CV Joint Leak: Right Side Drive Shaft

Hello,

During the oil change, I noticed that the grease was leaking through the joint boot on the right side driveshaft, near the transmission. There's a grease stain on the splash guard and axle, forming a ring around the boot. Now I see that the boot itself isn't damaged, but it also doesn't have a retaining clamp. I can move the boot back and forth. My DIY repair manual says that there shouldn't be a clamp there, which makes sense to me since there's no space for it. However, the grease wasn't there the last time I checked. I've cleaned everything again and pulled the boot forward, which seems strange.

I'm not sure if I should re-grease anything, but I think it might not hurt. What kind of grease should I use? It doesn't necessarily have to be VW-G000603, are there any alternatives you can recommend?

Hi.

Did you also rotate the boot/seal and check if there might be a hole or tear in it? In my case, the splash guard (and everything else radially around the joint }) was also soaked with grease because a badger probably took a sample right in a fold. It was hardly noticeable, but it was probably enough to cause a lot of grease leakage. When I replaced it, there was still quite a bit of grease inside (the damage must have been about a year old). If you completely fill the grease cartridges that usually come with the boots, the joints are then quite full with it.

UPDATE: I'm not sure how it's solved on the G4 models, but on mine, the boot is attached to the transmission side via a flange and the joint, so there's nothing that can shift or move there.

Okay, it's definitely tight on the gearbox side, but it's not tight towards the wheel, and I can move it. That's also where the grease is coming from. It definitely doesn't have any holes.

It's funny. She was a bit crazy...let's see how things are now.

Regarding the radial direction, mine isn't completely fixed either, but you can't easily move it with just two fingers; it requires a bit more force. However, if the collar is tight against the shaft and still grease is leaking out, I think that indicates a rather generous amount of grease. Due to centrifugal forces, the grease should actually tend to migrate into the bellows, which has a larger diameter than the collar at the end.

Yep, that's exactly my problem... why isn't it working? Is there something missing or wrong?

'Actually, there's nothing underneath. What's the mileage on yours? The old one was quite soft after 210,000 km (I think that was still the first one), compared to the new one. You could also shift it quite easily.'

We have also observed this phenomenon. In a case of 'overfilling,' it pushes out. Since the overfilling of the cuff usually completely fills the bellows, the remaining material migrates outwards due to centrifugal force, like a cone. This can then lead to the phenomenon of being pushed out. Ideally, it should be pushed towards the transmission, i.e., towards the wider side of the cuff. The back-and-forth movement is caused by the grease underneath. If the surface coating of the shaft is in good condition and the cuff is free of grease, the rubber is actually slip-resistant. I would say to degrease it and use a new clamp. Then it should work again. }

Yes, I also thought it was due to overfilling, but why does it start at 75,000 km? I've made sure it's free of grease, and the shaft is perfectly clean. My question is, does a clamp need to be installed there? There isn't one currently. The clamp is present on the transmission side, and nothing is leaking from there; it's all very tight. Unfortunately, the centrifugal force is pushing it out on the wheel side. I want to know: Should I install a clamp, or leave it as is? The diagrams I have are inconsistent; some show a clamp, and others don't. Unfortunately, they don't specify which diameter it applies to!

I don't know of any without a bracket. I myself would install one. }

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