GERALD's TIRES & BRAKES
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CV Joints
Looking for CV Joint pricing?
Simply call one of our five locations and one of our
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WHAT IS A CV JOINT?
CV Joint
CV Joints, short for Constant Velocity Joints, are a necessary part of every front-wheel drive and many four wheel drive vehicles on the road today. Their function is to transfer power from the transmission to the wheels, even in turns. CV joints were not necessary with rear wheel drive cars because the rear wheels were always pointing in the same direction.
Outer CV Joint problems are typically easy to detect. A loud clicking sound can be heard when making a turn, usually when accelerating while turning. These are the most common CV Joints to go bad.
The Inner CV Joint (closest to the transmission) typically lasts for quite some time. It is not unusual to see them last 150,000 miles or more. The symptom for a failing Inner CV Joint is a vibration as the vehicle is accelerating. To check for a bad Inner CV Joint, drive your car up to 4-50 mph and note if there are any vibrations during the acceleration process. If there is, remove your foot from the accelerator and then note if the vibrations disappear. If they do, then you probably have a bad inner CV Joint. Take it into one of the Gerald's locations for a thorough inspection.
On rare occaisions, complete CV joint replacement can be avoided. Typically, CV joints go bad because the boot that protects them fails. The boots will develop a small hole or tear in them and if let go too long, they can completely tear open and allow the CV joints to perform without lubrication. If this condition happens and the CV joints run dry( no lubrication) for awhile, the joints can be damaged, resulting in CV joint replacement.
NOISE
CV Joint
Bad CV joints can be a regular maintenance issue with front-wheel drive cars. "Clicking on turns" is how the problem is often described. When a CV boot tears it releases the grease that keeps the joint healthy. Once the grease is gone the joint runs dry, metal on metal. If the joint is very loud or makes the noise even when driving straight the problem may be critical. Be safe! Don't wait on a check up when the noise begins!
