They carry the whole weight of the vehicle, plus passengers and cargo. These joints can generally last up to 100,000 miles. However, because CV axles are constantly rotating and flexing to accommodate the condition of the road, they can wear out and fail, resulting in a costly CV joint repair.
If one of the CV joints is bad, you will hear a popping or banging noise as you travel in a circle. WARNING: If you hear a CV axle popping or clicking when traveling straight, the CV joint is near the end of its service life and will completely fail soon. At this stage the CV axle must be replaced soon.
No one can predict how long it will last, especially from the internet. If the axle is clicking/knocking while turning, it means it's the outer CV-joint that's bad. When a CV-joint fails on an axle, and the axle comes apart, the vehicle will just stop moving.
The answer will be relative from one CV axle to another. It could take weeks, months, or years. But the average lifespan of a bad CV axle is around five to six months. Knowing this does not merely mean to stretch the deadline a little bit.
The Constant Velocity is sealed by a boot. This boot may get damaged, and when this happens, the joint will wear out and eventually fail. If you drive a car with a damaged CV, the joint will disintegrate further, making driving impossible. You'll not be able to control the vehicle and may get involved in an accident.
When shifting from drive to reverse, a worn-out CV joint makes clunking sounds, which can be deafening when accelerating in turns. Cracks or breaks in the rubber or plastic boots around the CV joint may be heard. Under heavy acceleration, the car may also shudder or shake.
What Happens When CV Joints Fail. Unfortunately, broken CV joints are not repairable—only the CV joint boot is. If your CV joints ever fail completely, the car will suddenly not be able to accelerate, since it won't have the means to transfer torque to the drive shaft or the wheels.
Replacing a CV joint yourself will save you a fair bit of money, but will require a decent amount of mechanical expertise and time. If you think the job is too complicated, it's recommended that you leave the task to a qualified technician. This can also help protect you from voiding any motor plan or warranty.
The price to replace a CV joint, or joints, will depend on the age, make, and model of your vehicle. If you own a mainstream affordable vehicle, the price to replace a CV joint is likely to run in the range of $900 to $1200. The majority of the cost will be labor.
If a CV joint is worn enough to click, it normally means that the boot has broken, the grease has escaped, and there is damage to the joint. You should replace it, but the least expensive option is to have it replaced with a rebuilt one.
If your boot is torn it will likely be weeks to several months at the longest before the joint is destroyed due to poor lubrication and exposure to dust and dirt. If you live in an arid climate, this will go even faster as the lack of moisture will create more dust.
Debris and dampness will enter the CV joint as grease leaks. Due to a lack of lubrication and corrosion, the CV joint will wear out faster and fail. When turning, the click, click sound is one of the most prevalent indications of a damaged CV joint.
As long as these boots aren't torn or leaking out the grease, CV joints don't need maintenance and will last for many years and tens of thousands of miles. However, if the protective boot is cracked or torn, the grease will leak out and ultimately cause damage to the CV Joint, due to lack of lubrication.
If the vehicle has over 150,000 miles then replacing both CV joints is a reasonable idea. On the other hand if the joint failed due to the boot being torn/ leaking grease or a collision, then replacing just the failed CV joint would be a sensible solution.
Often, the right (passenger side) shaft fails first because right turns are at a sharper angle than left turns, and right turns are more common than left turns. Consequently, the right outer CV joint and boot are the first to go.
All moving parts, no matter how well lubricated, will eventually fail due to a combination of wear and fatigue. It's a little unusual for a CV joint to fail if the gaiter (rubber bellows) around the joint has also not failed, but it may well have failed and been replaced in the past before you owned the car.
To check for a worn outer CV joint, put the car in reverse, turn the steering wheel all the way to one side, and drive backward in a circle. Repeat the process by turning the steering wheel in the other direction. If you hear a pronounced clicking or snapping noise, an outer CV joint may be worn out.
All front-wheel vehicles contain four CV joints, one at either end of each of the driveshafts running from your transmission to your wheels. Four-wheel drive vehicles also commonly contain CV joints which perform an identical function for the rear wheels.
If you drive the car too long, the CV joint gets worse from running without proper lubrication, and you'll hear the same noise when driving straight. That means the CV joint will soon fail and could result in disaster such as the wheel falling off the car.
How can you tell the difference between bad CV joints and bad wheel bearings?
To tell the difference between a bad wheel bearing and a bad CV joint, listen to the noise. If you hear a grinding, growling, or rumbling noise coming from the affected wheel, it's a bad wheel bearing. If you hear a clicking noise coming from the affected wheel when turning, it's a bad CV joint.
Can a bad CV joint cause vibration when accelerating?
CV joints are located at the end of each axle. There is both an outer and inner joint. When the inner CV joint is damaged or begins to fail, you will notice your car vibrating under hard acceleration. As it gets worse, the minor vibrations turn to violent shaking when under load.
An axle actually consists of two CV joints. These joints allow the axle to transfer the engine's power to the drive wheels at a constant speed while accommodating any travel conditions, including the up and down motion of the suspension and cornering.
If you wait too long to grease the CV joint, it will wear from lack of lubrication or contamination, requiring axle rebuilding or replacement. If you see CV grease all over the wheel well, shock absorber and brakes, but the axle is quiet, greasing the CV axle can prevent more complicated repairs.
