Axle Inner CV joint

[pjq]

Its been awhile since my last post. For those wondering, the car has been working well since the rebuild. Thanks for all your help.
When I put the car away last Nov for the season I noticed the driver side inner CV boot had a tear in it.
Today, I just removed the driver side axle to inspect it. The inner CV still had a lot of grease in it and I could not see any scoring or feel any grit in the grease. With the CV in my hand it swiveled smoothly with no play but I was able to push the inner swivel out with the balls if I tilted it on a 45 - 60 degree angle.
The replacement CV joint I had previously purchased (just in case) has almost no movement in it, new not greased. GKN from Pelican.
I'm trying to determine how much play this CV joint can have before it needs to be replaced? There is no clicking or clunking sound when driving. There was no play in the joint when on the car.
When the car had 71,000 km (44,000 miles) all CV joints were inspected, cleaned and repacked. Car now has 109,000 km (68,000 miles).
Should I be able to push the inner swivel out when rotated on a 45-60 degree angle?
What else should I look for to determine if the CV joint is worn out?
Thanks,Pat.

[steved0x]

I think so, once you rotate It past a certain point the balls will fall out and that center piece does move in and out, that is how i believe it expands and contracts to handle the movement. Play is ok if it is movement, but if there is any clicking or rattling, that's bad. The new one is probably just stiff.

[brainles71]

Hey Pat.

I have been doing research on this so maybe i can help. Yes you should be able to remove the inner swivel this way. Have a look on youtube for porsche cv joint rebuild. This is the way you disassemble/assemble the joint.

I plan on replacing the boots and the grease on mine soon. Its on the long list of preventative maintenance.

I dont believe im wrong but im happy to take direction from someone who knows a bit more about these things.

As to how much play it can have before it should be replaced im not sure... Thats not something i have covered yet.

[Gilles]

Hello Pat,

I have disassembled many Fiat, VW, and also Alfa half shafts (no Porsche's), and I believe that by inspecting the bearing race of the inner and outer casings (looking for scoring) and if the ball bearings and the race looks good, just reassemble with new boots and fresh lube.

I used to pick and choose among few used half shafts (several at home by being a junk yard rat..), picking the ones with smoothest Race and the best ball bearings and never had a failure…

PS: had unrelated failures but by loose CV Joint bolts… :-(

[pjq]

Thanks for the info guys, now for a closer inspection.