This Is How We Can Keep Our Car’s Axle In Best Condition!

Haroon Iftikhar

28 Aug 2015

We know our ecoboxes gives us so many axle related problems and it is a common sight that we see people standing on the side or the middle of the road where the axles have completely broken off the wheels but you can avoid that situation by simply being aware of the preventive maintenance of CV joints.

Constant Velocity joints or CV joints attached to the axle of our cars are something people pay least attention to. It’s not that they do not require attention. It is just that they need to be checked with certain intervals of time. It is a good practice to check the condition of the boot of a CV joint every time your car goes for an engine tune-up. If the part is damaged, it starts to make a sudden sound of clunking and sputtering.

A failed CV joint means you are at a complete stand still. Your engine starts, your gear engages but your car doesn’t move an inch. If you are lucky enough, your car will break down during day time and within the city so you can call your mechanic at the spot. Worst case scenario is that your CV joint fails on a highway or at night where it is almost impossible to replace the joint. To prevent this from happening, you just need to take care of your CV joint’s boot condition: should be not be torn and/or leaking. Look at the outskirts of the boot and check if there is any leakage or traces of oil.

A CV joint fails when it has no grease to lubricate it while dust and water damages the joint that is continuously in motion. There are various reasons for a damaged rubber boot. Most of them are mechanical. Using low quality CV joint grease causes pressure build up inside the boot which blows it up. And also, overheating of the boot melts it down which is also related to low quality grease. Small rocks or sharp things may cut or rupture the boot as well. Therefore, it is advised to use a good quality CV joint grease ONLY.

If your car is out of alignment, that will also affect the life of your car’s CV joint. The joint is stationary when your car’s wheels are straight. The thing just rotates and nothing else. As soon as the angle is changed, the joint starts to move and that too, under high load. So if you live in a city with bad road conditions, brace yourself every time you are about to hit a pothole. Potholes tend to decrease the life of a CV joint and sometimes damage it badly.

Not paying attention to a broken boot or a clunking CV joint can bring bad news to you. Not getting it repaired may damage your transmission and your repair cost might go from about 1500 to 15000. Just saying.

So that is how vital a CV joint is. It is the only thing rotating your wheels when power comes from the transmission. Take care of your car and it shall take care of you.