Tripod Joints

Tripod Joints

Safety & Resources Needed:

Overalls & safety boots must be worn at all time's.Also when using the tools provided, safety glasses must be worn.Tools needed are - Circlip pliers, Soft face hammer, A range of flat head screw drivers & a set of bronze punches.Also 1 C.V Joint.

Inspecting the Tripod Joint:

When pulling everything apart, all parts need to be cleaned thoroughly.

Is the same inspection test as the C.V joint.

Check for any splits or cracks on the rubber boot & also the outer clips haven't broken that hold the boot in place.

Check for any cracks on the outer housing as well.

Rotate the joint & listen for any clicks or noise  in general. This joint is able to move back and forth, so check that it is with in manufacture specifications.

After the outer clips that hold the rubber boot in place have been removed & the boot itself. Then the Housing will slide off.

Some tripod joints have an extra clip on the inside of the housing for more support to prevent the housing sliding off so easy.

This one didn't have the inside clip.

Before pulling the housing off marks need to be made as each roller needs to be put back in the right channel

Inside the housing connected to the axle by splines are 3 needle bearings/ rollers that allow the joint to move back & forth, up & down, Side to Side.

At the end of the splines holding the rollers on is a snape ring.
This needs to be popped off with a couple of flat head screw drivers
Once the snape ring has been removed then we can remove the 3 rollers.
The following 2 pictures are of the rollers

 When inspecting the rollers, we were looking for smoothly spinning, wear on the rollers and making sure the splines of the rollers and axle haven't been worn down or any broken off.
Some rollers are able to come right apart for further inspections.
Unfortunately these were unable to come apart.

When checking the inner of the housing, we are looking for points of wearing down from the rollers moving back & forth on the inside.


When putting everything back together we needed to pack the housing with lots of grease.

All parts need enough grease so the new parts don't break or wear down.