How important is the CV Joint of the car

Cars have have become part of our everyday lives. With cities rapidly expanding and busy schedules, it has become hard to go almost anywhere without a car. But how much we really know about these 20^th century machines that are so important to us? Can we really tell when there is a problem and when does the car need maintenance? And of course, do we know which parts are mostly repair prone? Well, there is one part we are particular interested in here and that is the CV joint. The reason we want to elaborate on CV joint replacement is because this and several other car parts, if damaged, can lead to a total car breakdown. Hence, it is beneficial for drivers to learn how CV joints function and when they require repair or replacement.

What is a CV joint

A CV Joint is part of car’s steering wheel system, which allows tires to turn at all directions. It is a ball shaped part filled with high temperature grease that is protected by a CV boot. CV joint is actually made of two joints, inner and outer joint, with the outer joint being more vulnerable to cracks and damage. Actually damaging starts when the CV boot cracks and other materials enter this vacuum.

When should we conduct a CV joint replacement

Replacing a CV joint is not required in all cases, if we notice the damage soon enough. For instance, if a crack has appeared on the CV boot, a CV boot replacement will do the trick. But in order to address this problem in time, we need to discover the malfunction as soon as possible. The best way to determine whether there is something wrong with this vital car part is to open windows while driving and listen for any clicking sound when making turns.

How can we repair it?

Depending on the severity of problem, CV joint replacement can be conducted in several ways. First we need to analyze which parts are damaged and determine whether we need a CV axle replacement or just replacement of particular parts. As we’ve mentioned, in most cases only the outer CV joint is totally damaged and need replacement. This is a low costs fix-up since new outer joint and grease cost around 50$. But, if there are cracks on the inner area of CV joint, then a whole CV axle must be replaced which costs anywhere from 200$ and up.

If you don’t consider this problem seriously, the consequences of damaged CV joint are huge. In fact, damaged CV joint will only allow your car to run for about maximum of 500 miles before it separates and breaks loose. Consequently, if this happens while you are on the road, there is a big chance that you will have a car accident. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether it’s worth the risk.