Replacing the driveshaft crosspiece: how to know when it’s time

The driveshaft crosspiece in the vehicle system serves to securely fix the rotating axles of the transmission. Using this element, it is possible to connect two parts of the shaft using a special plug. The crosspiece is based on a hinge mechanism that allows the shafts to rotate against each other at different angles. Like all other components, the driveshaft is subject to serious loads. Replacing the driveshaft crosspiece is necessary if, while driving, slight vibration is felt inside the car, or extraneous sounds are heard from the transmission: knocking, clanging, clanging. Next, we’ll tell you in detail how to quickly and efficiently do all the work in your garage.

Cardan shaft crosspiece - how to find out about a breakdown?

This part can rightfully be called the central link of the entire cardan, since it performs the most important function in its operation - transmitting torque from the gearbox to all the necessary units . Thus, it is she who makes the shaft itself rotate. Therefore, every motorist should know how to replace the driveshaft crosspiece and how to properly monitor it so as not to get into a very unpleasant situation, especially when it comes to an unexpected breakdown during travel. Also, to extend its service life, information on how to lubricate the driveshaft crosspieces will be useful.

The very first harbinger of a crosspiece failure is a characteristic knock that occurs in the cardan box while driving. In addition, you can also hear creaking, grinding and even crackling sounds. Remember that the repair of the driveshaft crosspiece cannot be postponed until later, since even a small malfunction will affect the quality of the trip and the operation of the entire mechanism, and therefore can cause an accident.

The main reason for such a malfunction, as a rule, is the gap in the cardan joint, as well as wear of the bearings of the cross itself.

Of course, their serviceability is affected by both driving style and the quality of the road surface, but if the first completely depends on the driver, then we are unable to influence the second factor. Cross-country trips, which cause heavy stress, have a particularly negative impact. In addition, the location of the cross is not the most favorable (very close to the road surface), so it is constantly exposed to dust, dirt and water.

Repair or replacement of the cross

The degree of damage to the hinge and the likelihood of successful repair can only be determined by removing and disassembling the crosspiece. Usually this procedure is carried out on a dismantled cardan.

The decision to replace or repair is made based on the appearance of the hinge and its parts. If we are talking about one or more worn out bearings, then this problem can be easily solved without complete replacement. However, if deformation of the crosspiece is visible - dents, cracks, bends - then repair is not enough.

Unfortunately, not all car owners follow these rules. There are many examples of unsuccessful attempts at makeshift repair of the spider, which only led to faster destruction of the driveshaft, driving problems and emergency situations. Any mechanical impact, especially on an already damaged hinge, reduces its ability to bear loads, even if as a result of these actions its appearance is restored. If repairs are possible, they must be carried out by trained personnel.

Important! Regardless of whether the part was repaired or replaced with a new one, after installing it and the cardan it is necessary to carry out balancing. It is almost impossible to do it efficiently on your own. This is why even the best and most expensive garage-installed joints can fail after a few months of driving.

Removing the driveshaft crosspiece - check its condition visually

In order to prolong the life of the crosspiece and, of course, the cardan itself, it is necessary to regularly carry out visual inspections, with which you can assess its serviceability. It also wouldn’t hurt to use high-quality lubricant for the driveshaft crosspieces, especially since purchasing it is not difficult at all. Moreover, it is recommended to lubricate its elements at least every ten thousand kilometers.

You can carry out diagnostics as follows: grab the flange with one hand, and the shaft with the other, and rotate them in different directions. If play is formed, this indicates severe wear of the part, and therefore the need for urgent repairs or its complete replacement. In order to understand whether it is possible to limit ourselves to just replacing worn elements, you will need to completely remove the driveshaft crosspiece.

This is done according to the following scheme. First, you should unscrew the cardan mounting bolts, and then it can be easily dismantled. Next, unscrew the nuts with which the shaft is attached to the rear axle shank. Using pliers, you need to loosen the locking ring and dismantle the cross itself. Then turn the shaft so that it hangs and knock out its cups with a hammer. Now remove them, given the dimensions of the driveshaft crosspiece, this is not difficult to do.

What's the result?

There is nothing complicated about replacing the driveshaft crosspiece. When performing work, it is enough to follow simple rules and recommendations. Distortions of the crosspiece or any other components of the cardan are unacceptable. If the technology for assembling the assembly was violated, all the work will have to be done again. During the operation of the car, it is important to listen to the operation of the transmission, carry out diagnostics and promptly eliminate any malfunctions that arise.

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How to check driveshafts, also known as driveshafts, for functionality on a VAZ 2101-VAZ 2107?

Note! Before starting work, we recommend that you use a brush to clean all parts of the cardan transmission from any dirt adhering to them. And also during all the work, you will most likely need to first remove the driveshaft from the car and only then disassemble it! (For information on how to disassemble it, see the article: “Repairing the cardan”)

1) First, it is recommended to remove the cardan for a more detailed inspection. (How to remove it, see the article: “Replacing the driveshaft”)

2) After removal, check the condition of absolutely all welds that are present on the cardan. Also check the condition of the splined parts and the front driveshaft pipe itself.

Note! In no case should the splined parts show signs of severe wear; if you find such signs, then it is recommended to replace the shaft on which the splines have become unusable!

3) Then, moving to the rear cardan, inspect it and check for the presence of balancing weights on it, and also look at the condition of the welded seams and look at the diameter of the fork hole.

Note! There should not be any significant dents in the rear driveshaft, and bending of the forks themselves or their holes is also not allowed. For reliability, using a bore gauge together with a dial indicator, measure the diameter of both holes of the fork, which should not exceed “23.825”!

4) Then remove the crosspieces to inspect them, and after removal, check the condition of the bearings, spikes of the crosspiece, as well as oil seals, as well as the clips and the crosspiece itself.

Note! If there are signs of visible wear, then replace the crosspiece along with its bearings with a new one!

5) Next, remove and check the condition of the elastic cardan coupling.

Note! If you find traces of cracks, various types of damage, as well as peeling on the coupling, then replace the coupling with a new one!

Preparing to repair the driveshaft

Before replacing the crosspiece, you should first acquire a new part. And here even experienced drivers may have a question: which crosspiece is best to buy? Repair work on the cardan is not carried out very often, so not many people have the relevant experience. When choosing a new element, it is important to pay attention to the reputation of the manufacturer. There are a sufficient number of good analogues of original spare parts.

To carry out all the work, you need to have a lift, but not every driver has such a luxury, so in extreme cases, an inspection hole is enough. Stops are placed under the front wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Removing the shaft and crosspiece is much easier without a puller, provided that the assembly bolts are in good condition and they release normally.

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Design and purpose of the cardan cross

The cardan serves to connect the gearbox and the rear (in a rear-wheel drive car) or front (in all-wheel drive) axle. Its task is to transmit rotation from the engine to the bridge or bridges. The connection point for these elements is the hinge, the main part of which is the cross. It has the shape of a cross, at the ends of which there are cups with needle bearings. The bearing is separated from the housing by a sealing ring made of rubber or plastic. For each car model, the dimensions of the crosspieces differ from each other.

Cardan joint: device, purpose

The device with two forks is made in the form of a universal joint, which performs the main function in the gearbox. It is divided according to the type of transmitted rotation:

• transmitting rotation of equal angular velocities (CV joint);
• transmitting rotation of unequal angular velocities;
• with a semi-cardan elastic and rigid hinge.

Mechanisms are single-shaft, double-shaft and multi-shaft; based on the number of hinges, they can be divided into single-, double- and multi-hinge.

In front-wheel drive cars, CV joints are installed that do not use crosspieces.

The mechanism is mounted on vehicles with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. When transmitting unequal angular velocities, one and sometimes two cardans are used, it all depends on the distance over which the rotation needs to be transmitted.

The first shaft, located from the gearbox to the support, is called the intermediate shaft, and the second is called the rear shaft. They are connected using a support, rigidly fixed with a clamp on the bottom of the car. This is the so-called suspension bearing.

This device is designed to properly maintain HF. This design uses an additional hinge with a cross. In addition to this gearbox, a compensating device is used, which is called a sliding clutch. It is designed to lengthen or shorten the cardan while the machine is moving and is a splined connection between the cardan and the fork tip. When overcoming obstacles, a mutual change occurs between the rear axle and the car body. As a result, the cardan is compressed or stretched. These changes are compensated by a sliding clutch. If it is necessary to transmit rotation to two shafts at an angle, a mechanism with a semi-elastic hinge is used.

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Possible crosspiece malfunctions:

• Cross play
• Needle bearing wear
• Wear of the cross itself
• Leakage and lack of lubrication
• O-ring failure
• Metallic ringing when moving
• Noise and crackling in the cardan area

Theoretically, the crosspiece is a very reliable part, the service life of which should be about 500,000 kilometers. But in practice, replacing the universal joint cross occurs after a mileage of 50-100 thousand kilometers. This is influenced by factors such as operating conditions, the manufacturer of the part, and the quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the part. If your car is often used in rural areas, then dirt and various bumps will shorten the life of your cross by several times. A common reason for crosspiece failure is simple inattention during routine maintenance. Often, no attention is paid to the lack of lubrication until the crosspiece makes itself known by vibration, noise or ringing.

How to choose a crosspiece for your car

If after all the diagnostic procedures it becomes clear that the car cannot drive for a long time without a new part, it’s time to think about choosing a replacement joint. What should you pay attention to?

• Manufacturer. It is best to give preference to well-known names. Among the most popular and high-quality ones are GWB, GKN, HD Parts.
• The appearance of a part can tell a lot. If traces of rough machining, burrs and other defects are visible, then this is a product of low quality.
• The choice of cross is made according to the shape and size of the bearing cups - they must correspond to a tight fit.

Important! Problems with cheap crosspieces may begin already at the stage of their installation, so we cannot recommend that you choose a part based on its price. Remember that not only its durability, but also the driving performance of the car and even your safety depend on the strength and reliability of the universal joint.

Troubleshooting

Before carrying out repairs, you need to find the cause of the problem. To do this, you will need to drive the car onto a pit or a lift. We put the transmission in neutral and climb under the car. We inspect the cardan, special attention should be paid to the condition of the crosspiece seals. Next, holding the crosspiece, we rotate the cardan itself. If the crosspiece requires replacement, the play can be noticed immediately. If there is no play, but various noises and squeaks are heard during rotation, then the crosspiece may not need to be changed. You just need to replace the lubricant. There are two crosspieces in the cardan and both need to be diagnosed. The rear universal joint crosspiece fails most quickly, since it bears heavy loads. When moving, dirt and moisture also fall more onto the rear crosspiece.

Malfunctions

Gearbox failure is characterized by strange sounds; while driving, the car moves jerkily, and a metallic sound is heard when changing gears.

The main gearbox malfunctions are:

• play in the hinges;
• deformation of the cardan shaft. This malfunction occurs when struck by a stone or when hitting a protruding obstacle;
• damage to the seals or their deterioration;
• damage to protective covers;
• wear of needle bearings;
• weakening of mechanism connections.

All defects that arise can be easily eliminated by car service specialists. Faulty elements are replaced with new ones, and loose connections are tightened.

Important! A car enthusiast should not operate a car with a faulty gearbox. This may lead to an emergency.

If the crosspiece is faulty, the most correct solution would be to transport the car on a tow truck to a car service center, where they will diagnose the car using special stands, identify the faulty part and offer the best repair option. Important! Some owners try to carry out diagnostics in car services located in garage cooperatives. As a rule, there is no staff there, and one specialist is not able to know all the intricacies of repairs.

Garage car repair shops do not have the equipment to diagnose vehicle malfunctions. As a result, it is not possible to conduct a quality survey. And the result of such a diagnosis is unpredictable.

Therefore, car enthusiasts should not contact such car services. Apparent savings on repairs turn into additional, and often not small, costs. When performing work, our car service uses methods developed at manufacturing plants. After any repair work, the car owner receives a warranty for spare parts and all types of services and repairs.

How to change the crosspiece on the cardan

To repair the crosspiece, it is necessary to remove the cardan. Before you disassemble, you need to know some nuances:

1. Fill the nuts with waterproofing agent to make the fasteners easier to unscrew.
2. Use a chisel to mark the cardan flanges and rear axle flanges. If this is not done, vibration may occur on the cardan.
3. To avoid damaging the threads of the nuts, it is advisable to use a curved spanner.
4. If the cardan bolts rotate, you need to fix them with a screwdriver.

Replacing the front universal joints of the CF500-A ATV

A cardan is a hinge mechanism for transmitting torque from one shaft to another. The ATV uses two driveshafts, rear and front. The mobility of the shafts is ensured by the so-called cross. There are two crosspieces on each cardan shaft. At one point, the crosspieces (one or both) will reach a significant degree of wear and will need to be replaced with a new part. Is it possible to do this yourself and do without special tools? Can.

It is very easy to determine that the crosspieces are worn out. Firstly, when moving, a distinct rattling (clanging) of metal will be heard. Secondly, you can simply reach up to the driveshaft with your hand and pull it from side to side in the transverse direction. If the shaft dangles with noticeable play, as in the video below, it’s obvious that it’s time for the crosspieces to go to the trash heap.

That’s how I did it: I drove around and thought that the clanging was a normal phenomenon. I don’t even remember when this sound began to appear - it feels like it has always accompanied me. And when I pulled the front driveshaft, I made an amazing discovery for myself: it turns out that it should have been repaired a long time ago. At the same time, the rear driveshaft was in perfect order.

The CFMOTO CF500-A all-terrain vehicle uses two 25×64 crosspieces in the front cardan shafts, catalog number 7020-290130, price around 450 rubles. These are not cheap and not particularly high-quality Chinese crosspieces, the metal from the Chinese is always not strong enough, the rubber cuffs are generally below any criticism, so there is no point in buying the original. Instead, you should purchase Japanese crosspieces from GMB, catalog number GUM-81. These parts are used in Mitsubishi Pajero cars, are made of good steel, have a grease nipple for lubrication, and cost only 250-300 rubles.

Tool

To replace the crosspieces you will need the following tool:

• jack, wrench 17 for wheel removal
• ratchet wrench for 12 with extension
• circlip puller
• hammer
• mandrel for knocking out the cross (old 15 head, for example)

In addition to the hammer, it would be nice to have a large vice, but if you don’t have one, like me, it’s okay. Of course, instead of a vice, it’s even better to have a crosspiece puller, but... it seems to me that my article is not for those who already have a puller