GrimGreg Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Clearly I'm not as perfect as some others here. All I can say is when I had a torn boot, and heard popping noise coming from the front end during 4wd , replacing the cv joint [with the half axel] solved the problem. This is a fact. Just trying to help--glenn You'll get a popping sound if you turn too sharp in 4wd with everything in sound working order, pop doesn't=toasted . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glenn Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 well when you hear it pop rhythmically , while going in a stright line, and it appears in 4wd only, and only when the hubs are engaged and its coming from the wheel well --it probably does . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 (edited) General rules of thumb: Once the boot is gone, the grease goes within a few thousand rotations. Once the grease is gone, the joint starts going. Immediately. May take a few hundred (or thousand) miles to wear to the point of being obviously shot, but it has endured irrepairable wear as soon as it started rotating in a grease free environment. So yeah, looking at that picture, I'm 99% sure that joint is knackered. And to really add icing to the whole irrational outburst thing.... A bad joint on the front CAN affect steering. If the joint is really knackered, it will not flex as easily as the other side. To the point that if it was rusted up and seized, it could not flex to other side and prevent the axle shaft from rotating. Locking the wheel is obviously very unlikely - the joint would come apart first. BUT - on a really low traction surface (like ICE and SNOW), the one knackered joint could be intermittently and momentarily binding up without quite exploding. ANd what happens when it binds? That wheel slows down, and then the differential accelerates the other wheel... If one front wheel is momentarily slowing down while the other is accelerating, do you think that could cause funny steering? Edited February 6, 2006 by mws Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) So yeah, looking at that picture, I'm 99% sure that joint is knackered. It is FUBARED for sure -- You can hear grinding noises when moving the lower part of the joint. I went ahead and cut off the remaining part of the boot just to get a better pic of it. Never mind the grass -- the driveway I'm doing this in leads up to my back yard. I'll post up when I get a new axel installed to see if this fixed the outrageous steering wobble problem. Edited February 7, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 Wow! That is, umm, not pretty! Does the joint still flex back and forth? Is that rust and dirt, or just really dirty grease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 It is FUBARED for sure -- You can hear grinding noises when moving the lower part of the joint. I went ahead and cut off the remaining part of the boot just to get a better pic of it. grinding indicates sand/dirt in there but doesn't really mean the thing is shot. if it is not loose (ability to "pop" it) then it should be fine.. disassemble the joint, clean it thoroughly, pack with grease and reassemble. the heat marks on the outer part are normal and even new ones have them so don't sweat that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted February 7, 2006 Author Share Posted February 7, 2006 (edited) Does the joint still flex back and forth?Is that rust and dirt, or just really dirty grease? Yeah the joint still flexes a reasonable amount, but it sounds like a rock tumbler when doing so. Theres so much dirt in the joint, and not a lot of grease. if it is not loose (ability to "pop" it) then it should be fine.. There is some play in the joint, and it does kinda "pop" -- especially compared to the diff-side joint, which was reasonably smooth & quiet. I'm just going to throw a new one on though, just so I can feel a confident about that side again. How do you rebuild these things though? The DS boots are starting to crack, and I might as well replace those while this is all on my mind. Thanks for the help guys Edited February 7, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted February 7, 2006 Share Posted February 7, 2006 How do you rebuild these things though? The DS boots are starting to crack, and I might as well replace those while this is all on my mind. Thanks for the help guys For the outer end there is a C-clip/snap ring holding the shaft on, remove the clip, pull the shaft out. On the inner you remove the big round seal at the end (I just pushed the axel in against it, it popped right off) then remove the snap ring on that end and slide the spider bearings off the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) ****** A bad joint on the front CAN affect steering. If the joint is really knackered, it will not flex as easily as the other side. To the point that if it was rusted up and seized, it could not flex to other side and prevent the axle shaft from rotating. Locking the wheel is obviously very unlikely - the joint would come apart first. BUT - on a really low traction surface (like ICE and SNOW), the one knackered joint could be intermittently and momentarily binding up without quite exploding. ANd what happens when it binds? That wheel slows down, and then the differential accelerates the other wheel... If one front wheel is momentarily slowing down while the other is accelerating, do you think that could cause funny steering? How dod you propose that the axle binds then unbinds whilst drive down the road without making any noise or whilst driving in a straight line? ************ Edited February 9, 2006 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 How dod you propose that the axle binds then unbinds whilst drive down the road without making any noise or whilst driving in a straight line? Well for the record the axel was making noise and it wasn't an entirely straight line -- bogus basin road is NOT a straight road. Some 200 odd curves in an 18mile stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Well for the record the axel was making noise and it wasn't an entirely straight line -- bogus basin road is NOT a straight road. Some 200 odd curves in an 18mile stretch. Curves. You said it right there. Not sharp corners, not tight bends even but curves. -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted February 9, 2006 Author Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) Pardon me for not being more specific -- the 18 miles encompasses some 200 odd corners -- some of them gradual currves, some of them sharp switchbacks. Heres a sample about a mile or two before the ski resort -- elevation is roughly 5500 feet. Props to google maps for the image. Edited February 9, 2006 by Harbinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Pardon me for not being more specific -- the 18 miles encompasses some 200 odd corners -- some of them gradual currves, some of them sharp switchbacks. Heres a sample about a mile or two before the ski resort -- elevation is roughly 5500 feet. Props to google maps for the image. So after your wheel locked up.................. What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 So after your wheel locked up.................. What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Vsicks, obviously you have an answer he doesn't see. Quit poking him and trying to make a point and spit it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) ooh oooh, time for my irrational outburst*************** Yes, people are trying to learn stuff here. I've never done anything with my CVs, other than make sure the boots aren't bad, and while I'm trying to learn something from Harby's thread here, you come up with some off the wall bullcrap, polluting the thread. While you are on hiatus, please consider your actions on this board, as we hope you come back **************** Let us for once concider what would happen if your axle was stuffed. 1. Stuffed axle.. the car would not pull and nor would it wander. 2. If binding, as was suggested........... you would slide off the road, the car would pull drastically to the effected side. After all one wheel has locked up! 3. If two was really happening...... you would have to stop any momentum asap, lest you would have already crashed on an icy/snowy road!!!!!. 4. A seized bearing...... the effected wheel would overheat and perhaps catch fire. Pulling drastically once again to the effected side. 5. a damaged axle or cv joint does not effect steering at all. It can not make the car wander. It may vibrate and that's it! 6. What steers the car? -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- -thnkboutit- ************ people want to learn things here,*********** I Got to the point 88. Edited February 10, 2006 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Now can we lock this thread before I go forever? Is it too late to recant that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 Wow, I really dislike the direction this thread took. Not the spirit of this board at all. For the record: - I stand by my original post. - Momentarily binding was not meant to mean fully seized - I meant dragging severely - a high friction situation. Binding was not the ideal word to use. Sorry. - The degrees on the wall indicate I didn't fail physics. - I refuse to join in 4 year old name calling and hysterics. I encourage others to do the same. I look forward to hearing what Harb reports after the repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) Wow, I really dislike the direction this thread took. Not the spirit of this board at all. NAME CALLING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!! i heavily edited some posts because of that.. got the idea? now, quit it and play nice. think FAMILY FRIENDLY! at all times. thanks P.S. neither will i tolerate any baiting. all those with my edits, consider yourselves warned! i don't want to pursue any further actions (read-more drastic) in this matter. Edited February 9, 2006 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) NAME CALLING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!!! i heavily edited some posts because of that.. got the idea? now, quit it and play nice. think FAMILY FRIENDLY! at all times. thanks P.S. neither will i tolerate any baiting. all those with my edits, consider yourselves warned! i don't want to pursue any further actions (read-more drastic) in this matter. Big edit. Edited February 9, 2006 by Vsicks Pathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 meanwhile back at the ranch... I have some axle shafts that are in good shape, complete if anybody is interested. drivers and passengers side. I'd be willing to sell each for say 20 bucks plus shipping. IM me if interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 9, 2006 Share Posted February 9, 2006 (edited) Wow, I really dislike the direction this thread took. Not the spirit of this board at all. For the record: - I stand by my original post. - Momentarily binding was not meant to mean fully seized - I meant dragging severely - a high friction situation. Binding was not the ideal word to use. Sorry. - The degrees on the wall indicate I didn't fail physics. - I refuse to join in 4 year old name calling and hysterics. I encourage others to do the same. I look forward to hearing what Harb reports after the repair. Yeah, I was quite shocked to see such a personal attacks from you and tbecktold. NO, I should not have retaliated but with such things being said... well I did and I was biting my tounge all the way! YES, I should have left it to the mods to take care of. As it stands, I just made a lot more work for mz.... Sorry mz, it will not happen again. He had to go back and mod all of our posts and that is hardly fair on him. We should be ashamed of ourselves. That being said...... Binding and seized are two different things. I never suggested you said they were the same. For the cv to bind, it has to be at a very acute angle, and then will completely lock up the wheel rendering the car unsteerable untill that huge bang occurs to let you know it is free again. Seizing will cause massive friction and could even start a fire (uless it is the diff that seized). Both will cause the car to be pulled in the direction of the effected side. As nothing of this nature was made apparent in the original post, it stood to reason his problem with wandering is caused by worn steering components. He can quickly check this by leaving his hubs locked in and not engaging 4wd. His using 4wd has exaggerate the effect of worn components. As the front driving wheels try to put power to the ground. The following happens...... under load, his wheels will turn in toward each other. When he eases off the power his wheels try to turn away from each other. It is a very common problem with pathfinders and causes them to wander. The more worn the components are the more severe the wandering. There are litteraly hundreds of threads on this. I hope this can explain more clearly where I was coming from and it is not to idiotic for you. Edited February 9, 2006 by Vsicks Pathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbinger Posted February 10, 2006 Author Share Posted February 10, 2006 Wow, this got a tad outta hand eh? Not much like this place at all. I look forward to hearing what Harb reports after the repair. I'll report back for sure -- I just picked up the re-man'd axle & boot kits (for the DS) today, will hopefully get it all put back together this weekend. I have some axle shafts that are in good shape, complete if anybody is interested. LOL -- Just goes to show I should check NPORA before running down to NAPA. He can quickly check this by leaving his hubs locked in and not engaging 4wd. Is there anyway to check this with auto hubs? I haven't upgraded to manuals yet. As I said, I'll report back with the findings once I get this fixed. I'm guessing it will be better, as MWS seems to have described what I experienced fairly well. I'm not saying my steering isn't worn -- but I'm fairly certain this axel wasn't helping anything at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 Is there anyway to check this with auto hubs? I haven't upgraded to manuals yet. I have a set of Mile Markers I can sell you, used for 1 week, never in 4wd. $60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted February 10, 2006 Share Posted February 10, 2006 I have a set of Mile Markers I can sell you, used for 1 week, never in 4wd. $60 There you go GG to the rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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