just one will certainly require to be changed.
- Even if the CV joints or boots are the only part of the axle to stop working, it is commonly suggested to change the whole axle.
- CV axles in climates that have snow and also use roadway salt can take to the vehicle’s wheel bearing hub or labor to change the CV axle.
How to replace a bad CV boot?
- The mechanic verifies that the CV Boot needs to be changed. To do that, the car is elevated and sustained on jack stands and the wheel is gotten rid of.
- The malfunctioning CV Boot is eliminated by taking off the axle as well as dismantling it to change the boot and tidy up the joint.
- The brand-new CV Boot is set up by loading the joint with CV oil, reconstructing the axle, and attaching the brand-new boot.
- The CV Boot is examined for procedure and the axle is reinstalled onto the car. The tire is mounted and the car is eliminated from the jack stands.
- The car is tested on the road to guarantee correct procedure of the CV Boot as well as the axle.
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