The outer CV joint consists of a body 1, a separator 5, an inner cage 3 and six balls 6. Grooves for accommodating balls are made in the body of the CV joint and in the cage. The grooves in the longitudinal plane are made along the radius, which provides an angle of rotation of the outer hinge up to 42°. The splined tip of the constant velocity joint housing is installed in the front wheel hub and attached to it with a nut.
The holder 3 of the hinge is mounted on the splines of the shaft 12 between the thrust ring 7 and the retaining ring 2.
The inner CV joint differs from the outer one in that the paths of the body and the clip are straight, not radial, which allows the hinge parts to move in the longitudinal direction. This is necessary to compensate for movements caused by oscillations of the front suspension and power unit.
Balls of the same sorting group are installed in the outer and inner joints of equal angular velocities; if necessary, all six hinge balls, which must also be of the same sorting group, are replaced. When assembling the internal constant velocity joint, a selective method is used. Replacement of any one part is unacceptable - the internal constant velocity joint must be replaced as an assembly.
The parts of the hinges of equal angular velocities are lubricated with SHRUS-4 grease, which is put into the hinge bodies during assembly. The sealing of the hinges is provided by protective covers 8 and 13, fixed with clamps 4 and 9. To prevent deformation of the covers due to changes in internal air pressure during the assembly of the hinge and in operation, valves 10 for air passage are installed on the covers in casings 11.
Helpful advice. The drive hinges are very durable, their design life is almost equal to the life of the car. However, in operation they are often changed or repaired. This work is expensive and labor intensive. In order to save a lot of money, regularly check the condition of the protective covers of the hinges and immediately replace them at the slightest damage. If water or dust gets into the hinge through a damaged cover, it will fail after several hundred kilometers. The sealed hinge wears out extremely slowly.
Possible malfunctions of the front wheel drives, their causes and solutions | |
Cause of malfunction | Remedy |
Noise, knock from the front wheel when the car is moving | |
Wear of parts of hinges of equal angular velocities Deformation of the wheel drive shafts | Replace worn or damaged CV joints Replace wheel drive shafts |
Lubricant leak | |
Damage or rupture of the protective cover of the inner or outer hinges | Change the grease in the joint and the protective cover |
Pic. 5.8. Front wheel drive: 1 - body of the outer hinge; 2 - retaining ring of the hinge holder; 3 - clip of the outer hinge; 4 - clamp for fastening the cover on the hinge body; 5 - outer hinge separator; 6 - ball of the internal hinge; 7 - thrust ring of the hinge holder; 8 - cover of the outer hinge; 9 - clamp fastening the cover; 10 - cover valve; 11 - casing valve cover; 12 - front wheel drive shaft; 13 - cover of the internal hinge; 14 - lock of the internal hinge; 15 - inner hinge separator; 16 - holder of the inner hinge; 17 - shaft buffer; 18 - body of the internal hinge; 19 - retaining ring