What happens if CV joints snap?

[Ultima]

Will the wheels go flying off the car or will you just lose power to the wheels? What would happen? Thinking of getting this beater for really cheap ($100 CDN) off a friend but the CV joints are nearly gone on the car.

Oh, it's this old piece of crap Ford Tempo that my friend used to have and now his grandmother has, but she's getting rid of it cause she doesn't want a car anymore (and she just spent like $500 fixing some stupid thing in the engine)

 

[ScrapSilicon]

they can

 

[Colt45]

buy some referb'd transaxles and put 'em on yourself.. should be pretty cheap if you bring in the cores (i guess it depends on brand of car too.. I did a VW golf once, i dont totally recall the cost.. $65 side i think? i dont remember.. been a while)

the wheel wont go flying off, in theory.. but the transaxle will probably freak out and flop around and break something

 

[Scootin159]

Well the CV joint does nothing to hold the wheel on the car, it just acts as a universal joint on an axle which has an independant suspension. This means that the suspension holds the wheel on, but the CV joint (and axle) provide power to the wheel.

Generally if a CV joint goes the worst problem would be a LOUD clicking sound from the axle, especially on turns. If it were to SNAP (which it really can't do, but I guess it COULD fall apart) it would just leave the wheel freewheeling. The problem would come in that it could allow the axle to come loose and maybe flop around and break a lot more. I wouldn't really consider it a saftey issue as much as a possible mechanical failure. If they're already noticbly bad they're gonna get worse quick. You MIGHT be able to repack them to prolong their life,but if they're already bad enough you'll have to replace them. If the car is only gonna be $100 I'd still get it though and maybe replace the CV joints with junkyard parts down the road if they get real bad.

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: Colt45
buy some referb'd transaxles and put 'em on yourself.. should be pretty cheap if you bring in the cores (i guess it depends on brand of car too.. I did a VW golf once, i dont totally recall the cost.. $65 side i think? i dont remember.. been a while)

the wheel wont go flying off, in theory.. but the transaxle will probably freak out and flop around and break something

What kind of car is it? Also how would the CV joints affect the transaxle? Wouldn't you have one that bolted to the transaxle, then the halfaxle, then another joint by the wheel hub? Anyways I doubt he would need a new transaxle, and CV joint prices vary a lot from car to car.

 

[Stratum9]

I drove most of the Alaskan Highway with a bad CV Joint. It completly went about 10 miles outside of White Horse in the Yukon. I knew it happend because I lost most of my braking power, the pedal went to the floor. But I kept driving another 70 miles until I got to Hains Junction because this was one of those many long stretches of road where there is absolutely nothing in sight.

When I stopped at a gas station in Hains Junction -- with the little brakes I had left -- the front wheel well had smoke coming out of it. Luckily the gas station was also a restaurant and motel. The next day there was a garage in town that had the parts I needed to get me back on the road headed towards home in South Central Alaska.

The entire axle had to be replaced because the bearings got so hot it melted everything including the brake lines and such.

BTW: All this happened while pulling a U-haul trailer with the car.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: Stratum9
I drove most of the Alaskan Highway with a bad CV Joint. It completly went about 10 miles outside of White Horse in the Yukon. I knew it happend because I lost most of my braking power, the pedal went to the floor. But I kept driving another 70 miles until I got to Hains Junction because this was one of those many long stretches of road where there is absolutely nothing in sight.

When I stopped at a gas station in Hains Junction -- with the little brakes I had left -- the front wheel well had smoke coming out of it. Luckily the gas station was also a restaurant and motel. The next day there was a garage in town that had the parts I needed to get me back on the road headed towards home in South Central Alaska.

The entire axle had to be replaced because the bearings got so hot it melted everything including the brake lines and such.

BTW: All this happened while pulling a U-haul trailer with the car.

sweet..thanks..wondering why I keep getting the following type errors...

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[Colt45]

Originally posted by: Scootin159

What kind of car is it? Also how would the CV joints affect the transaxle? Wouldn't you have one that bolted to the transaxle, then the halfaxle, then another joint by the wheel hub? Anyways I doubt he would need a new transaxle, and CV joint prices vary a lot from car to car.

my terminology sucks. i am un-pro. lol

the stick between the wheel and the tranny, with the joint on it. whatever the heck its called.. halfshaft?

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: Colt45

Originally posted by: Scootin159

What kind of car is it? Also how would the CV joints affect the transaxle? Wouldn't you have one that bolted to the transaxle, then the halfaxle, then another joint by the wheel hub? Anyways I doubt he would need a new transaxle, and CV joint prices vary a lot from car to car.

my terminology sucks. i am un-pro. lol

the stick between the wheel and the tranny, with the joint on it. whatever the heck its called.. halfshaft?

yeah, that's the halfshaft. Alright, you're right then . The transaxle is basically the transmission, but it's called a transaxle when it straddles the axle (as in most FWD cars).

 

[nakedfrog]

When the CV join was going out on my old 92 Prizm, it sounded like a bloody helicopter...

 

[Howard]

What do CV joints have to do with braking?

 

[jemcam]

Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: Howard
What do CV joints have to do with braking?

My guess is they either broke a brake line when they went, or overheated enough to cause the brake fluid to boil.

 

[Atrail]

I just had both my CV Joints replaced, $320...

 

[iamwiz82]

it would take a good amount of effort to break a CV joint in half. They are arguably stronger than a U Joint. You could snap the axle, but thats pretty unlikely too.

I know that on solid axle vehicles, the caliper will hold the axle in place, also.

 

[jemcam]

know that on solid axle vehicles, the caliper will hold the axle in place, also

Care to explain that one to me? The caliper is bolted usually with two bolts to a cast iron bracket, which in turn is attached to the axle in the rear. The axle is held in place by 2 trailing arms attached to the frame or unibody rail. In the front, they're held in place by being attached to a bracket and attached to the strut.

Can you give an example? If if the caliper holds the axle in place, what allows the rear axle up and down movement?

Think about it. If I do a brake job on a solid axle car, the rear axle is hanging free when I unbolt the calipers? I don't think so.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

I never thought of that, you could be right. I'll need to think that one over.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

I never thought of that, you could be right. I'll need to think that one over.

Ever had one wheel stuck in the snow or mud?

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

I never thought of that, you could be right. I'll need to think that one over.

Ever had one wheel stuck in the snow or mud?

Yes, but that's a little different isn't it? You've got one wheel with traction and another without. If you had one wheel on wet ice and another on dry pavement, you'd still be able to pull off the ice.

 

[Scootin159]

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

I never thought of that, you could be right. I'll need to think that one over.

Ever had one wheel stuck in the snow or mud?

Yes, but that's a little different isn't it? You've got one wheel with traction and another without. If you had one wheel on wet ice and another on dry pavement, you'd still be able to pull off the ice.

no you wouldn't

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Scootin159

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Garfang

Originally posted by: jemcam
Technically, if it did break completely, you'd lose all power to that wheel. If you lose power to the wheel, the car should or would pull very hard to the side that lost the CV joint if accelerating. If decelerating, it would pull away. It would torque steer very badly, not to mention a lot of collateral damage like mentioned above.

Actually, the car will not go at all, unless there is a limited slip differential (almost no FWD cars have one). Of course, if it did have a LSD, and you tried to drive it, the LSD wouldn't work for long because you would burn it out quick!

If the CV joint by the wheel does go, that end of the driveshaft could fall out and do damage, depending on the type of inner CV joint used (tripod vs. ball bearing). Most use a tripod style inner joint that allows the shaft to move in and out.

I never thought of that, you could be right. I'll need to think that one over.

Ever had one wheel stuck in the snow or mud?

Yes, but that's a little different isn't it? You've got one wheel with traction and another without. If you had one wheel on wet ice and another on dry pavement, you'd still be able to pull off the ice.

no you wouldn't

With a front wheel drive car? I've never experienced it, I'll be honest, but one of the reasons front wheel drive works is because the transaxle equally distributes the power to both wheels. If it's uneven at all, you get torque steer.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Scootin159
yeah, that's the halfshaft. Alright, you're right then . The transaxle is basically the transmission, but it's called a transaxle when it straddles the axle (as in most FWD cars).

Actually, it's only called a transaxle when the differential is integrated into the transmission housing. If the differential is a separate unit, then the car has a transmission.

ZV

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: jemcam

know that on solid axle vehicles, the caliper will hold the axle in place, also

Care to explain that one to me? The caliper is bolted usually with two bolts to a cast iron bracket, which in turn is attached to the axle in the rear. The axle is held in place by 2 trailing arms attached to the frame or unibody rail. In the front, they're held in place by being attached to a bracket and attached to the strut.

Can you give an example? If if the caliper holds the axle in place, what allows the rear axle up and down movement?

Think about it. If I do a brake job on a solid axle car, the rear axle is hanging free when I unbolt the calipers? I don't think so.

You are right, if the brake job is done on an UNBROKEN axle is completed, it wont come out. But if the caliper was removed on an axle in a solid axle design that was snapped, there would be noting to stop the axle from sliding out. However, the caliper will hold the axle in.

Can you explain why a caliper would NOT hold a broken shaft in?

 

[jemcam]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Scootin159
yeah, that's the halfshaft. Alright, you're right then . The transaxle is basically the transmission, but it's called a transaxle when it straddles the axle (as in most FWD cars).

Actually, it's only called a transaxle when the differential is integrated into the transmission housing. If the differential is a separate unit, then the car has a transmission.

ZV

Trivia question:

What domestic muscle car in the 1960's had a rear transaxle, yet was a front engine car? (hint: it was a GM)