Hi - I`m new to the forum and my name is Hans.............Just making a severe overhaul on front brakes, bearings, lower ballljoints, knuckles etc........After trying to put back knuckle I discovered that the inner CV joint had separated and rollers, and a fair amount of mayonaise flushed out........Cleaned it all and driveshaft is now much better retracted........Want to ask you all, - is the boot the only thing to keep the joint together and what kind of grease is needed? Thanks in advance.......

 

The boot doesn't keep the CV together, which is exactly why it came apart in your case. When dealing with a loose axle, you need to be sure to support both joints, and it's best if you apply compression inward, ensuring the joints don't separate.

What holds the joint together is simply the fact that when installed, there is no place for the shaft between the joints to go. There might be slight play (in fact, there needs to be for it to operate correctly, otherwise the joints wouldn't be able to rotate), but there is never enough play to allow a joint to separate.

I've never had to rebuild a CV joint, so I can't give any help there. It sounds like you've already gotten that taken care of, so good work!

Everyone: Please feel free (and do!) to correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe my understanding and information is correct..