How much should it cost to replace CV joints in a 1973 VW bus?

Answer 1

This is a very easy job that will get you unbelievably filthy. The CVs with boots, new bolts and grease are $85 each--so, if you need all four, that's $340. Tools you will need: CV bolt socket. This is a special star driver that fits your 3/8" ratchet. MAC tools makes it, and it costs about $8. This tool MUST be used--an Allen wrench will get you killed.
Snapring pliers
Regular pliers
Torque wrench
Rubber gloves
Three-pound sledgehammer, and maybe a foot of rebar

You do this the same way on any air-cooled VW with independent rear suspension, but you don't have to jack a Bus up. Bugs are a different story. Put on your parking brake, chock your wheels and get under the car. Remove all six of the bolts on each CV. You'll see little arc-shaped pieces of metal under the bolt heads, or at least should. If they're there, save them. Now it's time to remove the old CVs. Put on your rubber gloves. If you've got a vise that hangs over the edge of a workbench, or some other way to suspend the axle vertically by one of the CVs, use it. Remove the snapring, stick the foot of rebar (or an 8-inch extension for your ratchet if you have one of those) on the end of the axle and give it a good sound whack. The axle will probably fall out on the first whack. If it needs more whacks, give it some. It's not like you can damage this thing. Once the first end has come out, turn it over and do the other end. Take off the ruined CV boots and throw them away. Clean the axle well, and paint it if you like. Take a CV joint out of its package. Pack it with one tube of CV grease. Look at the rim--there is a groove machined into it that the CV boot fits into. That goes up. Lightly lubricate the splines on the axle, align them with the splines on the CV, and gently! tap the axle home. Slide both boots onto the axle, making sure you got the clamps in between them and the bolt-ends of the boots are pointing toward the ends of the axle. (IOW, it should look like what you took out when you put it back in.) Pack the second CV. Hold the CV that's on so the outer race can't flop around, turn the axle over and install the other CV. Now lay the assembly on its side and install the circlips. Crawl under the car and reinstall the axle. The bolts get 50 lb-ft and are tightened in a criss-cross pattern. Finally, crimp the boot clamps over the ends of the boots. Now...if you have a second car, what I would do before I ordered new CV joints is to remove the CV from the axle, take it apart and inspect everything in the CV joint. If the joint doesn't have any signs of wear, clean it good, repack it and reinstall it with a new boot. Quite often the only thing wrong with a VW CV joint is it's filthy, and cleaning it out will solve its problems.