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Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:10 pm

Need to do this procedure again. Anyone have any methods for pressing these out without owning a large press? Last time they went to a machine shop. Im not interested in paying 55$ and waiting a week again. They dont come off w the tap of a hammer. Requires some real pressure for some reason. Oven/ freezer has not worked for these. I envision using a floor jack but havent quite worked that out yet.

Mon Nov 09, 2020 9:41 pm

Not sure if I am reading this right or thinking of the right thing, but if you can remove the outer ‘race’ of the cv with the bearings, would it give you enough room to push the axel out of the inner race using a 3 jaw puller like what’s used to pull sprockets off of a spline shaft? Maybe do this to put in some pressure, then take a torch to the inner race and see if it lets up?

Mon Nov 09, 2020 10:08 pm

People underestimate the force needed, and how tough these are. Get a longish brass drift and a big hammer. Place the drift on the center star. The shorter drifts force the struck end to be too close. And most use a hammer that is too small. A small short handled sledge hammer is a good choice.

The following will not work: Any hammer with a claw. Any plastic hammer with lead shot, etc.

The physics of a good heavy hammer cannot be denied. I personally do not know anyone who's broken a CV joint hammering on it this way. Do not ever hammer on the splined ends of an axle, however - definite possibility of scrap there by mushrooming it and it won't take much.

Mon Nov 09, 2020 10:21 pm

Find a friend with/rent a caged 3 jaw puller. Posi lock

Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:14 am

The CV hitting against the snap ring causes burrs to form on the splines next to the snap ring groove. Toughing the burrs up lightly with a Dremel will make CV easier to remove next time around.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 4:30 am

HF 20 ton press. Also works on unwelcome teenage boy parts according to daughter #5

Tue Nov 10, 2020 4:37 am

Sometimes you can open the jaws of your vice slightly more than the shaft diameter. Set the shaft pointed down with the joint you want to remove on top. Grab the shaft and lift it up and then sharply pull it downward. Repeat. This will often walk the joint off the end. This assumes your vice is over the end of your bench.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 6:12 am

MarkWard wrote: Sometimes you can open the jaws of your vice slightly more than the shaft diameter. Set the shaft pointed down with the joint you want to remove on top. Grab the shaft and lift it up and then sharply pull it downward. Repeat. This will often walk the joint off the end. This assumes your vice is over the end of your bench.

X2. This is my preferred method before resorting to more force.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 6:21 am

I start with the bench vise setup MarkWard describes above, but I use a Dasco steel punch, set in the depression in the end of the axle. I tap the punch with a sledgehammer, and this taps the axle out of the CV joint. The axle falls away, and the CV joint is left clean on top of the bench vise.

The fact that the ends of every axle have a machined depression for this purpose supports this specific method.

Do not directly hammer the end of the axle without a punch in the depression--you will mushroom the axle end and make it harder to remove or install future CV joints.

kourt

Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:19 am

Abscate wrote: HF 20 ton press. Also works on unwelcome teenage boy parts according to daughter #5

Now this may come in handy. My garage is full of tools used twice and shelved. Pumps, come along a, specialized jacks and hand tools. But with two teenage daughters this may be a tool used repeatedly.

Although I’m thinking the three jaw puller sounds like my first avenue followed by the drift and vice method. Will report back.

I’ve mushroomed an axel in the past. Not looking to do that again. I appreciate all your responses.

Stay warm and healthy folks.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 7:53 am

AZ Landshaper wrote: My garage is full of tools used twice and shelved. Pumps, come along a, specialized jacks and hand tools.

I bought a 3 armed puller in the early 90's for a project I was doing (gang-reel-mower rebuilding) and it didn't quite fit the work. Had to figure out another method. BUT, the puller sat on the shelf in pristine condition until I experienced exactly the issue you are facing. I grabbed it off the shelf where it's been sitting for 30 years, and made easy work of getting the inner bits off the shafts.

Now, it was something like $30 back then, and I was kind of pissed at how I couldn't get it to work for that project, but now I've used it something like a dozen times.

Take note: if it is hard to remove, it will be hard to put back on. My solution was to put the shaft in the deep freeze overnight, and put the CV bits in the oven at 400F. Made an easy install.

Also, yes the HF press is not a bad tool. My only regret is that I didn't have the extra few $'s for the 20T, I got the slightly smaller one. Thus far, I have used it 10 times, and I know I will use it again on my balls.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 8:44 am

Vanagon people truly are masochists.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:12 am

One physics comment here. If you are hitting the joint off the shaft as I describe, you are trying to accelerate a couple pounds of steel to separate the CV (couple pounds) off the axle (perhaps 10lbs with the other CV on it).

So, using the hole on the axle and pounding, you have to have enough force/mass to accelerate the entire axle shaft.

Not saying that is not an entirely excellent technique, but keep that in mind from a simple force perspective.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 9:25 am

I have an 7'ish inch long brass punch that is about 3/4" in diameter along with a similar aluminium one. They do very well at driving the axle out without damaging anything. I own both a 3# and 4# hand drilling hammer, which I find better for mechanical work of this sort than a small sledge.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:11 pm

bobbyblack wrote: AZ Landshaper wrote: My garage is full of tools used twice and shelved. Pumps, come along a, specialized jacks and hand tools.

I bought a 3 armed puller in the early 90's for a project I was doing (gang-reel-mower rebuilding) and it didn't quite fit the work. Had to figure out another method. BUT, the puller sat on the shelf in pristine condition until I experienced exactly the issue you are facing. I grabbed it off the shelf where it's been sitting for 30 years, and made easy work of getting the inner bits off the shafts.

Now, it was something like $30 back then, and I was kind of pissed at how I couldn't get it to work for that project, but now I've used it something like a dozen times.

Take note: if it is hard to remove, it will be hard to put back on. My solution was to put the shaft in the deep freeze overnight, and put the CV bits in the oven at 400F. Made an easy install.

Also, yes the HF press is not a bad tool. My only regret is that I didn't have the extra few $'s for the 20T, I got the slightly smaller one. Thus far, I have used it 10 times, and I know I will use it again on my balls.

Never convert a 10 ton HF press to 20 by welding on a stiffener plate and then blocking off the over pressure relief valve.

Grab a bag of sealed air, squeeze it in half volume and pop it with a pin!

That's the same sound testivles make under 20 tons!!

Tue Nov 10, 2020 12:18 pm

Abscate wrote:
Grab a bag of sealed air, squeeze it in half volume and pop it with a pin!

Are you making a reference to my wife? She thinks my 10T ball press is just fine. Says its not the size that counts....

Tue Nov 10, 2020 1:36 pm

If you have an air hammer and a blunt round tip driver for it you can hold the CV joint in one hand and drive the shaft out by placing the driver in the depression in the center of the axle shaft. I have done it that way since the 80s. If they are that tight I have a dedicated socket that has mushroomed over the years to drive the joint onto the shaft while is is clamped in a vise.

I used to use a CP air hammer until a friend killed it. I was amazed at his ability to destroy metal objects. I replaced it with a Snap On unit a long time ago that is much nicer. It is very easy to feather the trigger for fine control. It is important not to lose control of the bit.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 1:42 pm

In use, vanagon CV shafts often raise an almost imperceptible amount of metal at the outer edge of the circlip groove. I use a tiny straight dremel bit (1mm diameter) to camfer that edge slightly. Whenever I have done that, the joints have come off easily without drama. Prior to doing that, I had several that were ungodly difficult to remove.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:24 pm

I used PB Blaster, heat and a medium sized hammer (non-claw) directly on the inner star and with the end cushioned on wood.

Tue Nov 10, 2020 3:00 pm

I used the method of Markward but with a big wrench and hitting the axle with a big hammer but with a piece of wood not to hurt the splines. The bench press is a better Idea for sure