The service life of the actuator depends on the condition of its hinges. The hinges are quite durable and, subject to careful operation of the car, can last more than 100 thousand km. As a rule, the external hinges of the drives fail before the internal ones. The service life of the hinges is reduced: active driving style, intervention in the design of the car's suspension, but most of all - damage to their protective rubber covers. When the cover breaks, water and dirt enter the inner cavity of the hinge. As a result, grease is washed out of the hinge, and its wear is accelerated. The rupture of the protective cover can occur as a result of the natural aging of rubber and mechanical damage (when driving in a deep rut; when the front wheels of the car are buried in the ground, in sand or icy snow; as a result of freezing ice or hardening of clay on the outer hinge cover).
When the cover breaks in adverse conditions (dirt, dust, snow) the hinge can become unusable for several tens of kilometers. A damaged protective boot can be replaced if the failure is discovered before the hinge fails. In this case, the hinge must be disassembled, washed and put in a new lubricant (see «Actuator Outer Hinge - Removing, Replacing Protective Boot, and Installing», «Actuator Inner Hinge - Removing, Replacing Protective Boot, and Installing»).
The wear of the outer joint may indicate clicks in the area of the front wheel hub when driving in a sharp turn. As the hinge wears, the clicks will increase and quickly develop into a constant crunch even when moving in a straight line. Untimely repair will lead to the destruction of the hinge.
To perform the work, an inspection ditch or overpass is required. We work with an assistant.
Execution sequence
1. We prepare the car for work and (see «Preparing for maintenance and repair»), we hang out, on supports, the front wheels of the car and turn on the neutral gear.
2. We inspect the protective covers of the hinges of the left and similarly right drives, make sure that they are intact and that there is no leakage of lubricant from them.
3. We install the wheels in the direction of rectilinear movement. By hand we move and rotate the drive shafts in different directions. Thus, we make sure that there are no backlashes between the parts of the drives.
4. Rotating the front wheels with your hands, we check the drive shafts for the absence of runout.
5. Alternately turning the front wheels in one direction or the other and rotating them, we make sure that there are no extraneous sounds (knock and crunch) in external and internal hinges.
In a serviceable hinge, the presence of extraneous sounds during operation or backlash between parts is unacceptable. Faulty hinge should be replaced (either separately or the entire drive assembly). A torn boot should only be replaced if the hinge is in good condition.
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