CV Replacement

[White Lincoln]

Instead of rebuilding my CV joints, I was wondering if the $60 ea CV joints in RockAuto where any good?

TRAKMOTIVE FD8082

More Information for TRAKMOTIVE FD8082

I finally realized the clunk when I put the car in reverse is the CV's and all the rattle coming from under the car are the bearings. I did the front bearings and that took 1/2 the rattle away.

PS: I don't have a race car, it won't do burnouts and the best I can expect is to land on some sand on the road and get the tires to spin...

 

[Grog6]

I used them, when I did the mark arm swap on Lazarus. If you still have the stock driveshaft, it could easily be a u-joint, or the driveshaft itself.
Driveshaft is the first thing I buy, when I buy one. PST loves me, lol.

 

[White Lincoln]

Hey Grog,
The drive shaft was "re-furbished" and u-joints are relatively new. Thanks for the confidence that someone else has used that brand of CV's. My CV's have 150k+ on them and if they are like the front bearings that I just replaced, those CV's are ready to be replaced too.

 

[Zep5.0]

I just bought duralast gold from AutoZone. I plan to install tomorrow if things go well. I'll let you know what they look like. They were $200 for the pair

 

[Grog6]

I replaced Laz' joints at 350k, and they were not bad. I threw the new ones on, and the old in the parts collection jic I have a problem, I'll use them.

 

[White Lincoln]

I just bought duralast gold from AutoZone. I plan to install tomorrow if things go well. I'll let you know what they look like. They were $200 for the pair

Thank you Zep for the input and follow up. Would like to hear your experience when you get a chance. I went over the service manual for R&R and its pretty straight forward and any of the tools of mine that may not work, I have several Auto stores near that rent out tools.

 

[White Lincoln]

I replaced Laz' joints at 350k, and they were not bad. I threw the new ones on, and the old in the parts collection jic I have a problem, I'll use them.

Now your just teasing me.... "Go ahead, it'll last another 100k without issue! I don't see any burned or melted parts there...."

I think what I will do is jack the rear wheels off the ground, have the wife go through the gears so I can see if i hear any "noises" coming from the half shafts or drive train.

 

[Generalee0527]

I just rolled 357K miles and I am responsible for all but the first 7 when I took delivery of my special order. No problems yet! and it will still run 3 digits. Not as smooth as new but still stout.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

the best I can expect is to land on some sand on the road and get the tires to spin...

Whaaat?!

I actually think the inside rear tire, taking off into a tight turn, spins very easily. Even with the V6.


Ohhh wait. You said "tire s". Plural. Yeah no, the V6 can only spin one tire at a time. It's a safety feature.

 

[theterminator93]

You guys need to spend some time in the north in winter. Everything spins.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

You guys need to spend some time in the north in winter. Everything spins.

Oh my, that reminds me: many years ago, early 2000s, a friend of mine actually bought a V6 Thunderbird in New York, probably a '94, and took it to live in Montreal. His husband, a Québécois, absolutely hated the car; that "traction arrière" he said was horrible in the snow! They ultimately replaced it with a Saab...

 

[97 30th]

I did not have good luck with the trackmotive cv axles. They did not last long(less than a year) before they started getting a bunch of play in them and I don't beat on my car at all. Got some dormans that are still in the car. I ended up searching the parts to put some factory ford I believe sc axles (bigger shaft) together. So I have 2 sets of new Ford cv axles ready when I need them.

 

[Grog6]

Or the South, in the rain. The cars all had problems pulling out in the rain. I spun the tbird one afternoon coming home, going uphill about 85, and when it upshifted back into 3rd after a pass, it burned the wheel until I let off.. (open diffs suck, but they don't go sideways like a locker).
I can steer Laz with the throttle in the curvies.

 

[White Lincoln]

I just rolled 357K miles and I am ...

That's the 4.6! If you take care of them, they will last.

Oh my, that reminds me: many years ago, early 2000s, a friend of mine actually bought a V6 Thunderbird in New York, probably a '94, and took it to live in Montreal. His husband, a Québécois, absolutely hated the car; that "traction arrière" he said was horrible in the snow! They ultimately replaced it with a Saab...

I am not Swedish, so I cannot appreciate the name, but SAAB has always made me kinda cringe.

So I have 2 sets of new Ford cv axles ready when I need them.

Whata ya waitin' for???

You guys need to spend some time in the north in winter. Everything spins.

No thanks. Been there, done that. I will stay where the winters are freezing, but dry. And when it rains, it rains for 15 minutes and then the drama is over and dry in 60.

So, I have to wait until the wife forgets my last tearing apart the car before I do the CV's, but I will do some reading and buy a pair and be ready to go.

Unless 97 wants to lend me his CV's...

I did not have good luck with the trackmotive cv axles. They did not last long(less than a year) before they started getting a bunch of play in them and I don't beat on my car at all.

Thanks for the mention of the Trackmotive brand. Grog said he did not have any issues, but you did. That's 50/50 they are crap, er... not that great. (yes, I am a review reader on Amazon... )

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I am not Swedish, so I cannot appreciate the name, but SAAB has always made me kinda cringe.

If you want cringe, look at this SAAB (aka Cadillac BLS):

 

[97 30th]

Thanks for the mention of the Trackmotive brand. Grog said he did not have any issues, but you did. That's 50/50 they are crap, er... not that great. (yes, I am a review reader on Amazon... )

The inner cv on them is smaller than what the Ford parts I got are. I thought I saw somewhere they looked like the na v6 axles.

 

[97 30th]

Whata ya waitin' for???

I'll wait for the Dorman's to go bad which I have heard they can because they regrind them and you lose the hardened surface.

 

[Kidd-7]

You guys need to spend some time in the north in winter. Everything spins.

So true. And so glad I’m not there anymore.

 

[Zep5.0]

The CV joints are smaller than factory, but everything looked and felt solid. You do get a new nut with them that actually fits. The threads are a bit finer which should help with all that V6 fortunate l torque you have. Without driving on them it's say they are good.

 

[White Lincoln]

Which brand of CV is that Zep? You may have said, but I missed it.

 

[Zep5.0]

Which brand of CV is that Zep? You may have said, but I missed it.

Duralast Gold from AutoZone. Wouldn't normally go for duralast, but options are limited these days. And $200 for the pair was reasonable. That was with 10% off new orders and free shipping.

 

[97 30th]

View attachment 7466View attachment 7467View attachment 7468
The CV joints are smaller than factory, but everything looked and felt solid. You do get a new nut with them that actually fits. The threads are a bit finer which should help with all that V6 fortunate l torque you have. Without driving on them it's say they are good.

The Trakmotives look about like those duralast.

 

[White Lincoln]

I think what I will do is jack the rear wheels off the ground, have the wife go through the gears so I can see if i hear any "noises" coming from the half shafts or drive train.

I just read this in a Do/Don't Do CV joint document:

"Don’t: Raise a vehicle on the frame contact lift without supporting the suspension. Running the vehicle in gear without supporting the suspension may damage the CV joints."

Interesting.

And this:
"Don’t: Allow CV axles to hang unsupported. Always support the disconnected end of the axle."

 

[White Lincoln]

Okay then... so just to get some feedback, pretty consistent signs the CV's should be replaced are:
1) Clunk heard when putting the car in reverse
2) Taking off from a dead stop (slowly) and you hear a clunk
3) Rattling / clunking noise heard from rear end when car is cold and the sound tends to go away after about a mile or so of driving.

Last time I did a visual, there were no leaks, no tears in the boots and the slack was not bad when in park (turning the half shaft). If I bring the rear end off the ground and turn the wheels, will it be the half shaft or rear end that makes that clunking noise when you turn the tire back and forth?

Trying to find an article on REAR CV joints. Seems most articles are about FRONT CV joint signs they are going bad.

Thanks

 

[XR7-4.6]

Bad U joints on the driveshaft or transmission mount bushing would also cause those clunks, and IME both are more likely to go bad before the halfshafts

 

[White Lincoln]

Bad U joints on the driveshaft or transmission mount bushing would also cause those clunks, and IME both are more likely to go bad before the halfshafts

The u-joints are relatively knew and well greased. And the tranny mount is relatively new as well. My first thought was the differential gears are worn.

I had a 65 Dodge D100 a long time ago. When I would take of, it would clunk real bad. That was the U-joints falling apart. Even my Town Car had dried out u-joint bearings and made a horrible noise. So, I am not new to that sound, but this is my first tracking down a noise with half shafts.

More tests to be done. Maybe tomorrow I can get the rear end up see if I can replicate the noise. This is why I am asking these questions and I am grateful to get answers that make me think about what else might make the noise. Thanks XR7.

 

[rampagingsloth]

Instead of rebuilding my CV joints, I was wondering if the $60 ea CV joints in RockAuto where any good?

Is rebuilding CV joints a lot more expensive? Or uses crappy parts?

Or the South, in the rain. The cars all had problems pulling out in the rain. I spun the tbird one afternoon coming home, going uphill about 85, and when it upshifted back into 3rd after a pass, it burned the wheel until I let off.. (open diffs suck, but they don't go sideways like a locker).
I can steer Laz with the throttle in the curvies.

When you say "locker" do you mean just the Traction-Lok limited slip diff (clutches), or an actual locker like an off-road truck? Would a Detroit Truetrac also go sideways in that scenario?

 

[White Lincoln]

Is rebuilding CV joints a lot more expensive? Or uses crappy parts?

Cheaper. Depending on the condition of the parts in the CV axle, it may not be worth it though.

This might help:

This one was professional and had good graphics.

Unfortunately, they are not specific to our T-Bird or Cougars.

I would recommend watching this one on why third party CV axles can be a problem as apposed to OEM CV axles (what will break your bank account).

(This could be front CV axle issues, and may not show up for the rear)

 

[Grog6]

Our axles have none of the geometry problems a FWD car has.
From first hand experience, turning the wheels and spinning out in a gravel lot, then hitting pavement makes cy joints explode, which our cars will not.

 

[White Lincoln]

I wondered about that because the way they talked about front wheel CV axles, you will notice when they are bad primarily when you turn.

But the clunk is prevalent in front or rear if the axle is wearing down.