What Are the Symptoms and Signs of Damaged CV Joints?

You could be wondering how CV joints and car axles are related if you've never driven before. Simply said, inner and outer CV joints distribute torque from the gearbox to the driving wheels by connecting the vehicle axles to the front wheels. The CV joints are flexible, allowing them to move up and down with the suspension or side to side while spinning the wheel, resulting in a smooth transmission of power to the wheels.

Because they handle the whole weight of the vehicle, including passengers and cargo, the CV joints and vehicle axles must be strong and in good shape. Axles in vehicles are meant to last the life of the vehicle, or at least 100,000 miles, however they might wear out and fail owing to constant rotation and stretching to accommodate changing road conditions.

When looking for garages in Reading to book your car for a routine service or repairs, ask the car mechanic for a full health check of your vehicle to see if any parts are failing and need immediate attention or will need to be repaired or replaced soon.

A failing CV joint generally has immediate repercussions, and power is no longer delivered from the engine to the tyres, making your car undriveable. As soon and safely as possible, pull off the road. Look for car services near me online and call the garage to see if they have any availability for your vehicle. If this is the case, contact your recovery firm and inform them of your breakdown. You may also contact your local mechanic and arrange for your car to be recovered to their garage for repairs.

So, how do you know if your cv joints are bad? Here are some CV joint symptoms you may begin to notice:

1.      Clicking sound - This sound is most commonly heard while making quick turns at low speeds.

2.      Clunking sound - When accelerating or suddenly letting off the accelerator, a clunking sound can be heard.

3.      Grease leaking - Because both joints are covered by a grease-filled rubber boot, any tear or fracture in the boot might cause grease to flow out and coat the tyre, steering, and suspension components.

4.      Excessive vibration - If the CV shaft is bent, you'll experience excessive vibrations when driving, which will get worse as the speed rises.

Check MOT status and get any CV Joint or CV Boot problems addressed beforehand if you experience any of the above symptoms. The reason for this is that a ripped or split CV boot, as well as a damaged CV joint, will fail the MOT test.

Vibration Can Be Caused by Damaged Inner CV Joints When Accelerating

Inner CV joint deterioration causes acceleration vibrations and is difficult to identify since the damage is so subtle. Only when the inner CV joint has been removed from the car and cleansed of all oil and dirt can you see it.

A MOT history on majority of the cars on the road today will be able to confirm that a common reason for a MOT failure is due to a split CV boot which has resulted in the grease leaking out and starving the CV joint of lubrication.

If you're interested how many times your car has failed a MOT test, and one of the causes is a damaged CV joint, go online and look up your vehicle's MOT history check. This report will include information on all past MOTs, as well as the cause for any failures, any MOT warnings, and the car's mileage per MOT test.

What Are CV Joints and How Do They Work?

Firstly, we need to clarify what a CV joint is and where it's found, so you'll know what we are talking about and have a better knowledge of this essential vehicle component.

On either end of an axle, there are CV joints. There are inner and outer CV joints on each axle.

The inner CV joint is the one that connects the transmission to the body. The inner CV joint's splines match with the transmission differential's splines to turn the axle (splines are little teeth that lock together to produce a detachable combination of parts).

The outer CV joint is connected to the splines of the wheel hub and is placed on the outer section of the axle. The outer CV joint normally slides into the wheel hub splines and is connected to the hub by an axle nut positioned in the disc or drum's centre.

Damage to the CV joint cup, where the CV joint bearings ride, is frequently the source of your vibration. During typical driving circumstances, the damage appears as pits in the smooth metal surface where the bearings glide up and down.

When you complete a MOT history check online and are wondering why this is a common reason for a MOT failure. The simple answer is due to the amount of stretching of the CV boot every time turning the wheel overtime causes a split in the CV boot resulting in the grease leaking out. If not repaired in time, this will result in a total breakdown of your car and will not be able to drive it.

The inner cup to bearing mating surface has a very tight clearance, and any minor deviation in the clearance can cause vibration.

It is impossible to repair the inner CV joint after it has been damaged in this way. The CV joint or the complete axle will need to be replaced.