CV joint questions

[perelaar]

For info, this is how it looks...

Crossmember:

and the exhaust:

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Ouch.... I did almost exactly the same as that on my Vitara, found a tree stump in the middle of a track...

 

[perelaar]

Did you have to change the offending crossmember, or were you able to repair it? Car still drives, but I'd rather not give Mr MOT man reasons to fail it

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Did you have to change the offending crossmember, or were you able to repair it? Car still drives, but I'd rather not give Mr MOT man reasons to fail it

On the Vitara, it was not quite as "substantial" as the T2's cross member, and the car was only 9 months old, so we changed it to be safe.

 

[perelaar]

This one seems to be dented, but not bent (it came off the mounting bolts easily enough)... Trying tonight to get it from underneath the car, then I'll know more. Mounting points on the main chassis are in any case not damaged/bent at all, the mounting bolts are not deformed.

 

[solarman216]

never tried to get just the x member off on its own, if you can jack up the G Box as high as it will go it may just come out but fear you may have to drop one torsion bar, and that damage will not straighten without heat, Rick

 

[AlexD333]

Are these cross members (pictured) meant to be symmetrical from nearside to offside? Mines not :augie

 

[perelaar]

The cross member came out with some gentle persuasion from a rubber hammer, without removing torsion bars. Did have to jack up the gearbox. Rubber gearbox support seems to be undamaged.
If they are not meant to be symmetrical I'd be very happy - mine is not symmetrical anymore in any case
Not to keen to take heat to it, I'm afraid it might weaken it. Will try to straighten the part that's bent upwards in a vice this weekend.

 

[Banshee]

never tried to get just the x member off on its own, if you can jack up the G Box as high as it will go it may just come out but fear you may have to drop one torsion bar, and that damage will not straighten without heat, Rick

It's like you're in my mind

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

You do not need to take the torsion bars off, just lift the gearbox up a bit. The worst part is finding a spanner that will get onto the top nuts that fix the bar to the chassis rails. The nuts are in a concave pan that not only makes getting to them difficult to get to, but also collects muck and grime, meaning the exposed thread ends are in a pretty bad way to unscrew. Then to make things worse, on the side the fuel and brake pipes are, you can't use a socket as there is not enough height clearance between the rail and the pipes, so need a dog leg spanner, like the good old fashioned ring spanners used to be, but I kept finding the dog leg was either too big fowling the pipes, or too small, and would not reach over the lip to the nut. Great fun...

Putting it back, the only issues are making sure it is the right way round, and getting the gearbox rubber mounting bolts to line back up, without loosing any fingers, I learnt a few new expletives doing that bit.

Are these cross members (pictured) meant to be symmetrical from nearside to offside? Mines not :augie

As I remember, they are pretty symmetrical, as I tried to fit mine back in the wrong way round the first time, and then realised the gearbox mount was on the wrong side.

 

[perelaar]

Thursday I'm seeing a friend who's active in steel construction, maybe he can do something to straighten out the crossmember. Having difficulties finding a replacement part here in Belgium in any case.

On the other hand, hoping my order arrives before the weekend: how difficult is it to fit cv boots? Do I need special tools for that (I'm seeing fitting cones and airpowered tools advertised)...?

 

[solarman216]

Thursday I'm seeing a friend who's active in steel construction, maybe he can do something to straighten out the crossmember. Having difficulties finding a replacement part here in Belgium in any case.

On the other hand, hoping my order arrives before the weekend: how difficult is it to fit cv boots? Do I need special tools for that (I'm seeing fitting cones and airpowered tools advertised)...?

cv boots are not a problem, getting the cv,s off of the shafts is, you need to have a good bench vice that can hold the shaft really tight and a soft faced heavy lump to drive the cvj off of the shaft (do not attempt to do this on the car as all you will do is draw the inner coupling from its housing resulting in needle rollers issuing all over the place) then you need to be sure after assembly that the circlip is located properly, wish you luck, Rick

 

[perelaar]

I'm hoping I can fit the boots without having to remove the entire CV. As it stands now, all is stripped out, except bottom ball joint (did not have a spanner big enough to fit on the castle nut). Decided to not only replace top ball joints as planned, but bottom ones as well. They are after all the same age, so if top ones are worn, bottom ones will be to.

Crossmember actually came off without any issues at all and without removing torsion bars, after lifting the gearbox and applying a rubber mallet. Even the top ball joint I undid came off with only one bolt sheared

 

[AlexD333]

Keep up the good work dude!

If you need any advise post up a pic or two :thumb2

 

[perelaar]

Trying to make pictures as I go along, hoping I can condense all my mistakes in a list of things not to do, to be added to the workshop downloads. I am, after all, writing procedures as a day job

As for the mistakes made:
1) not properly looking where one is driving and hitting a large stone on the road
2) using iphone with white leather cover when taking pictures of greasy car parts
3) place part order before you are very sure of the parts you need

 

[perelaar]

So, it ended well after a lot of money and effort. And with great help from Rick (solarman here), who sourced me a chassis crossbar for very reasonable cost and who tipped me off on the way to replace the CV boot!

Now:
- new exhaust is installed, made the car decidedly quieter
- new boot on passenger side CV, went effortless with the tip from Rick (see my other post on that)
- new balljoints top and bottom both sides, and new track rods both sides. Steering does feel different, but then geometry still needs checking
- new chassis crossbar installed, checked transfer box, gearbox and rubber mount: no damage, luckily...
- front propshaft cleaned and greased, noticed rear propshaft UJ need replacing soon
- front bearings adjusted
- passenger side seized brake sliding pin fixed

Still to do for my upcoming "utility conversion" MOT: minor changes to load bed in the back, proper cleaning, fluid change, brake bleeding as there still is a bit of sponginess since installation of new rear metal brake pipe, install new front bump stops as the other ones rusted off.
To do when funds allow: new steering idler arm and centre rod. Just got myself a new riflescope for the roebuck rut, so funds are now temporarily depleted. Especially since Mrs perelaar will probably want to "compensate" the car parts and scope with yet more shoe shopping

 

[jims-terrano]

Youve been busy, well done you:clap