CV axles

[Peeledpeas]

For diagnostic reasons can I remove one of my CV axles and still drive it? Or so I need to bolt a dummy joint onto the outer hub for bearing preload?

 

[OR VietVet]

Is vehicle info a secret?

You should be able to drive it but what problem are you experiencing.

 

[Peeledpeas]

Well, I'm working on my 03 Silverado but it uses the same hub/bearing as my 05 Yukon so I figured the answer should be the same for both. I have a low growl noise that sounds exactly like a bad wheel bearing but I replaced it and the noise didn't go away. I would have bet my fortune on it being a wheel bearing because it gets quiet when I turn left as the truck leans away from that side.

 

[OR VietVet]

When do you hear the noise? All the time under all driving? Turning left or right at what speeds?

 

[wjburken]

Did you change both sides or just the one you thought was bad? I’ve been fooled by the whole turn left/turn right thing, especially when I can’t feel any significant wiggle in the hub when I check it, and just go with replacing both as they usually have similar miles.

 

[Scottydoggs]

do not drive the truck with the axel removed. it wont happen on the fist block of driving, but if you get on the hwy the front wheel will come off. i know to many ppl who tried this to limp home when they busted one. the damage is substantial. the end of the axel holds the hub together with out it, it just comes apart.

now if you got a old busted one, you can pull the spline shaft part off the cv joint and bolt it back through the hub and be just fine.

 

[Peeledpeas]

Yeah I have an old axle I can pop the outer cv off of.

 

[Peeledpeas]

When do you hear the noise? All the time under all driving? Turning left or right at what speeds?

I hear it pretty much all the time when driving straight or turning right, it's harder to hear at freeway speeds but I know it's still there. When I turn left, the noise goes away.

 

[OR VietVet]

I hear it pretty much all the time when driving straight or turning right, it's harder to hear at freeway speeds but I know it's still there. When I turn left, the noise goes away.

That info points to a driver's side hub bearing problem.

 

[Peeledpeas]

That info points to a driver's side hub bearing problem.

Yep. I installed a new assembly and nothing changed.

 

[Fless]

How's the fluid in the front diff? Checked the u-joints on the front prop shaft?

 

[rockola1971]

You pull a CV halfshaft out and drive it like that, it will cause a problems. Your hub bearing no longer being loaded and will come apart. Might have to get vehicle up on a lift and hope you can hear where noise is coming from without vehicle weight on driveline.

**Corrected**

 

[Peeledpeas]

How's the fluid in the front diff? Checked the u-joints on the front prop shaft?

I haven't check that yet but it doesn't seem to me that those things would be weight related. If they were making noise, turning while driving would have no affect.

 

[Peeledpeas]

You pull a CV halfshaft out and drive it like that, it will cause 2 problems. Your hub bearing no longer being loaded and will come apart AND you will start dumping your differential grease out where the stub pops into the Diff axle tubes. Might have to get vehicle up on a lift and hope you can hear where noise is coming from without vehicle weight on driveline.

The inner axle bolts to a flange that is secured inside the front differential. And my initial question was, can I or can I not? If I cannot, I can simply find an outer joint and install it in the hub and torque the nut. That's really all I wanted to know.

 

[Fless]

There's been some discussion about this in other sections of the forum. Apparently some aftermarket 4wd hubs don't need axle shafts installed, but to be safe you'll probably want to run them. Most hubs need the axle.

@Trey Hardy were you one who commented about this?

 

[rockola1971]

The inner axle bolts to a flange that is secured inside the front differential. And my initial question was, can I or can I not? If I cannot, I can simply find an outer joint and install it in the hub and torque the nut. That's really all I wanted to know.

Oh thats right. Its been awile. Im used to the older style that have a c clip locking them in back in my days of rebuilding transmission. FWD were always a blast..not. Still gotta have that over 100ft lbs of preload on the hub to keep it together. Junk Stub works just fine.

 

[89Suburban]

This is another one of those urban ghost stories and myths. With plenty of passionate responses from both sides.


I personally would rather have the shaft stubs bolted into the hubs just for peace of mind.

 

[rockola1971]

This is another one of those urban ghost stories and myths. With plenty of passionate responses from both sides.


I personally would rather have the shaft stubs bolted into the hubs just for peace of mind.

There is a reason that spec for tightening up an axle nut is around 150ft lbs or so. Dont do it and that is the #1 cause of premature hub bearing failure. It wont be an immediate failure but that hub bearing wont last a year. I would imagine no load at all (No axle stub installed) would cause the hub bearing to fail rather quickly. Not immediately but definitely not take a year to fail. I know im not gonna be the test subject to find out what happens and how fast. That would NOT be a fun ride!!!

 

[Trey Hardy]

There's been some discussion about this in other sections of the forum. Apparently some aftermarket 4wd hubs don't need axle shafts installed, but to be safe you'll probably want to run them. Most hubs need the axle.

@Trey Hardy were you one who commented about this?

Yea kryptonite suspension makes 4wd hubs that are pressed in and will work on 2wd trucks I have my cv axles pulled on my Tahoe and have them in my 2wd Silverado with no issues

 

[Trey Hardy]

For diagnostic reasons can I remove one of my CV axles and still drive it? Or so I need to bolt a dummy joint onto the outer hub for bearing preload?

You either need to put the knuckle end of the cv axle with the axle/diff side cut off to hold the wheel bearing from splitting or swap to kryptonite wheel bearings and you can use them with or without the cv axles without having to worry about them splitting apart