Lowering kills CV Joints?

[bdang007]

Hey Guys,
Does the CV joints get worned out quicker if the car is lowered? If so, whats the best way to remedy this and how much? :)
Is it hard to change CV joints? hehehe

[CRXer]

I had a reputable jap mechanic tell me not long ago that lowering hondas in particular does kill the CV's.
I tend to believe him as i been thru a couple of sets myself.

[bdang007]

Yeah this seems to be true but I'm wondering if theres any way to remedy this problem besides changing the CV joints every so often? Its not cheap.

[bigjo5]

from what i was told .. cv boots usually broken from hard cornering..

[EuroDude]

Whats the normal km life for CV joints?

My lowered Civic's CV's lasted over 200,000km, yet I rarely used power steering when stationary (when parking for example).


I think using the power steering while the car is stationary damages the CV's more than a lowered sussy. Correct me if im wrong.

[Paul1985]

if the boots go and dont get changed, it will dramatically decrease the CV's life.. i know that much.

[Limbo]

if you lower the car with only springs yes it will reduce the life. why? cos you've just taken away additional cussioning from the suspension.

If you get a proper package with matched shocks and springs your cvs should still be the same.

The boots only matter if they are cracked or leaking, causing lithium grease to spill out making boots un-lubed.

Yes hard cornering does also lessen the life of CVs. They are designed to wear out cos otherwise you would wear out your box which cost even more and since they are made so you can corner then of course hard corning will reduce their life

[Zilli]

my understnading is that the reason why cv get damaged from lwoering is ebcause they are not turning straight, tha ngle at which they are turning changes

[bdang007]

So... what is the best way to lower a car? Mine is already lowered but the CV joints seems to be wearing out quicker than usual. It seems to just have Springs.. not sure if its got shocks... doesnt feel like it does. Any opinions? suggestions? Thanks.

[[T][L]]

what if you get camber kit would that help??

[EuroDude]

I doubt it because the camber kit will only adjust the tilt of the wheels. The car will still be lowered and therefore cause off-center strain on the CV joint.

[bdang007]

So a camber kit can help with the wheels being pushed inwards? Because the mechanic said the wheels were worned on the inside due to its imbalance from the lowering of the car. So is there any way to lower the car without having any problems? also, my wheel seems to be scratching against something, perhaps the offset is wrong? I think legends have an offset of +50 or so and i haven't seen many rims that has that sort of an offset.

[EuroDude]

Yes a camber kit will fix the inside tyre wear problem.
But I am not aware of anything that can fix the CV joint issue. But CV joints fail after a while anyway so its not really a big problem.

The wheels are probably touching the plastic inner wheel guards, or possibly even the metal outer guards - which would require the panels to be rolled.

If the shocks are still stock, then they will wear out more rapidly (maybe within a year). You will need aftermarket shocks (or use coilovers) to extend the life of the shocks.

Whats the offset of your wheels? Do you have the stock Legend wheels?



Show us a pic if possible

[bdang007]

Thats correct, the wheels are touching the inner plastic guards .. but i suppose that isnt a huge problem, getting the panels rolled wouldnt be too much i woudlnt' think. The mechanic has recommended me to raise my car by an inch. But seriously, the car looks better as it is. If I have to change my CV joints every so often, then so be it. its only 200 bux to replace maybe once per yr.

At the moment I dont believe the car has any shocks, atleast it doesnt feel like it has any. So i'm pretty sure its just springs, but then the handling is not too bad. Only problem is that you have to steer the car more than a sports car... feeels a little like a small van! I wonder if buying a smaller steering wheel could help... hmm...

anyways, thanks for the response guys. I'm not sure what the offset of the wheels is, I didnt put them on. But i'm guessing maybe 45 because it doesnt really rub onto the plastic that much, only when the steering wheel is locked.

[EuroDude]

Change the CV joints once a year :eek: ouch! (I think mine were around $400+ including labour)
My EG civic is lowered pretty low and my CV joints lasted 200,000km+ (every 10 years or so).


ps. The Offset should be stamped on the inside of the wheel rims. Jack a corner up and take a wheel off to have a look.

[BBB]

What is CV Joints?
Whats meaning of "CV"?

[LVNIT]

The CV joints tend to fail more so when the car is lowered because you are changing the amount of travel inside the actual CV joint. When you lower the car you bring the axel more horizontal then what it was previously, this in turn changes the clearence inside the CV joints.

A diagram would make it easier to explain, but cbf, if you want more information speak to Coast CVs on the gold coast in particular as they helped me with my setup or any other reputable CV shop.

[EuroDude]

What is CV Joints?
Whats meaning of "CV"?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant-velocity_joint

[bdang007]

I was quoted at 200 for both front joints, I can live with that for a good looking ride! If I drive normally, it shouldnt wear out too much. Perhaps I need to get some shocks to lessen the impact on the joints and maybe pro long its life? I cant show a pic at the moment because I do not have a digi cam or a scanner...

[Speeder]

replacing cv joints frequently is not a problem but your housing will get rooted in the long run making it more prone for failing cv joints. as soon as you lower your ride either with springs or high end coilovers, you are changing the initial suspension geometry and travel putting more strain due to the lowered centre of gravity and decreased travel for the joints.

[bdang007]

so what u are saying is, i have to raise my car or else i will be replacing cv joints more frequently? Just that if I have to raise my car I will need to get new springs/shocks which may cost a fair bit + the price for raising it + it wont look half as good haha... how low can a typical car go before it has a significant impact on the cv joints / housing. Thanks.

[Speeder]

in short yes. honda engineers didnt design your car to be driven lowered. i mean if you are going through a set of cv every year then thats a problem. obviously the lower the car the faster the cv joints will chew up the housing. you should consider raising your ride a bit, or spend a bit more money to strengthen your drivetrain but they are times when you have to sacrifice looks over drivability and if you really want good looks save up and buy a porsche or something like that.

[bdang007]

well i'm not actually changing them once a yr, it was more of a worst case scenario. hmm well thanks for all the help... i'll look into the housing problem and worst comes to worst, raise it up a bit.

[clokx]

yupz !