sundog

Taking off the wheels for brake inspection before next weekends DE, and I notice a lot of grease on the axle. Only on one side. Any ideas where this comes from? And potential problems?

Also posted in 964 section.

onefastviking

It comes from the CV joints, thru that little center hole in axle.

mhm993

No big deal. It comes out of the machined little hole in the hub. You can put a dab of permatex red sealant on the little dimple.

bobt993

I would not cover the vent it is there for a reason. Also if you see this get bad enough repack your axles and use high grease in the process.

onefastviking

Yep, if the temp, and or pressure, is getting too hot then the grease will come out excessively. If that's the case then a good repack with a better quality grease would be best to insure some grease stays in the CV's to keep them lubricated.

sundog

Excellent. Thanks a lot.

I noticed a vibration that I can feel through the gear shift at about 50 MPH while driving the car the other day, so I'm wondering if it is the axle/CV joint. I'll see if I can take it apart and inspect.

Is there a reliable way to test the integrity of a CV joint while on the car? The axle slides back and forth easily on both sides, so no binding there, and when in gear and jacked up there appears to be no excessive play when rotating the wheel.

Gary R.

Seems to me the CV grease is getting heated up (by friction) on that side, I would service the axles and put a high quality CV grease in there like Neo, Redline, or similar.

bobt993

If you notice a vibration, then you should absolutely inspect the CV's Remove them and do an inspection. You can take one end off and rotate it a bit to feel the smoothness, but hell at that point just clean them and repack with the proper grease.

Gary R.

I would plan on new CV joints, especially in a car used on the track. Once you are getting a vibration and see grease being cooked out you know there must be something bad going on in there. Best case scenario, replace it with new and if the old one is serviceable rebuild/repack it and it's your spare...

bobt993

^^^^ They could also have loose bolts into the flange. Symptom is vibration in a straight line not in the corners. Spare is always a good idea. Saved many track days/race weekends.

paradisenb

When you remove the half shaft you can solvent clean then inspect both CVs for wear. Pack with a high-temp grease and install using new bolts all around. You may want to inspect the other side while you are there. If this is a race car, it is a good idea to polish the edges of the new CVs before use.

por944s2

Repack and swap ends, so the shaft spins the other way. If that doesn't do it, replace it.