Replacing the driveshaft crosspiece: how to know when it’s time

The driveshaft crosspiece in the vehicle system serves to securely fix the rotating axles of the transmission. Using this element, it is possible to connect two parts of the shaft using a special plug. The crosspiece is based on a hinge mechanism that allows the shafts to rotate against each other at different angles. Like all other components, the driveshaft is subject to serious loads. Replacing the driveshaft crosspiece is necessary if, while driving, slight vibration is felt inside the car, or extraneous sounds are heard from the transmission: knocking, clanging, clanging. Next, we’ll tell you in detail how to quickly and efficiently do all the work in your garage.

Cardan shaft crosspiece - how to find out about a breakdown?

This part can rightfully be called the central link of the entire cardan, since it performs the most important function in its operation - transmitting torque from the gearbox to all the necessary units . Thus, it is she who makes the shaft itself rotate. Therefore, every motorist should know how to replace the driveshaft crosspiece and how to properly monitor it so as not to get into a very unpleasant situation, especially when it comes to an unexpected breakdown during travel. Also, to extend its service life, information on how to lubricate the driveshaft crosspieces will be useful.

The very first harbinger of a crosspiece failure is a characteristic knock that occurs in the cardan box while driving. In addition, you can also hear creaking, grinding and even crackling sounds. Remember that the repair of the driveshaft crosspiece cannot be postponed until later, since even a small malfunction will affect the quality of the trip and the operation of the entire mechanism, and therefore can cause an accident.

The main reason for such a malfunction, as a rule, is the gap in the cardan joint, as well as wear of the bearings of the cross itself.

Of course, their serviceability is affected by both driving style and the quality of the road surface, but if the first completely depends on the driver, then we are unable to influence the second factor. Cross-country trips, which cause heavy stress, have a particularly negative impact. In addition, the location of the cross is not the most favorable (very close to the road surface), so it is constantly exposed to dust, dirt and water.

Repair or replacement of the cross

The degree of damage to the hinge and the likelihood of successful repair can only be determined by removing and disassembling the crosspiece. Usually this procedure is carried out on a dismantled cardan.

The decision to replace or repair is made based on the appearance of the hinge and its parts. If we are talking about one or more worn out bearings, then this problem can be easily solved without complete replacement. However, if deformation of the crosspiece is visible - dents, cracks, bends - then repair is not enough.

Unfortunately, not all car owners follow these rules. There are many examples of unsuccessful attempts at makeshift repair of the spider, which only led to faster destruction of the driveshaft, driving problems and emergency situations. Any mechanical impact, especially on an already damaged hinge, reduces its ability to bear loads, even if as a result of these actions its appearance is restored. If repairs are possible, they must be carried out by trained personnel.

Important! Regardless of whether the part was repaired or replaced with a new one, after installing it and the cardan it is necessary to carry out balancing. It is almost impossible to do it efficiently on your own. This is why even the best and most expensive garage-installed joints can fail after a few months of driving.

Removing the driveshaft crosspiece - check its condition visually

In order to prolong the life of the crosspiece and, of course, the cardan itself, it is necessary to regularly carry out visual inspections, with which you can assess its serviceability. It also wouldn’t hurt to use high-quality lubricant for the driveshaft crosspieces, especially since purchasing it is not difficult at all. Moreover, it is recommended to lubricate its elements at least every ten thousand kilometers.

You can carry out diagnostics as follows: grab the flange with one hand, and the shaft with the other, and rotate them in different directions. If play is formed, this indicates severe wear of the part, and therefore the need for urgent repairs or its complete replacement. In order to understand whether it is possible to limit ourselves to just replacing worn elements, you will need to completely remove the driveshaft crosspiece.

This is done according to the following scheme. First, you should unscrew the cardan mounting bolts, and then it can be easily dismantled. Next, unscrew the nuts with which the shaft is attached to the rear axle shank. Using pliers, you need to loosen the locking ring and dismantle the cross itself. Then turn the shaft so that it hangs and knock out its cups with a hammer. Now remove them, given the dimensions of the driveshaft crosspiece, this is not difficult to do.

What's the result?

There is nothing complicated about replacing the driveshaft crosspiece. When performing work, it is enough to follow simple rules and recommendations. Distortions of the crosspiece or any other components of the cardan are unacceptable. If the technology for assembling the assembly was violated, all the work will have to be done again. During the operation of the car, it is important to listen to the operation of the transmission, carry out diagnostics and promptly eliminate any malfunctions that arise.

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How to check driveshafts, also known as driveshafts, for functionality on a VAZ 2101-VAZ 2107?

Note! Before starting work, we recommend that you use a brush to clean all parts of the cardan transmission from any dirt adhering to them. And also during all the work, you will most likely need to first remove the driveshaft from the car and only then disassemble it! (For information on how to disassemble it, see the article: “Repairing the cardan”)

1) First, it is recommended to remove the cardan for a more detailed inspection. (How to remove it, see the article: “Replacing the driveshaft”)

2) After removal, check the condition of absolutely all welds that are present on the cardan. Also check the condition of the splined parts and the front driveshaft pipe itself.

Note! In no case should the splined parts show signs of severe wear; if you find such signs, then it is recommended to replace the shaft on which the splines have become unusable!

3) Then, moving to the rear cardan, inspect it and check for the presence of balancing weights on it, and also look at the condition of the welded seams and look at the diameter of the fork hole.

Note! There should not be any significant dents in the rear driveshaft, and bending of the forks themselves or their holes is also not allowed. For reliability, using a bore gauge together with a dial indicator, measure the diameter of both holes of the fork, which should not exceed “23.825”!

4) Then remove the crosspieces to inspect them, and after removal, check the condition of the bearings, spikes of the crosspiece, as well as oil seals, as well as the clips and the crosspiece itself.

Note! If there are signs of visible wear, then replace the crosspiece along with its bearings with a new one!

5) Next, remove and check the condition of the elastic cardan coupling.

Note! If you find traces of cracks, various types of damage, as well as peeling on the coupling, then replace the coupling with a new one!

Preparing to repair the driveshaft

Before replacing the crosspiece, you should first acquire a new part. And here even experienced drivers may have a question: which crosspiece is best to buy? Repair work on the cardan is not carried out very often, so not many people have the relevant experience. When choosing a new element, it is important to pay attention to the reputation of the manufacturer. There are a sufficient number of good analogues of original spare parts.

To carry out all the work, you need to have a lift, but not every driver has such a luxury, so in extreme cases, an inspection hole is enough. Stops are placed under the front wheels to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. Removing the shaft and crosspiece is much easier without a puller, provided that the assembly bolts are in good condition and they release normally.

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Design and purpose of the cardan cross

The cardan serves to connect the gearbox and the rear (in a rear-wheel drive car) or front (in all-wheel drive) axle. Its task is to transmit rotation from the engine to the bridge or bridges. The connection point for these elements is the hinge, the main part of which is the cross. It has the shape of a cross, at the ends of which there are cups with needle bearings. The bearing is separated from the housing by a sealing ring made of rubber or plastic. For each car model, the dimensions of the crosspieces differ from each other.

Cardan joint: device, purpose

The device with two forks is made in the form of a universal joint, which performs the main function in the gearbox. It is divided according to the type of transmitted rotation:

• transmitting rotation of equal angular velocities (CV joint);
• transmitting rotation of unequal angular velocities;
• with a semi-cardan elastic and rigid hinge.

Mechanisms are single-shaft, double-shaft and multi-shaft; based on the number of hinges, they can be divided into single-, double- and multi-hinge.

In front-wheel drive cars, CV joints are installed that do not use crosspieces.

The mechanism is mounted on vehicles with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. When transmitting unequal angular velocities, one and sometimes two cardans are used, it all depends on the distance over which the rotation needs to be transmitted.

The first shaft, located from the gearbox to the support, is called the intermediate shaft, and the second is called the rear shaft. They are connected using a support, rigidly fixed with a clamp on the bottom of the car. This is the so-called suspension bearing.

This device is designed to properly maintain HF. This design uses an additional hinge with a cross. In addition to this gearbox, a compensating device is used, which is called a sliding clutch. It is designed to lengthen or shorten the cardan while the machine is moving and is a splined connection between the cardan and the fork tip. When overcoming obstacles, a mutual change occurs between the rear axle and the car body. As a result, the cardan is compressed or stretched. These changes are compensated by a sliding clutch. If it is necessary to transmit rotation to two shafts at an angle, a mechanism with a semi-elastic hinge is used.

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Possible crosspiece malfunctions:

• Cross play
• Needle bearing wear
• Wear of the cross itself
• Leakage and lack of lubrication
• O-ring failure
• Metallic ringing when moving
• Noise and crackling in the cardan area

Theoretically, the crosspiece is a very reliable part, the service life of which should be about 500,000 kilometers. But in practice, replacing the universal joint cross occurs after a mileage of 50-100 thousand kilometers. This is influenced by factors such as operating conditions, the manufacturer of the part, and the quality of the materials used in the manufacture of the part. If your car is often used in rural areas, then dirt and various bumps will shorten the life of your cross by several times. A common reason for crosspiece failure is simple inattention during routine maintenance. Often, no attention is paid to the lack of lubrication until the crosspiece makes itself known by vibration, noise or ringing.

How to choose a crosspiece for your car

If after all the diagnostic procedures it becomes clear that the car cannot drive for a long time without a new part, it’s time to think about choosing a replacement joint. What should you pay attention to?

• Manufacturer. It is best to give preference to well-known names. Among the most popular and high-quality ones are GWB, GKN, HD Parts.
• The appearance of a part can tell a lot. If traces of rough machining, burrs and other defects are visible, then this is a product of low quality.
• The choice of cross is made according to the shape and size of the bearing cups - they must correspond to a tight fit.

Important! Problems with cheap crosspieces may begin already at the stage of their installation, so we cannot recommend that you choose a part based on its price. Remember that not only its durability, but also the driving performance of the car and even your safety depend on the strength and reliability of the universal joint.

Troubleshooting

Before carrying out repairs, you need to find the cause of the problem. To do this, you will need to drive the car onto a pit or a lift. We put the transmission in neutral and climb under the car. We inspect the cardan, special attention should be paid to the condition of the crosspiece seals. Next, holding the crosspiece, we rotate the cardan itself. If the crosspiece requires replacement, the play can be noticed immediately. If there is no play, but various noises and squeaks are heard during rotation, then the crosspiece may not need to be changed. You just need to replace the lubricant. There are two crosspieces in the cardan and both need to be diagnosed. The rear universal joint crosspiece fails most quickly, since it bears heavy loads. When moving, dirt and moisture also fall more onto the rear crosspiece.

Malfunctions

Gearbox failure is characterized by strange sounds; while driving, the car moves jerkily, and a metallic sound is heard when changing gears.

The main gearbox malfunctions are:

• play in the hinges;
• deformation of the cardan shaft. This malfunction occurs when struck by a stone or when hitting a protruding obstacle;
• damage to the seals or their deterioration;
• damage to protective covers;
• wear of needle bearings;
• weakening of mechanism connections.

All defects that arise can be easily eliminated by car service specialists. Faulty elements are replaced with new ones, and loose connections are tightened.

Important! A car enthusiast should not operate a car with a faulty gearbox. This may lead to an emergency.

If the crosspiece is faulty, the most correct solution would be to transport the car on a tow truck to a car service center, where they will diagnose the car using special stands, identify the faulty part and offer the best repair option. Important! Some owners try to carry out diagnostics in car services located in garage cooperatives. As a rule, there is no staff there, and one specialist is not able to know all the intricacies of repairs.

Garage car repair shops do not have the equipment to diagnose vehicle malfunctions. As a result, it is not possible to conduct a quality survey. And the result of such a diagnosis is unpredictable.

Therefore, car enthusiasts should not contact such car services. Apparent savings on repairs turn into additional, and often not small, costs. When performing work, our car service uses methods developed at manufacturing plants. After any repair work, the car owner receives a warranty for spare parts and all types of services and repairs.

How to change the crosspiece on the cardan

To repair the crosspiece, it is necessary to remove the cardan. Before you disassemble, you need to know some nuances:

1. Fill the nuts with waterproofing agent to make the fasteners easier to unscrew.
2. Use a chisel to mark the cardan flanges and rear axle flanges. If this is not done, vibration may occur on the cardan.
3. To avoid damaging the threads of the nuts, it is advisable to use a curved spanner.
4. If the cardan bolts rotate, you need to fix them with a screwdriver.

The main stages of repair work on the cardan shaft

Removing a Worn Cross

Before you begin the process of dismantling the old cross, you should make notes about the clear location of the forks. As a result of incorrect installation, you will also not have to expect a high-quality result.

Having marked the necessary places, the retaining rings are dismantled in conjunction with the removal of the bearings. The bearings are knocked out using a hammer and a metal drift. Professional specialists for this type of activity use a special puller, the presence of which in private hands is quite rare. As a rule, ordinary car owners use their own funds. By dismantling the crosspiece, the joints and holes are freed from foreign elements that could damage the new part in the future.

Preparing the lugs and forks and installing a new spider

The repair will be carried out poorly if the eyes and fork are not cleaned of dirt and rust. This is done with a metal brush or sandpaper. All internal surfaces also need to be cleaned and lubricated before installing a new cross. Do not forget about the grooves of the retaining rings; they need to be cleaned with an awl or a thin screwdriver. Next, the cups are removed from the new cross, and the cross itself is inserted between the eyes. When removing the cups, you need to make sure that the bearing needles do not fall apart. If there is no lubricant under the new cups, the part should be changed, or lubricated yourself. The cups are placed on the crosspiece, then they need to be pressed in with a hammer until the locking grooves open. The repair of the cross is completed by replacing the retaining rings.

Principle of operation

It is very, very simple. All work of the shaft to transmit torque is performed using articulated joints. Thus, rotational energy can be transferred from the gearbox shaft to the axles if the shafts are in different planes. The hinges are crosspieces. It is thanks to them that rotation occurs at variable angles. This part often fails and requires repair. Replacing the cardan crosspieces is necessary if the angle of rotation is more than 20 degrees. The part is subjected to enormous loads and wears out very quickly. As a result, the shaft loses its balance, knocks and vibrates.

The replacement operation is quite simple, and the shaft itself is one of the most repairable mechanisms in a car. Removing this structure is very simple. Repair consists of installing new components.

Installing a cardan on a car

When installing the cardan, you need to follow several rules:

• All connections must be thoroughly lubricated
• Avoid getting sand and dirt on moving joints
• Check the condition of the crosspiece seals. If they are worn out, replace them
• Achieve a complete match of the marks made when removing the marks. If they do not match, there is a high probability of vibration of the cardan and you will have to do balancing

First we insert the splined part, then tighten the four bolts on the cardan. Don't forget about attaching the outboard bearing. All bolts must be tightened well, and then checked again. If the driveshaft comes loose while driving, the car may be thrown off the road.

Sometimes repairs may not be necessary, you just need to inject. If you don’t know how to syringe the crosspiece, then you will need a large syringe and special lubricant. If you can't find lubricant, use lithol. The rear crosspiece especially needs to be sprayed, since the bulk of the dirt gets there. Many crosses have a special hole for injection. They must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt before the process. You need to syringe until the lubricant begins to pour out. Be prepared that most of the grease will be on the ground. It is better to collect a new portion of lubricant, but do not collect it from the ground.

Problems, cardan failures

Not often, but it does happen that the driveshaft knocks. Such knocking noises can occur during a sharp start or when changing gears.

Causes of noise:

• The bolts securing the flanges and the transmission coupling have become loose.
• Increased clearance in the sliding spline connection.
• Large gap in the cross bearings.

Reasons for vibration of the driveshaft when driving:

• the shaft is deformed;
• the cardan is installed incorrectly;
• shafts are unbalanced;
• the bushing of the intermediate coupling flange or the ring of the centering secondary shaft of the gearbox is worn out;
• the outboard bearing has increased clearance;
• the bolted connections of the transverse support have loosened;
• large gap in needle bearings and crosspieces;
• the fork connection has become loose;
• lack of lubrication in the shaft splines.

Why does grease leak?

Connections with lubricant and seals often become depressurized and lubricant leaks out (Litol-24, etc.).

There are only two reasons:

• The spline seal is worn.
• The crosspiece bearing seal is worn.

If you hear a crunching sound in the driveshaft area, it is recommended to go to the nearest service center and carry out diagnostics, or do it yourself.

How to eliminate the causes of cardan problems:

• Tap on the threaded connections, check if they are loose, tighten them.
• If there is a lot of play in the spline joint, then the shaft needs to be disassembled and examined; most likely it will have to be changed.
• If there is a large gap in the crosspiece, replace it.
• Replace deformed parts of the propeller shaft or replace them as an assembly.
• If the driveshaft was not installed according to the marks, disassemble it and install it according to the marks.
• If there is shaft runout, you need to check it for bent. Remove, twist. Of course, for this you need a special stand that will show whether the shaft is bent or not, but you can also see by eye whether the shaft is straight or not.
• Replace seals if grease is leaking.

How to check your work

You can check your work immediately after replacing the crosspiece and installing the cardan on the car. The verification process includes the same manipulations as when searching for cross play. The cardan should also be inspected for oil or grease leaks. Pay special attention to the seals. The second stage of testing is testing in motion. During a test drive, you can immediately hear vibration, noise or beating of the cardan.

The job of replacing the universal joint is complete, and you did it yourself, spending money only on spare parts. In addition, you have completely removed and installed the cardan, now if any unit of the cardan fails, it will not be difficult for you to replace it.

What happens if you don’t replace the crosspiece in time?

To check the technical condition of the part, it is enough to install the car in an inspection hole and carry out a visual diagnosis of the retaining rings. They must be in place; if one of the rings is lost, you should be wary, because there is a high probability of the glass falling out of its seat, which can lead to troubles on the road. You can determine the presence of play using a flat-head screwdriver, which is inserted between the cross and the shaft. Both elements scroll; even minimal free movement of parts is unacceptable

If the crosspiece grinds, various types of breakdowns can occur with the car. The minimum is the appearance of vibrations in the cabin. The maximum is failure of the gearbox due to vibration that occurs, loosening the secondary shaft. The resulting mechanical vibrations often lead to breakage of the shafts. It is for this reason that it is important to promptly eliminate any symptoms associated with the breakdown of cardan components.

In some cases, it is quite possible to avoid a complete replacement of the unit. For example, tightening threaded connections can eliminate knocking and other sounds unusual for the normal operation of the cardan. If after the actions taken there is no positive effect, most likely it is the bearing that has worn out. In this case, it will not be possible to delay the repair work in any way.

Installation of a new cross

Before installation, clean the lugs and fork from dirt and traces of corrosion. Dirt and rust can be easily removed with sandpaper. You should also check, clean and apply a layer of lubricant to the internal surfaces. The grooves for the stoppers must be thoroughly cleaned using a thin tool, such as an awl or a small screwdriver.

Installation process:

1. We pick up a new crosspiece.
2. Carefully remove the cups. Keep an eye on the bearings. When removing cups, they may fall apart.
3. Be sure to check for grease under the cups.
4. Install a new crosspiece.
5. Place the cups, pushing them down gently until you see the grooves for the retaining rings.
6. Install the retaining rings.

Diagnostics of the driveshaft Nissan X-trail, Nissan Qashqai (+2), Renault Koleos

Incomplete diagnostics of the driveshaft is carried out when the driveshaft is installed on the car. To identify only serious deviations from the scheduled operation of its components. (Visually inspect the shaft for defects, “pump” the crosspieces for play, inspect the boot and rubber support of the outboard bearing for cracks or peeling of the rubber.

A complete diagnosis consists of:

1. Removing the driveshaft from the car (Ratchet wrench, 16 spark plug head and 14 socket wrench head, pair of extensions long and short)
2. Checking for play in the shaft assemblies (crosspieces, outboard bearing, CV joint of the shaft.
3. Inspection of the CV joint rubber boot and outboard bearing rubber
4. Checking for biting of crosspieces and their wedging
5. Checking the outboard bearing for biting or extraneous noise
6. External inspection of creases, dents and bends in the propeller shaft pipes. (if necessary, carry out a test run without test weights on a special stand or balancing machine.

Why balancing is needed can be read in a separate article.

Balancing the driveshaft

Cardan imbalance has a bad effect on the transmission and chassis. If one of two signs appears, balancing the driveshaft is required. You can do it yourself or at a service station Read more

In addition to this information, I would like to clarify that the cardan with crosspieces for core punching after “restoration”, namely replacement of the crosspieces, must be balanced in order to balance the runout of the axial play and preserve the service life of the CV parts and assemblies, as well as the vehicle.

The imbalance appears due to the displacement of the cross along the axes relative to the flange and fork; to eliminate this imbalance, balancing weights are used.

Balancing weights

These are metal plates, most often, which are attached to the driveshaft by spot welding (mostly factory technology), or by semi-automatic welding in manual mode, the weight is welded to the driveshaft pipe as close as possible to the cross assembly. There is also an option for attaching balancing adhesive weights, but this method is not entirely reliable.

Oil leak at the junction of the gearbox and the front part of the driveshaft

Found on cars with a spline connection located in the box or transfer case.

Causes of leakage:

1. Oil leakage occurs due to a defective oil seal in the box. The O-ring hardens over time, forming a gap between the movable cardan rod and the oil seal. Eliminated by replacing the oil seal in the box or transfer case.
2. Damage to the mirror on the movable rod (spline connection) of the propeller shaft. The appearance of burrs or roughness on the splines. Treated by replacing the splines. As a temporary option, burrs can be cleaned off with sandpaper, which reduces leakage.

Replacing the front universal joints of the CF500-A ATV

A cardan is a hinge mechanism for transmitting torque from one shaft to another. The ATV uses two driveshafts, rear and front. The mobility of the shafts is ensured by the so-called cross. There are two crosspieces on each cardan shaft. At one point, the crosspieces (one or both) will reach a significant degree of wear and will need to be replaced with a new part. Is it possible to do this yourself and do without special tools? Can.

It is very easy to determine that the crosspieces are worn out. Firstly, when moving, a distinct rattling (clanging) of metal will be heard. Secondly, you can simply reach up to the driveshaft with your hand and pull it from side to side in the transverse direction. If the shaft dangles with noticeable play, as in the video below, it’s obvious that it’s time for the crosspieces to go to the trash heap.

That’s how I did it: I drove around and thought that the clanging was a normal phenomenon. I don’t even remember when this sound began to appear - it feels like it has always accompanied me. And when I pulled the front driveshaft, I made an amazing discovery for myself: it turns out that it should have been repaired a long time ago. At the same time, the rear driveshaft was in perfect order.

The CFMOTO CF500-A all-terrain vehicle uses two 25×64 crosspieces in the front cardan shafts, catalog number 7020-290130, price around 450 rubles. These are not cheap and not particularly high-quality Chinese crosspieces, the metal from the Chinese is always not strong enough, the rubber cuffs are generally below any criticism, so there is no point in buying the original. Instead, you should purchase Japanese crosspieces from GMB, catalog number GUM-81. These parts are used in Mitsubishi Pajero cars, are made of good steel, have a grease nipple for lubrication, and cost only 250-300 rubles.

Tool

To replace the crosspieces you will need the following tool:

• jack, wrench 17 for wheel removal
• ratchet wrench for 12 with extension
• circlip puller
• hammer
• mandrel for knocking out the cross (old 15 head, for example)

In addition to the hammer, it would be nice to have a large vice, but if you don’t have one, like me, it’s okay. Of course, instead of a vice, it’s even better to have a crosspiece puller, but... it seems to me that my article is not for those who already have a puller