How long should a CV Joint last? I have replaced them times before on my car, and now am hearing the tell-tale thumping sound on the front left when I turn corners. What causes the cv joint to go bad?
High mileage and being flat worn out does it, but most often the cause is a torn or split axle boot which then allows the grease to leave and dirt/water to enter.
Thanks for the info. How many miles should a new CV Joint last? I had this replaced 30K miles ago. Does that seem reasonable to need replacement again?
If the rubber boot covering the mechanism remains intact they can last well over 100,000 miles. One, even small, rip in that rubber boot and they can die in a few hundred miles.
If you are off roading or if the replacement was not properly installed or damaged some other way, that would explain a short life.
Was it a new c.v. joint or a reman? If it was a reman, you were lucky to get 30k. For a replacement, look for EMPI or GSR axles. They probably won’t last as long as a brand new OEM because they are made in China (metallurgy questionable) but they should well outlast any remans.
That depends. If the boot is torn then it’s possible the joint could very well be bad this soon.
I’ve used a lot of reman halfshafts with no problem, BUT, it is also quite possible to get a reman unit that is very questionable to put it mildly.
Some may fail the first week or 6 months later.
The reason for this is a lot of halfshafts (the cores that are turned in) may be in bad shape. Many of the people who work for reman facilities are not mechanically inclined and if you get a halfshaft that was “rebuilt” by a recently employed guy who is now in the big time after quitting his gig at McDonalds - you may be in trouble.
I ran into this a few months ago on my daughter’s car. Replaced the right side shaft and two weeks later she was complaining about a vibration. Sure enough, the reman shaft was a bad one that slipped through the cracks and was binding horribly when in a certain position.
I once installed a remanufactured halfshaft that only lasted about 100 yards. While road testing the vehicle, as soon as I turned the steering wheel, the outer joint blew wide open. When I brought it back to the parts store, the person behind the counter stated “Well, we’ve been having a bit of trouble with this supplier lately.”