CV joints

Among the thousands of components on a car, nothing works harder than the CV joint. There are four of these on a typical front wheel drive car. They're the flexible joints that transmit power from the transmission to the wheels, not only transmitting power, but also flexing flex up and down with the motion of the wheels over the road.

They're covered with rubber boots, inside of which is a lifetime supply of special grease. Lifetime, that is, unless the boot is cut by road debris or otherwise damaged. Once the grease leaks out, the joints won't survive for long. Road grit that works into the hole causes a CV joint's life to become even shorter.

When the joints are badly worn they'll become loose, noisy and they eventually will fail. The result is an expensive replacement. The Car Care Council recommends careful examination of the CV joint boots, especially if the vehicle frequently is driven over rough, rocky terrain. This inspection is fairly simple because the boots easily are visible from underneath and a grease leak quickly becomes apparent. This should be a routine part of a chassis lubrication procedure.

For more auto maintenance tips log on www.carcarecouncil.org.