CV joint or “grenade” – a node that transmits torque from the engine to the wheels through the gearbox. Its design is designed for thousands of kilometers, but sometimes it breaks. You can easily calculate a faulty CV joint yourself. There are different ways how this can be done.
Signs of breakdown
There are two CV joints for each drive wheel: inner and outer; the latter breaks much more often. To identify a malfunction, you must turn the steering wheel as much as possible and move off. When the angle between the semi-axes approaches the maximum, the broken “grenade” begins to make a crunch.
As for the inner CV joint, in the event of a malfunction, it “crunches” in a straight line. The most clearly expressed signals can be obtained while overcoming ditches, pits, snowdrifts and other obstacles. If the “grenade” is worn, it will have a lot of play when checking the shaft by hand. You can also calculate a faulty hinge by lifting the car on a special lift.
With excessive curvature of the inner “grenade”, the wheels will spin in a suspended state after the first gear is engaged. In this position of the car, the crunch is heard especially well.
Causes of the malfunction
Many experts argue that CV joint elements are made from durable materials that wear out very slowly.
However, in practice, one often must break the “grenade” even with a new car.
Most often, failure is due to the following factors:
- installation of fake or defective items;
- deformed anther and water ingress into the mechanism;
- low-quality lubricant;
- poor road surface;
- aggressive driving style.
Thus, it is not difficult to identify a malfunction. As a rule, car owners are well aware of the signs of a “grenade” failure, the main of which is the appearance of a characteristic sound similar to a crunch. Most often, it occurs during acceleration or when turning.
