Has anyone ever managed to dismantle an outer CV joint?

My 2005 Octavia failed the MoT on a split boot. This should be a simple job, I've done CV joints before without any traumas.

I removed the driveshaft without any dramas. The CV joint is attached to the driveshaft by a spring clip and should come off with a tap from a rubber mallet, according to the manual.

I tapped it with a mallet, no effect. I clamped the shaft in a Workmate and hit it harder. I have made up a clamp to hold it more securely in the Workmate and wellied it. I progressed to a lead mallet. It remains unmoved. I found a socket that fitted in the bolt hole and tried driving it off by tightening the central bolt. Nothing.

What am I missing? Is there a some trick? Do I need a hydraulic press or a bigger mallet? Is there an invisible bolt that only Skoda main dealers can see?

The stretchable boot, that avoids having to dismantle the CV joint, isn't available for this model.

Does anyone have any insights? I'm more than desperate, any help would be greatly appreciated.

It might be worth speaking to a techy at a Main dealership for some advice. I phone Rainworth Motors and they have always been helpful over the phone.

I have one to do on SWMBO's MK5 Golf (same as the MKII Octavia) and they are only held on by a spring clip so it should of come off the way you are doing it, one tool I have seen in use and may well get is this one (they are about £30):

Not quite as simple as the air powered stretching tools (but these must be useless on the OE plastic gaiters?):

That's a superb tool

A recent boot change on a seat altea i did took alot more than a tap. Even had a sweat on by the end.

Sometimes they are just very tight.

Right, done it, thanks for all the suggestions.

I got it apart by refitting the driveshaft to the wheel hub, applying the footbrake, inserting a suitable socket into the centre of the shaft and tightening the centre bolt, forcing the shaft out of the CV joint hub. A huge amount of torque was required, as much as I could apply using a 9" socket wrench.

The tightness was caused by the circlip; the CV hub splines have carved grooves in the circlip, leaving a castellated ring. With perfect hindsight, I should have obtained a circular steel drift, the hard socket has left an imprint on the end of the shaft and the bolt; the socket was all I had to hand.

I now have to clean all the grease and metal fragments out of the CV joint.

Anyone contemplating doing this job should be aware that you probably won't get the CV joint apart without some form of puller.

There must be a tool for dismantling these joints; the 'tap with a mallet' in the manual is clearly a Skoda in-house joke.

Edited 28 September, 201015 yr by Onetap

Anyone contemplating doing this job should be aware that you probably won't get the CV joint apart without some form of puller.

There must be a tool for dismantling these joints; the 'tap with a mallet' in the manual is clearly a Skoda in-house joke.

Yes there is see post #3

It obviously needed a bit more than "Onetap"

Edited 28 September, 201015 yr by Gizmo68

Like so many things which say a tap, the forget that wear and rust occur.

Yes there is see post #3

Yes, saw that; this driveshaft has a female thread, not a male one as shown in that video and as I've seen on most other driveshafts.

I'm annoyed that the manual makes mention of a 'tap with a mallet' when you obviously need a puller; maybe I was just lucky.

SWMBO is greatly disillusioned with my, previously infallible, Mr Fixit fixing abilities.

The tool should still work with a female thread and bolt though.

Like so many things which say a tap, the forget that wear and rust occur.

No significant wear and no rust found, just a split boot. It's done under 30,000 miles. The assembley was all as intended by Messrs Skoda.

The tool should still work with a female thread and bolt though.

Yes, the point being that if the manual had said that the job may need such a tool, I'd have obtained one before taking my car apart. :wonder:

I've never had need of one before.

The dismantling job ripped up the circlip; I'd have expected it to click out and click in.

Likewise I have never needed this type of tool before, just a 'good tap' is all that has been required .

I have just bought a tool as I cant be arsed with the hassle of taking the whole shaft off the car - just need a dry weekend to change it now!

All the rest of the job was surprisingly easy, but the 12-point star bits are essential to disconnect the inner joint from the gearbox. You need someone to hold the brakes on while you undo the 6 set screws. Removing the drive shaft doesn't spill gear oil and you don't have to split the ball-joint.

All the rest of the job was surprisingly easy, but the 12-point star bits are essential to disconnect the inner joint from the gearbox. You need someone to hold the brakes on while you undo the 6 set screws. Removing the drive shaft doesn't spill gear oil and you don't have to split the ball-joint.

Sorry only just seen this post or would have replied earlier about the removal of the outer cv. Ive done a few in my time (changed the skoda one last week cos it had ripped the inner joint apart) and VAG range is notorious for being very hit and miss on how difficult the cv will come off the shaft, and yea its all to do with the wonderful little circlip as mentioned above that sometimes is easily popped and sometimes not!

Just a few things to mention, remember that if you put the driveshaft in a vice and beat the hell out of the cv to remove you can damage the driveshaft (couldnt work out the vibration on a previous golf after changing cv but had put the drive shaft out of shape ever so slightly and imagine the speed it spins). Also if you are on your own (like i was last week) and need to remove the 6 spline bolts on the inner cv joint without someone pressing the brake then use a screwdriver (a decent strength one) and wedge it in the brake disc (vent) above the caliper to remove and below to tighten.

Its an easy enough job (drivers side is a bit more difficult due to the length of the driveshaft and have to loosen a few things up) that Skoda will probably charge a fair bit to do and is well worth a go yourself if you have even a small amount of mechanical knowledge. Just personally i would remove it and then take to to a prop shaft company and they will supply, remove and fit (press off/on) the cv back on for around £45 and you just fit it to the car. I dread to think what Skoda would charge just for the part!

Edited 9 October, 201015 yr by dainott

All the rest of the job was surprisingly easy, but the 12-point star bits are essential to disconnect the inner joint from the gearbox. You need someone to hold the brakes on while you undo the 6 set screws. Removing the drive shaft doesn't spill gear oil and you don't have to split the ball-joint.

I did the Golf on Thursday, the ball joint can be unbolted from the bottom arm (3 bolts) so you don't need to remove the 6 bolts on the diff end of the driveshaft (which would probably require the plastic engine /sump cover being removed as well).

I then separated the CV joint from the shaft with the 1st tool, this was very tight and would of took some doing without the tool.

Still a messy job, but then any job involving CV grease is not going to be pleasant!