half shaft lubrication

[t walgamuth]

I just looked up this in my service manuals but it is not addressed.

At least I couldn't see it.

Are the half shafts and spider gears lubed through the shaft with diff lube? I don't see how it is done otherwise unless they are packed like wheel bearings.

Packing them does not seem too logical based on the cross sections of it.

Tom W

They have the oil sealed inside the boots, its not possible to lubricate them.

[t walgamuth]

The right side half shaft slid back and forth easily and at least an inch I estimate. The side where I had the trouble would hardly move back and forth at all. Although the boots are not cracked it must have lost the lube somehow over the last 25 years!

Does this sound like half shaft/ spider gear trouble to you all or is it possibly the wheel bearing?

I am thinking its the half shaft.

Tom W

[babymog]

Get a needle attachment for your grease gun, and poke it through a thick portion of the boot where it doesn't look stressed, pump in some new CV-joint grease and massage it in. Works to quiet noisy ones sometimes too.

[t walgamuth]

good idea. i did that already!

Tom W