CV Joints - Do you need the inner circlip?

[David_S]

I recently bought some aftermarket CV joints for my Nissan MQ. Went to fit them on my spare axles and found that the inner axle circlip would not fit under the lip on the spider assembly.

See photo below (new joint partially fitted on right):




Closer inspecton showed that the original CV spider had a square recess into which the circlip fitted, but the aftermarket had a rounded lip. My local 4wd guy reckoned that later model CV joints did not use a metal circlip but just a rubber O-ring.

My first question is whether anyone else has encountered a rubber ring in place of the circlip?

And my next is whether you actually need this circlip at all with a solid axle. The 4wd guy reckoned not but I reckon if you did not have it in place the axle could migrate into the CV taking the inner oil seal off its seat.

Anybody met this problem with aftermarket CVs? Everything else - splines, overall length match fine. My only solution is to round off the inner edge of the circlip so that it can slip under the spider. Any other ideas? I doubt that an O-ring would be secure enough.

[BundyRumandCoke]

I have seen a spot of weld applied to the inner end of the axle splines at each end. It stops the axle wandering into both CV and diff centre. Does away with the circlip. Makes for quicker CV changes as well.

[David_S]

I have seen a spot of weld applied to the inner end of the axle splines at each end. It stops the axle wandering into both CV and diff centre. Does away with the circlip. Makes for quicker CV changes as well.

Thanks. Sounds like a good idea

David

[lay80n]

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/vi ... ght=martac

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/vi ... ght=martac

Bit of info about Martac'ing *SP* (from Bundyrumandcoke's post)

Layto....

[RUFF]

Looks to me like the star in the CV is in backwards.

[chunderlicious]

im with ruff

[David_S]

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/vi ... ght=martac

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/vi ... ght=martac

Bit of info about Martac'ing *SP* (from Bundyrumandcoke's post)

Layto....

Useful links, thanks.

Given me a bit of food for thought. I don't have a problem with the axle going too far in as it seems to meet a stop of some sort. In fact when I changed the outer axle housing some time ago I had to mill a couple of mm off the inner lip of the oil seal bearing surface on the axle to get it to fit. Was a bit of a puzzle because I used the same axle/CV combo and the same ARB locker, but could not get the stub axle to mate up. Never had this problem with the old housing and only changed it because it was bent on one side and I tended to scuff out tyres.

However I would not want the axle wandering the other way, which is what the circlip is designed to prevent. The new CVs came with grease but no circlip so there is no clue there.

.

Looks to me like the star in the CV is in backwards.

I sure hope the star IS in the right way or I have two new paperweights to join my growing collection of broken CVs.

David

[David_S]

im with ruff

You too! Got me worried. ':?' So I went out to the shed on this cold frosty night and looked at the inner side of the star in the photo. Dead flat!

Phew!