vRS different CV joint?

[Andy RB5]

Hi all, my nearside outer CV joint failed so I ordered a new one from eurocarparts and had it fitted by a local garage, it has failed within 1 week (about 600 mixed motorway/B road miles).

 

My question is: does the vRS require a different (maybe more heavy duty) CV joint to a 'normal' fabia? When I took the car back to the garage they seemed to think so... the one I bought was only £23, whereas the garage got a few quotes and was getting prices between £80 - £90 for a 'vRS' joint.

 

Another thought is maybe something else is causing the CV joint to fail? The driveshaft has no play in it and the old joint was clicking for ~30k miles before I replaced it (for MOT).

 

Thanks,
Andy

[SKYHAWK]

genuine parts always better i'd buy a second hand shaft off ebay like 

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Fabia-Vrs-1-9-Tdi-Near-Side-Drive-Shaft-/111496203338?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item19f5b10c4a

[Andy RB5]

Thanks for your reply steveopc, do you (or anyone else) have any idea if a vRS cv joint design is different (maybe heavier duty) than cv joints for other Fabia models? I.e has this new joint failed so quickley because it isn't strong enough for the vRS?

[devonutopia]

I expect Vrs has stronger fatter cv joint than petrol car due to higher torque from diesel engine.

[SKYHAWK]

i know diesels have different shafts to petrols but if you ring a supplier and give your reg they should supply correct shaft

[Jrjg]

£23 sounds very cheap for a CV joint, I remember paying £80 and ~ £100 (for the longer length one) for my previous car (a petrol).

Hopefully the second, unfortunately more expensive, one will prove to be better than the first.

JRJG

[sepulchrave]

When it comes to CV joints if you buy cheap you'll buy twice, Chinese monkey metal CV joints aren't worth the labour expended changing them.

 

I remember years ago when the kids were still kids I had a big VW Sharan VR6 and it needed new CV joints, imagine my surprise when I learned that ALL Sharans, Galaxies, Alhambras no matter which engine had the same CV joints and driveshafts throughout the range, not saying it's the same with Fabias but it might be. Get a genuine part, fit and forget.

[Andy RB5]

Thanks for the replies, yeah I think it might be a case of buy cheap buy twice here! All of the website advertise the same CV joint across the whole Fabia range so I think it is the same part. I think I'll buy a more expensive part and try and fit it myself as all the bolts and old CV joint should be easy to take apart as they were all off a few weeks ago

[peteskinner]

I've only been trying to buy a replacement outer CV joint boot kit and have come up against a problem

The GSF computer came up with the wrong boot kit. 30 mm nut as standard on most vw group cars.

The. VRs has a much bigger 36mm nut but a smaller diameter thread on the CV joint. Got the right nut and boot in the end, but by all the computers, it shouldn't be!

I would assume then, that the joint is very different.

My car is a 05 VRS diesel

Edited 2 December, 2014 by peteskinner

[peteskinner]

I'm very interested in bow you got on, Andy.

I did the outer CV joint boot change yesterday, and found that the joint was altogether a more meaty bit of kit than the last one I did on an eighties Jetta.

The hardest part of the job was the Infernal boot retaining clips. To save a pfennig or two they are a tad short to easily fit, an are a real struggle. I'd hoped to do the job without removing the drive shaft from the car, bit the struggle with the large clip meant it had to come off.

I hope you have a successful outcome

[Coffin Dodger]

I had to get mine done a while ago and the VRS joint is defo heavier duty than the standard Fabia unit. I'm sure that the garage told me at the time that the joint was the same as one for an Audi. I found this part number 8N0 498 103BX scribbled on the back of one of the pages of my invoice not sure if it's correct but looks as though it might be. I remember the garage telling me that they were unable to get the right one from their usual supplier and that they had to get it elsewhere, perhaps this is the number to enable them to get a cross reference from their alternative supplier?

Best of luck getting yours sorted out mate!