Intro To CV Joints


What applications will have a CV joint? In terms of automobiles, CV joints are generally found on front wheel drive and all wheel drive vehicles. In addition, rear wheel drive vehicles with independent rear suspension (as opposed to a solid rear axle) will have cv joints. A truck, such as a Dodge Dakota, will have CV joints up front if the truck is a four wheel drive (different than all wheel drive!). Of course, 4x4's such as old Army trucks with solid front axles will have - well a solid front axle! Less common is for a vehicle to have CV joints along its driveshaft (such as in an all wheel drive vehicle). Wonderful, but what the hell does it do? (Pictures from here on are thumbnails. Please click on the image for a larger version) CV joints were invented before this guy was even a twinkle in Nick Sr.'s eye. As the name implies, it is a joint. If you hold an axle for a modern front wheel drive car, you will notice you can bend it into a soft "V" shape at the joint. This is due to the CV joint. In a car in motion, this is important so the power from the engine can be transmitted to a wheel which is constantly moving up and down in accordance with the road surface. This is accomplished by the three rollers (below left picture) moving in a cup with three grooves (below right picture). The cup is packed with a grease that is a royal pain the ass to clean up. The cup is also held in a rubber boot to keep dust out (below center picture). So where are they on my car? One end of the axle is connected with the transmission. This end has a CV joint and the shaft at the end is, in the case of a Dodge Neon, noticeable longer. The other end is splined, and slips into the wheel hub. Unlike the transmission end, the wheel end of the axle is much easier to remove. Like the transmission end, the wheel end also has a CV joint. What happens if my CV joint fails? There are some old wive's tales about wheels falling off if a CV joint fails. This is not true! Many people get this confused with a wheel bearing failing (a worn out wheel bearing is VERY serious and you should address that as soon as possible). When a CV joint fails, power is no longer transmitted through the joint. As a result, whichever wheel that axle usually powers will no longer receive power. The axle (which the CV joint is a part of) does NOT hold the wheel onto your car. Anyone who has wrenched on a car themselves and has done any transmission work, knows that you can pull the axles completely out of the car and still roll the car around. In the future this article will include a picture of how the axle slips into the wheel hub. I would like to see some pictures of CV joints and axleshafts on a Dodge Neon. Luckily for you, we have some! That concludes this intro lesson to cv joints. Please don't mind the current look, as it will be refined and polished as time permits. As always feel free to contact CarboneRacing with questions or concerns. Also feel free to post on our forum.

cv joints

What applications will have a CV joint?

In terms of automobiles, CV joints are generally found on front wheel drive and all wheel drive vehicles. In addition, rear wheel drive vehicles with independent rear suspension (as opposed to a solid rear axle) will have cv joints. A truck, such as a Dodge Dakota, will have CV joints up front if the truck is a four wheel drive (different than all wheel drive!). Of course, 4x4's such as old Army trucks with solid front axles will have - well a solid front axle! Less common is for a vehicle to have CV joints along its driveshaft (such as in an all wheel drive vehicle).

a 1995 and 1998 Neon

Wonderful, but what the hell does it do?

(Pictures from here on are thumbnails. Please click on the image for a larger version)

CV joints were invented before this guy was even a twinkle in Nick Sr.'s eye. As the name implies, it is a joint. If you hold an axle for a modern front wheel drive car, you will notice you can bend it into a soft "V" shape at the joint. This is due to the CV joint. In a car in motion, this is important so the power from the engine can be transmitted to a wheel which is constantly moving up and down in accordance with the road surface. This is accomplished by the three rollers (below left picture) moving in a cup with three grooves (below right picture). The cup is packed with a grease that is a royal pain the ass to clean up. The cup is also held in a rubber boot to keep dust out (below center picture).

So where are they on my car?

One end of the axle is connected with the transmission. This end has a CV joint and the shaft at the end is, in the case of a Dodge Neon, noticeable longer. The other end is splined, and slips into the wheel hub. Unlike the transmission end, the wheel end of the axle is much easier to remove. Like the transmission end, the wheel end also has a CV joint.

What happens if my CV joint fails?

There are some old wive's tales about wheels falling off if a CV joint fails. This is not true! Many people get this confused with a wheel bearing failing (a worn out wheel bearing is VERY serious and you should address that as soon as possible). When a CV joint fails, power is no longer transmitted through the joint. As a result, whichever wheel that axle usually powers will no longer receive power. The axle (which the CV joint is a part of) does NOT hold the wheel onto your car. Anyone who has wrenched on a car themselves and has done any transmission work, knows that you can pull the axles completely out of the car and still roll the car around. In the future this article will include a picture of how the axle slips into the wheel hub.

I would like to see some pictures of CV joints and axleshafts on a Dodge Neon.

Luckily for you, we have some!

That concludes this intro lesson to cv joints. Please don't mind the current look, as it will be refined and polished as time permits. As always feel free to contact CarboneRacing with questions or concerns. Also feel free to post on our forum.