cv axle - death by t-crank?
#21
12-14-2009 | 10:35 PM
BF Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,746
From: Raleigh, NC
Just to reiterate what warthogdriver was saying:
The t-bar crank will cause increased wear on the CV joint leading to decreased life, but it will not destroy the joint in a few hundred miles unless it was already close to death pre-crank. The t-bar crank tends to pull the boot off one of the joints, and then fling the grease, and continuing to drive on a dry joint will kill the joint very quickly.
As with any modification...you have to stay on top of the maintenance. And if you start lifting and modifying a 10-15 yr old truck with 100k+ miles, its going to blow parts. I hate seeing people complain they blew out a ball joint and how that makes Blazers pieces of **** because they over-cranked t-bars with 150k on the clock!
To put it in perspective, Ive had my front end cranked up ~2" for going on 30k miles...Ive only had to replace one CV due to taking a dry joint on a weekend wheeling trip, but a simple re-grease and re-clamp fixed both after the boots pulled off.
In other news... papacope..was that failed t-bar key a Rough Country by chance? If you do some research the RC seem to have some issues with the keys..sucks..
The t-bar crank will cause increased wear on the CV joint leading to decreased life, but it will not destroy the joint in a few hundred miles unless it was already close to death pre-crank. The t-bar crank tends to pull the boot off one of the joints, and then fling the grease, and continuing to drive on a dry joint will kill the joint very quickly.
As with any modification...you have to stay on top of the maintenance. And if you start lifting and modifying a 10-15 yr old truck with 100k+ miles, its going to blow parts. I hate seeing people complain they blew out a ball joint and how that makes Blazers pieces of **** because they over-cranked t-bars with 150k on the clock!
To put it in perspective, Ive had my front end cranked up ~2" for going on 30k miles...Ive only had to replace one CV due to taking a dry joint on a weekend wheeling trip, but a simple re-grease and re-clamp fixed both after the boots pulled off.
In other news... papacope..was that failed t-bar key a Rough Country by chance? If you do some research the RC seem to have some issues with the keys..sucks..
Last edited by WolfPack; 12-14-2009 at 10:39 PM.
#22
12-15-2009 | 12:26 AM
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 357
From: Streator, Illinois
It is indeed a Rough Country torsion key WolfPack.
#23
12-15-2009 | 01:38 AM
Starting Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 221
From:
Its been a little under a thousand miles since I replaced all the fluids.
#24
12-15-2009 | 07:41 AM
wolfpack is on the ball here.
no i did not have to remove the cv axle to repack. just jack up the axle to level as best you can...then gently slide boot back clean surfaces and add one lube pack per side and reclamp with the adjustable clamps to a snug fit...dont over tighten just 1/4 turn past tight. you be the judge on the final tightening but that is my feeling as far as clamping rubber parts.
if i had to remove the axle to fix this i would have just got a new one, but my axle spun out grease for one maybe two days max. i discovered the problem between oil change and then painting my wheels. i tend to be a neat/maint. freak and a little paranoid with a 10 yr old 180,00 mile vehicle...like wolfpack said stay on top of your maint.
in the end the boot slips i think because it has been sitting in one position for ten years and by t-cranking you affect the cv-axle angle .....then the boot is like...."dude what the hell i cant stretch like that anymore" so you say..."hell you wont" and clamp that b@#ch back up on there....
no i did not have to remove the cv axle to repack. just jack up the axle to level as best you can...then gently slide boot back clean surfaces and add one lube pack per side and reclamp with the adjustable clamps to a snug fit...dont over tighten just 1/4 turn past tight. you be the judge on the final tightening but that is my feeling as far as clamping rubber parts.
if i had to remove the axle to fix this i would have just got a new one, but my axle spun out grease for one maybe two days max. i discovered the problem between oil change and then painting my wheels. i tend to be a neat/maint. freak and a little paranoid with a 10 yr old 180,00 mile vehicle...like wolfpack said stay on top of your maint.
in the end the boot slips i think because it has been sitting in one position for ten years and by t-cranking you affect the cv-axle angle .....then the boot is like...."dude what the hell i cant stretch like that anymore" so you say..."hell you wont" and clamp that b@#ch back up on there....
#25
12-15-2009 | 09:57 AM
BF Veteran
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,746
From: Raleigh, NC
in the end the boot slips i think because it has been sitting in one position for ten years and by t-cranking you affect the cv-axle angle .....then the boot is like...."dude what the hell i cant stretch like that anymore" so you say..."hell you wont" and clamp that b@#ch back up on there....
hahah +1
#26
12-15-2009 | 11:59 AM
Starting Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 221
From:
ha. I cranked my t bars back down. I have a half inch of lift now. Woo Hoo! and friday I will repack the boot. It does not appear as if it came off. Its still on there but all the grease that flew off is right near the end.
#27
12-15-2009 | 02:16 PM
i found my boots never came off fully. it just loosens them enough for centrifugal force to take over and spins it out the smallest of gaps.
you should be fine at either 1/2" or 1 1/2" like i did. the boot already came off.
you cant reuse the old clamps. up to you in the end.
the clamp should hold at the .5 or the 1.5. i have had great luck with this cheap-o fix.
you should be fine at either 1/2" or 1 1/2" like i did. the boot already came off.
you cant reuse the old clamps. up to you in the end.
the clamp should hold at the .5 or the 1.5. i have had great luck with this cheap-o fix.
#28
12-16-2009 | 09:22 PM
Starting Member
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 221
From:
Just to make sure. 1 pack per side? Seems like a lot of lube for the size of the cvs.4.5" clamps. Jack a arm up to make it level. Pull boot off. I assume it will come off once I take the clamp off by hand. Can I put it back on by hand also? Should I repack all 4 or just the 2 that are closest to the front diff? If this doesnt take a crap on me going to school tomorrow I should be fixing it Friday night after work.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...questid=386095
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...questid=386095
Last edited by Brianator99; 12-16-2009 at 09:28 PM.
#29
12-17-2009 | 04:29 AM
i did one pack and one clamp per side at dif. where boot slipped off.
should be able to do the whole thing by hand, i did.
just be sure boot is positioned correctly. when removing old clamp be sure not to nick the boot.
good luck.
should be able to do the whole thing by hand, i did.
just be sure boot is positioned correctly. when removing old clamp be sure not to nick the boot.
good luck.
#30
12-18-2009 | 11:18 PM
Beginning Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15
From: winfield, mo
i was thinking about buying one of these front suspension rebuild sets on e-bay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUSPE...#ht_2077wt_939
like said, lifting a truck with 100k+ on it can accelerate any oncoming issues, so i was wondering if replacing most of the old worn parts before modding would be beneficial in avoiding headaches later on down the road. and maybe re-clamping the boot after you crank the bar could help in avoiding it from popping off, and thus avoiding a blow cv, or just get a new boot altogether sense they're some what cheap.
i was also wondering, on jiggs site it has a 2" lift kit with has new upper control arms, would that be helpful at all in avoiding the extra stress that wears on you suspension, or is just another way to get you to shell out and extra 100 bucks.
like said, lifting a truck with 100k+ on it can accelerate any oncoming issues, so i was wondering if replacing most of the old worn parts before modding would be beneficial in avoiding headaches later on down the road. and maybe re-clamping the boot after you crank the bar could help in avoiding it from popping off, and thus avoiding a blow cv, or just get a new boot altogether sense they're some what cheap.
i was also wondering, on jiggs site it has a 2" lift kit with has new upper control arms, would that be helpful at all in avoiding the extra stress that wears on you suspension, or is just another way to get you to shell out and extra 100 bucks.