Out of Joint (CV Joint and Boot Replacement)
July 28, 2024
If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, it has components called CV joints which enable you to turn your wheels smoothly. The CV stands for “constant velocity.” In essence, it’s a set of gears that connect a shaft that allows power from the transmission to be sent to the wheels. When you turn the wheels, no matter what angle, the input velocity rotation will be equal to the output. Thus, the name, CV (constant velocity) joint. Other vehicles with 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive also use CV joints.
If one of your CV joints isn’t working right, you may find your vehicle difficult to handle. If one breaks, your vehicle may stop moving. So, it’s important that CV joints be in top working condition. The joints need a lot of lubrication, so they are surrounded by grease. There’s a rubber enclosure around them called the boot which holds the grease in and protects CV joints from the elements.
The biggest problems come when one of those rubber boots cracks. Water and dirt can then get into the joint, causing it to wear down and lose all its vital lubrication. It’s important to have your CV joints inspected regularly so a technician can spot cracks before the CV joints are ruined. Sometimes just the boot can be replaced before any major damage is done. But when the joint does go bad, it must be replaced.
Signs your CV joint needs changing out? You might hear a clicking sound when you turn if the CV joint is worn out. You might notice some thick, black grease around your wheel or on the pavement where you park your vehicle. You might also feel your vehicle vibrate when you’re going fast.
If you suspect you might have a bad CV joint, bring your vehicle in so a technician can determine what’s going on. Keep your CV joints in good shape and reduce the risk of them seizing up at an inopportune time so you can avoid being stranded.
Elite Tire And Auto Care
33729 Plymouth Rd.
Livonia, Michigan 48150
734.427.3100
Need Service?
More articles from Elite Tire & Auto Care
A Bright Spark (Ignition Coil Replacement)
March 30, 2025
Ever wonder how your vehicles engine is able to take the 12-volts from its battery and ramp that up to as high as the tens of thousands of volts it takes to fire its spark plugs? The secret is something called an ignition coil. Most newer vehicles have an ignition coil at each cylinder, but olde... More
Losing Your Cool (Why is My Air Conditioning System Not Working?)
March 23, 2025
When you turn on the air conditioning in your vehicle, you expect cool air to come out of the vents. You depend on it, especially in hot weather, but it can also be important in humid weather when you need it to help defrost your windows and windshield. The air conditioning system has a lot of p... More
The Part You've Never Seen (Flat Tires and Solutions)
March 16, 2025
They say your vehicle has one, but you've never seen it. And you might not even know it if you stumbled on it accidentally. We're talking about the jack, that tool that allows you to lift one corner of the vehicle up so someone can change a flat tire. So you say you'd never try to change a flat ... More