cvd's are superior for transferring power because the tolerances are tighter and it keeps the loaded parts at the best transfer angle which makes them more efficent
however the cruddy conditions the cats get run in can ruin them and cause allot of unnecessary wear a boot really is essential to promote the long life of a cvd
there are cvd parts available for other cars with improved tolerances
but all the ones i've seen would probably require modification to fit them
the quick fix is to run dog-bones all round as that reduces the
maintenance requirements some people have said it improves strength
but that shouldn't normally be the case* as the lash and shock on the dogbone pins is greater than the captured cvd pins simply because they have
more room to accelerate and then bind when the diff is active
as an example, try a one inch punch versus a three inch punch on a solid
object where you have less space to accelerate the shock delivered is
far lower ( seriously, try it. ) just don't blame your knuckle bruises on me!
if the cvd pins are also properly lubricated with a thick grease the lash shock is again reduced because the grease will have to flow out of the way on impact
and will act like a damper
so the technology is good, but what's going wrong?
-people don't maintain their cars well, a thick grease is really required here
-*our cvd's aren't built to the best tolerances, or out of the best materials
and crack far easier than they should
-they don't include boots, so you want to protect them? it's third party time
personally i'm looking into making an entirely new part rather than use the available ones because they just aren't upto the job in my opinion
something like:
http://www.nutechracing.com/english/ProductShow.asp?ID=866
appears to have tighter tolerances, if i can make it fit
or if i really have to, i may build my own from engineering stock:
http://www.indiamart.com/universaljoints/precision-universal-joints.html
if i manage to get something workable, i'll keep you posted
