Advice please - CV joint & Swivel housing & bearings

Lovely & sunny here so i fancied a bit of tinkering .....

I want to check (clunking noise, 1 or more clunks when taking up drive uphill) & change any seals/bearings/cv joint (1990 RR) in front axle.

So all is apart & cleaned, when i reassemble where do i spread my 370 odd grams of grease?

Some on swivel ball, some around swivel bearings & the rest in CV?

It has been suggested that my CV joint maybe causing the clunk, how do i tell a good from a bad CV joint aside from visual inspection? Check for play?

I have always been under the impression that the hub bearings were lubricated by the gear oil but there is a seal both sides (despite this there was EP90 in the bearings & a grease/oil/gunk in the CV) & rave says that bearing use grease. Can anybody confirm for me, do i need to grease the new bearing?

ta for any advice.

recchem said:

Lovely & sunny here so i fancied a bit of tinkering .....

I want to check (clunking noise, 1 or more clunks when taking up drive uphill)
9 times out of 10, that's caused by a knackered A Frame Ball Joint.
& change any seals/bearings/cv joint (1990 RR) in front axle.

So all is apart & cleaned, when i reassemble where do i spread my 370 odd grams of grease?
Fill the CV joint prior to reassembly. Then squirt the rest into the filler hole at the top of the swivel ball, once it's all back together. DON'T OVERFILL OR USE MORE THAN THE SPECIFIED AMOUNT.

Some on swivel ball, some around swivel bearings & the rest in CV?
As above.

It has been suggested that my CV joint maybe causing the clunk, how do i tell a good from a bad CV joint aside from visual inspection? Check for play?
CV joints tend to click rather than clunk (mainly on full lock). With the halfshaft in a vice, they should turn smoothly but there should be no movement or looseness when you twist them or push in and out. If you're going that far with dismantling though, I'd replace them anyway for the price.

I have always been under the impression that the hub bearings were lubricated by the gear oil but there is a seal both sides (despite this there was EP90 in the bearings & a grease/oil/gunk in the CV) & rave says that bearing use grease. Can anybody confirm for me, do i need to grease the new bearing?
Hub bearings should be lubricated with LM grease. Pack them well on assembly and fit new seals. Sounds like all of your seals need replacing if the axle oil, CV grase and Hub Grease are all mixed.

ta for any advice.

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Thanks Treworgey,

Is the A-frame ball joint on the rear axle?

This clunk feels like passenger side at the front.

Yep, seals were in a bad way, i am suprised there was no leak i think the final hub seal was holding it back. Off to local parts place in morning to get them all.

Do i use LM grease for the CV also?

recchem said:

Thanks Treworgey,

Is the A-frame ball joint on the rear axle?
Yes. The sound sometimes seems to come from the front. It could be the front swivel bearing though, so check that while you're at it.

This clunk feels like passenger side at the front.

Yep, seals were in a bad way, i am suprised there was no leak i think the final hub seal was holding it back. Off to local parts place in morning to get them all.

Do i use LM grease for the CV also?
No! Use "One Shot" Grease - come in a sachet of exactly the right amount for one swivel. Don't use more than the sachet - otherwise it will end up on your brake disc.

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Thanks, had another look around underneath, balljoint on antiroll bar on passenger side looks like it sits off centre. Will take it off in the morning & inspect.

Cv joint checked & regreased, antiroll bar ball joint changed (was knackered) & noise still there. I swapped CV joints because the sound appeared to come from passenger side and the clunk/click/dragging metal rod sounds is still present.

Got a helper & a large piece of wood, placed it on all parts while helper took up drive on incline to recreate fault. The loudest noise is heard (through wooden pole) while it is on the pinion/diff housing. Not from engine, not from radius arms or any of other suggested part.

Fortunately i have a back axle which i have whipped the diff out of & will try changing tomorrow. After testing (recreating the clunk many times...) there is now a judder when taking up drive.

What could go wrong in the diff?

Am i right in assuming the diff in front axle is exactly the same as rear axle diff?

Thanks for any input.