[elite38868]

There are many many businesses out there that rebuild FWD CV half shafts, but are there any that rebuild and sell complete half shafts for our 164's?

Thanks!

 

[lowmileage]

You might want to check these guys out
Raxles - Raxles Home

Guys on my Nissan forum rave about them and these guys (not me) are running turbo boosted cars .

The Best: raxels - SR20 Forum

Tell Marty you were recommended by a guy on the SR20 forum.

 

[Alfisto Steve]

Ask these guys they sell 164 racks maybe they have correct half shafts: Front Wheel Drive Axle Ordering Information

The trick is getting the ABS serrations in right place for 164 as I pulled a "perfect fit" axle from a 91S with an ABS light for a guy some years back that he had got somewhere. Fit fine but serrations in wrong place to line up with sensor. Replaced axle with a spare one I had from a 91L and bingo no more light and system worked fine.

 

[elite38868]

Thanks LM and Steve,

I sent an email to Raxles as it was too late to call, so we'll see what I get back.

I ordered my steering rack yesterday from Jorgen Auto, but found out that they didn't sell axles for our 164's, so oh welllll.

I'll keep everyone updated.

 

[Alfisto Steve]

What's wrong with your axle(s)?

 

[elite38868]

Nothing at the moment, but I'm just trying to go through everything and these ones look like they will need replacing in the upcoming months...

 

[Alfisto Steve]

Nothing at the moment, but I'm just trying to go through everything and these ones look like they will need replacing in the upcoming months...

Boots maybe axles probably not if you change boots before they go really bad and dirt gets in.

 

[elite38868]

Boots maybe axles probably not if you change boots before they go really bad and dirt gets in.

Even with 209k?

 

[MrT]

They're better greased than wheel bearings, and you'd not blink at wheel bearings going 300k miles, would you? The CV bearings don't even have to stand any constant loads from the car weight. I'm with Steve, here.

 

[AlexGS]

They're better greased than wheel bearings, and you'd not blink at wheel bearings going 300k miles, would you? The CV bearings don't even have to stand any constant loads from the car weight. I'm with Steve, here.

I agree with Steve also. I have found on the smaller FWD Italian cars (in particular, the Uno) that the CV joints do wear out even when boots/grease are intact - often around 175,000km - but those cars tend to be used heavily in town with many U-turns etc. (it is always the left CV that goes first for us - driving on the left-hand side of the road). I think it has a lot to do with whether the driveshaft operates at a constant angle, as it tends to with the jacked-up suspension of the smaller cars, and how tight the steering is swivelled (I suspect there is more steering lock on an Uno than on a 164). The old grease that comes out seems to be thinner and less 'pasty' than the new grease, so perhaps it is the grease that wears out first?

Also, the Uno wheel bearings tend to wear out at about the same distance... I've just had to replace one at 105,000 miles. I think the record was probably one that needed replacing on my X1/9 after just 46,000 miles, but 18 years!

On the larger FWD cars I've worked on (Thema/Croma/164), neither the CV joints nor the wheel bearings seem to give any problem at all. Even if the CV joints were 'clicking', I'd be inclined to clean them, inspect for galling, and re-grease them, and that would probably be fine for many more years. You'd get plenty of warning. When the clicking turns to a cracking/knocking, that's less eligible for re-greasing. When it becomes a sort of metallic tearing noise, the CV must be replaced. I have a photo somewhere of a car where the CV centre split apart and the driveshaft stabbed the tyre (the RH driveshaft is long and unsupported on the lowlier FIAT models). Again, I stress that I have never heard a 164-type vehicle with noisy CVs!

-Alex

 

[velocedoc]

I have found that the grease deteriorates over time and liquifies, then the joint gets noisy even if the boot is intact. A rebuild is in order. I rebuild with synthetic grease so no worries on my part about the grease failing, just the bearings wearing a low spot in the CV joint from usage over time.

 

[AlexGS]

I have found that the grease deteriorates over time and liquifies, then the joint gets noisy even if the boot is intact. A rebuild is in order. I rebuild with synthetic grease so no worries on my part about the grease failing, just the bearings wearing a low spot in the CV joint from usage over time.

Exactly my thoughts.
Could you please explain the synthetic grease a little further - does it have molybdenum disulphide? What brand? I don't think I've ever seen synthetic grease here, except perhaps a small tube for brake system components.

When I take a boot off, I always try to take the CV joint apart, wipe clean with paper towels, wash with degreaser, and inspect for grooves/rough wear patterns. Smooth wear, as you said, is OK. One time, I found a crack in the centre 'knuckle', so that experience probably reinforced this checking habit (can't remember which car that was). I had to make an exception with my 164's outer CV because I couldn't get it off the driveshaft, but since I caught that joint in time (only a day after the boot split), I just wiped out most of the old grease and packed in some new grease. I used a generous amount of BP Energrease with 3% molybdenum disulphide.

-Alex

 

[velocedoc]

The hot ticket for alot of people is to switch over to synthetic grease. The concept is that it has excellent shear characteristics, meaning that it won't break down as easy. This is what happens to grease over the life of the CV joint, is the grease shears to the point it liquifies. This is when the wear in a CV joint will begin on the bearing face of the joint itself. My rule of thumb is 100,000 miles or boot failure, what ever occurs first. I have packed alot of CV joints over the years with Honda's, Mitsubishi's, Acura's, Nissans etc. to have a good idea what will make a CV joint like new and return good service.

The synthetic grease has a wide temperature range that it can work in, similiar to the syth. oils, as well as being able to pump through crevices even in a cold situation. As we know well, oil and grease under cold temperatures does not flow well. If water was to get in the joint for some reason, the syth. will resist water better. Generally I will opt for moly based grease for all applications for bearings, but have made the switch to synthetics in CV's because I only want to have to do this greasy job only a couple of times in my life.

Like you, I disassemble the CV joint from the axle, clean in fresh solvent, pressure wash to get all of the grease out, and even disassemble the CV joint and rewash in fresh solvent again. Inspect for wear patterns, sometimes you can flip the CV joint and move the wear pattern to a new location, thereby "refreshing" the joint to almost new condition. This won't always work. The CV joint has a Rockwell hardness over 60, so you are dealing with very hard metal, meaning you can't have it repaired. Then I will reassemble the CV joint, and using a needle grease tip, inject fresh grease back down between the bearings to the lower cavity. Then using a regular tip, pack grease all around and down between the cavities until I have the CV joint full. Then I will slip it on to the shaft, install the clips, and slide the boot over. I put about 4 oz. of grease in the boot to help with lubricity, making up for any cavities I might have missed.
Hint: wear Nitrile gloves when packing bearings as it make life alot easier on your hands and clean up.

What I get out of the effort is a nice quiet CV joint that will go the distance. I hope I have answered your questions?

 

[elite38868]

No go for raxles as well. They can't be THAT different!

 

[Alfissimo Int.]

Even with 209k?

Yes. I agree. Those things are fairly bullet proof if through their life the boots have been rip free and grease clean. If they do rip, if replaced immediately then I so no reason why they should not last another 209K.

My suggestion is to clean them repack them with a good grease, my choice is Lubro-Moly CV joint grease with MOLY in it and go about your day. No need to blow mass amounts of money on CV joints if they are not really bad.

Unless of course there are signs of wear, rust and so forth on the bearings.
Otherwise take it apart and clean it well.

This grease is fantastic and really makes the CV joints quiet.

Made In GERMANY (Same as the CV joints)

If you need some let me know? I have plenty.

Just my advice.

Jason

 

[AlexGS]

The synthetic grease has a wide temperature range that it can work in, similiar to the syth. oils, as well as being able to pump through crevices even in a cold situation. As we know well, oil and grease under cold temperatures does not flow well. If water was to get in the joint for some reason, the syth. will resist water better. Generally I will opt for moly based grease for all applications for bearings, but have made the switch to synthetics in CV's because I only want to have to do this greasy job only a couple of times in my life.

Thanks very much for the writeup!
There was just one question left unanswered though - the brand/product that you use. I was wondering whether it would be a brand sold here in NZ (we have obviously quite a lot of things from the USA, E.g. if it was 'Redline', I think I know a distributor here to ask, but in general greases/oils tend to be 'local' production from the usual big names, Castrol, BP etc.

Cheers,
-Alex

 

[velocedoc]

Yes, Redline is the choice of synthetics locally from a parts store. It is more expensive than the moly based grease. I need so also say that I have used the moly based grease alot and have had good results. Since I was rebuilding the shafts on the Q, I felt that I needed to opt for the synthetic as I just didn't want to go back in at some point in the future to repack them. That is subject to change depending on the life of the boots.
Most people will get good service from moly based gease.