You drive a car and anticipate a smooth ride, even on uneven surfaces. But how is it possible to travel at higher speeds with so little disruption to the road?
A CV joint, also known as a constant velocity joint, is in charge of doing this to transfer engine power to the wheels. Regardless of the drive shaft and axle shaft angles, they are responsible for maintaining the same speed on an uneven surface.
How Do CV Joints Facilitate Vehicle Movements?
In a complex drive train, a drive shaft has a connection to the transmission and the differential. When an engine generates power, the transmission manages it before transmitting it to the inner CV joints. Then, the driveshaft does its job to transfer the power to the differential so that it can distribute the power to the left and right wheels through another set of CV joints.
No matter what angle it's in, the CV joint can continuously transmit equal levels of torque to the wheels. This implies that the CV joint will keep the drive wheels moving at a constant speed regardless of how many potholes you encounter or whether the vehicle is turning.
This shows the importance of CV joints for an automobile. But, how much should you expect from the CV joints while they are under constant pressure to maintain the speed while absorbing the shakes? A bad CV joint can be a result in a number of issues, such as difficult turning and vibration.
Among many reasons, there are some major causes of CV joint failure. As a CV joint is made of metal, it has a high tendency to be worn under constant stressful conditions. However, this problem could turn out to be more dangerous if there is a lack of lubrication for an extended period of time.
As these symptoms may appear at any time and might not be captured during a scheduled maintenance period. This requires you to go through the few tell-tale signs of to-be worn CV joints.
Knocking Sounds During Movement
Since CV joints are responsible for absorbing the ups and downs while transmitting power to the wheels, they have some sort of flexible mechanism. It tends to make that knocking noise if there is any wear and tear. However, the CV joint issues are not worth the risk of ignorance, as you may find yourself stranded somewhere looking for a car recovery service.
Uncomfortable Riding
A faulty CV joint may prevent you from having a pleasurable experience, as it may seem to ride on bumpy roads even on flat roads. The CV joint is more susceptible to damage. However, it is better to assess the problem with the help of an expert at Service My Car.
Turning Makes Unusual Sounds
A drive turns out to be a bad experience if there is a worn CV joint. You won't get the proper turn as there is always a clicking sound. However, it gets louder when you constantly turn your vehicle to one side. This ensures a bad CV joint.
Grease Leakage Around The Tyres
A worn CV joint starts to leak grease, especially around the tyres. If you spot some sort of grease leak around the tyres, it is surely a sign of a bad CV joint.
However, the leakage might be less initially, but a dark and suspicious appearance might be a sign of proper wear and tear to the CV joint.
Vibration During A Drive
A worn CV joint does not possess the capacity to bear the load of a vehicle. It turns out to be a severe vibration on high revolutions because the damaged CV joint would not be able to provide the balance.
However, the vibrations tend to increase exponentially as you accelerate more and more.
Damage Or Cracked Boot
A boot covers the CV joint to safeguard it from dust and debris. However, a cracked boot may allow dust to contact the grease and eventually hurt the CV joints.
There is always a chance of replacement of the CV joint so that it protects the CV joint from any kind of damage. However, it needs you to be quite active and look for this sort of wear and tear.
So you would have to make sure that you don't damage the CV joint as badly as possible by keeping it clean of dust and debris. Nevertheless, CV joint sounds do not seem to be comfortable.
However, they may produce unwanted consequences if not taken care of at the proper time. Preventive care is the absolute alternative to avoiding situations that cannot be averted.
Fortunately, there are some hacks to preserve CV joints for longer than expected. It requires you to lubricate the CV joints properly and, most importantly, on time.
Besides, you can make some improvements in your driving habits. Such as avoid taking sharp moves and you should be aware while accelerating.
However, the wheel alignment also appears to be a major source of concern behind suspension issues including CV joint wear and tear. Therefore, it is worth to opt for frequent wheel alignment at a reliable service centre such as Service My Car.
Service My Car offers you a preferred choice to fulfil your car maintenance needs. You can easily request for car repair or a quote a car service at our website and app without any hassle.