CV joint/driveshaft separation?

[Allen Brzeczek]

Can anybody advise please? I have read the books, watched various Youtube videos and the general consensus is that this is a relatively simple operation but how do you split them if as with mine it has not been necessary for several decades.

Am I missing something, mindful of avoiding damage to the shaft I have brutalised them as much as I dare to no avail. I see some sort of tool advertised but does this work or do I need to practise some careful surgery with my angle grinder on the scrap CV joint to gain some form of access to somehow loosen the circlip?

[moita]

You need to tap it with a hammer at the back until it pops out from the driveshaft. To fit is the opposite, and adviced to put a new clip in.

[Ronnie]

Can anybody advise please? I have read the books, watched various Youtube videos and the general consensus is that this is a relatively simple operation but how do you split them if as with mine it has not been necessary for several decades.

Am I missing something, mindful of avoiding damage to the shaft I have brutalised them as much as I dare to no avail. I see some sort of tool advertised but does this work or do I need to practise some careful surgery with my angle grinder on the scrap CV joint to gain some form of access to somehow loosen the circlip?

A swift blow with a hammer should do the job, but dependent on the last assembly I have had an occasion to use a hollow jack if the circlip (round wire) was damaged during previous assembly.

[Polarsilver]

Soft type Hammer .. copper or plastic & give it a good thump.

[imack]

I've got a pair of mk1 S drive shafts that I've never managed to get the cv joints off. I've beaten the living daylights out of the cv's in the past with a copper hammer with no success. Cleaned and repacked the cv's as best as I could while on the shafts. If they ever need replacing I'll be cutting them off with an angle grinder.

[CooperTune]

I made a puller to remove CVs driven by impact wrench. There have been assemblies that defeated it as well. I have no issue killing a CV to save a set of S axles. And yes, my 12 lb. dead blow does most. I tend to do that over a full trash can. I don't want them coming off on my foot. Steve (CTR)

[Spider]

I've had a few over the years where the C Clip had previously been spread too far, then on removing the CV the Clip becomes partly dislodged from it's groove in the drive shaft, resulting in them jamming in the splines.

I've always had hard won success by pounding the CV a good many times with a lump hammer, eventually shearing the C Clip through. The CV has always been karput though from doing this.

A well made puller should work in these circumstances, if it's made from decent steel that won't spread where it clamps on to the drive shaft.

[1071 S]

I'm with spider... soft blow, copper, plastic dead blow are a bit of a waste of time IMHO... brutality is usually required. Maybe a "light" whack first in case you get lucky... I never seem to be.

Cut the rubber boot way. Hold the driveshaft at the top, hanging vertically, CV joint down in your non-dominant hand. Apply as hard a downward blow as you can on the outer rim of the joint with a 4 lb lump hammer. If nothing happens, rotate the shaft (vertically) 60 degrees rinse and repeat.... again and again until it gives way. Eye protection recommended.

To date, I've not had to resort to the angle grinder....

Cheers, Ian

[Ronnie]

It's all about Kinetic energy.

[Oneball]

I don’t think I’ve ever managed to do it in the car. Take the driveshaft out and put the long end in a vice. Pull the short end with your hand, whilst doing so hit it with a hammer

[Allen Brzeczek]

Thank you good people, this morning I returned to the garage with renewed confidence and vigour. Armed with the biggest of my lump hammers I set about the CV which is hanging downwards with the shaft locked in the vice. Sparks flying from the impacts, no movement, hit it harder then but still no movement, hit it even harder when I lost my grip on the lump hammer, missed the CV and the lump hammer ricocheted off the floor and into my shin.

Am having a cup of tea and receiving treatment off my wife - has at least given me something else to think about however, just occurred to me that assuming I finally succeed I have the second one but by then I would have learnt from my mistakes - could eventually out of desperation see me on the wanted page looking for a pair of "S" driveshafts

[Polarsilver]

Copper Hammer or Drift..then with one good clout ..must remember to put in position a soft Landing place to catch the flying CV Joint

copper slog.jpg

[Oneball]

Try pushing/tapping the CV joint back up the shaft, then give the whole thing a shake. Put it back in the vice, pull back down on the short end and hit it again. Sometimes the wire clip can be sitting funny.

[Spider]

,,,, hit it even harder when I lost my grip on the lump hammer, missed the CV and the lump hammer ricocheted off the floor and into my shin.

I'm sorry you've done yourself an injury here, I hope your OK.

[Allen Brzeczek]

Thank you for your helpful comments, and concern, but my further attempts failed. Perhaps with access to an industrial type vice on a solid bench it might have been a different story.

Having time to accept my failure and lick my wounds with a few pints down my local I returned with a new mind set and after a nights sleep to overcome my excesses I attacked the CV with a 1mm cutting disc in my angle grinder. I started cutting around the circumference approx 1/2" from the lip then cut down every 30 degrees or so removing sections until it was possible to free the ball bearing and remove the shaft with the centre still attached.

Having cleaned this and application of copious WD40 I hung it from the jaws of a vice and was then able to knock down on the protruding drive shaft end. However, I could see and reach the circlip with a thin screw driver but not move it, I therefore turned hit the UJ end of the shaft which drove it slightly further into the CV inner sufficient to be able to lift one end of the clip and prize it out from thereon it was relatively simple to knock the shaft down and drive it through.

On examination evidenced by the burrs on an area of the splines adjacent to the groove it appears that the circlip did not compress into the groove but partly expanded and was trapped and jammed the parts together.

Hopefully the other side will be more straight forward.

[Spider]

On examination evidenced by the burrs on an area of the splines adjacent to the groove it appears that the circlip did not compress into the groove but partly expanded and was trapped and jammed the parts together.

Hopefully the other side will be more straight forward.

Glad you're feeling better, I'm sure a few pints helped calm the nerves !

Very patient and I'm sure messy work you did to finally get it apart.

I do now recall one I did eventually get apart and on closer examination the spider of the CV had a small but flat counter bore on one side of the splining and a taper on the other. The counter bore was the same dia as the bigger clip on the drive shaft, however, the way the CV had been assembled, that counter bore was to the inside of the joint. There was no way that the C Clip would ever retract to release the joint. My guess here is whoever assembled it was unable to get the C Clip to retract to get the shaft in, so they reversed the spider,,,,,

I wonder if yours was similar ? They should have a small taper on both sides.