First, hats off to Paul (our previous cover-boy and Excellence darling) for turning the bulb on. We were chatting one day about CV's and such and he said something to the effect of; "just get the right length axles and be done with it."

Well duh.

Just get the right length axles and be done with it. No adapters. No extra bolts. No machining, no issues. Just get the right length axles and be done with it. It had a nice ring to it.

I was on a mission. The mission began with a post to get the proper 914 axle length - 20.25" (thanks Ron). Then the 911 spline count - 28. Then a call to Sway-a-Way... yup, part number 2420 in stock. MSRP - $305.00 Not bad, not bad at all for a pair of custom length axles. http://www.swayaway.com/OffRoadRacing.php

I want to make this harder than it is but honestly gang... it's that simple. Simply get the entire early 911 running gear and insert the proper length axle and you're done. Well, there are a few steps so let's see just what that gear is. From stem to stern it goes like this...

From a pre1974 911:

* 911 Rear Wheel Hub
* 911 Stub Axles
* Entire 911 Axle Assembly w/CV's
* 911 Tranny Flanges (901, 911 or early 915 transmissions)

I had the hubs, I grabbed the axles off a buy Reid made (Lavanaut, thanks!) and I picked up some flanges on eBay or PP (can't remember, getting old before your eyes). All I needed were those axles. All it took was money. While I waited for the axles I got started on the disassembly.

Dusty dirty axles... one of the messiest jobs:


Using an air wrench... bolts coming out:


Here's you'll see my method for stub axle removal. A BFH and a cold chisel. Be careful to position the cold chisel on the "gasket" between the CV and the stub axle to avoid cranking on the metal bits:


They're here. Shiny new axles:


The right length too. You can see the difference when compared to the 911 units:


The threesome. Short = 911. The loaded shaft is a 914 shaft:


I want to emphasize the difference because you simply can't run 911 axles in a 914 (for very long). People have bolted them up but, they hyper extend the CV's and they're gonners in a short while.

Remember all that dirty stuff in the first pics? Well, I make a weekly run to the platers so, my rewards are as follows:






Speaking of dirty stuff, the CV's needed to be totally disassembled and cleaned. To do this I stuck them in a gallon of that Gunk Carb Cleaner for a week. This is the best way to loosen hardened, caked on grease. When they came out it still took a couple rolls of shop towels to get them cleaned up. Once everything was cleaned it was assembly time. Not too tough really:


Start by fitting the inner race into the cage:


Then pop the balls in one by one:


Then drop the inner assembly into the CV. Simply match up the fat notch on the inside race with the skinny notch on the outside race to line up the path for the balls:


Then tilt it back and drop it in:


You may have to do a bit of rotating to make it easier but it's fairly straight forward:


Ready for the lube:


I start by putting the nozzle of the grease tube in the inner ball slots and filling away:


Inside started:


Then I do the outside the same way:


Flip them over and repeat. You do have latex gloves don't you? Once they are loaded you have to massage them by hand to work the grease throughout the joint. TAKE YOUR TIME and get the grease thoroughly into the CV. Notice the Moly-Lube? I use an entire tube for each CV. It's the good stuff.

Now the fun part... bolting it all back together. Here the CV's have new boots and freshly plated top plates:


Next the CV's get installed and clipped into place. Once the plates are in place it's time for new boot clips:




New bolts are made ready with new Schnorr washers:


...and a new CV gasket is mated to the CV awaiting the stub axle to be bolted on:


A quick referrence to the "good book" and let the torquing commence:




And we're done:


911 hubs go in the control arms. These shiny stub axles go into the hubs. The shiny nuts get torqued down and the other end gets a gasket and is bolted up to the transmission flanges.

Virtually bullet proof 911 CV's and a complete 5-lug conversion now reside under your 914.

I saw the pics in the BO. Nice...

914 axle shafts make great t-nut installation tools inside a wooden box. I spent the afternoon building a small router table.

T-nuts (I literally used a 914 axle shaft to pound them into the underside of a 14" square particle board box):

Sweet!

Those are some nice.....balls eric..... LOL

Good work chap. Im still holding out for the 944 option

Eric,
I'm wondering about the orientation of the inner race. Not sure this matters or not but I thought the chamfered inner edge would be flipped over from the way shown in your photo so to except the driveshaft when inserted into the CV. I found it harder to insert the shaft when not putting it into the chamfered side. Also, there is a washer that goes on the shaft that is somewhat conical. Which direction does that washer face?
Kev

Click to view attachment

What he said. I didn't nice that before. Shouldn't that go the other way?

While I'm here, no groove for a retaining ring on the inside of the new axle shafts? No worries about the shaft floating out? Theoretically there shouldn't be an issue. but... a question for the hell of it.

Jon, just paint your shafts orange.

I was thinking salmon would be fetching on them

Eric you showed me these a few months back. I definately need to get them on my car this spring. Moving my tranny back 1 1/2 to accomodate my firewall a little better. Then my 911 axles will really be short. Maybe I should have you get a set ready for me CV's on & all

Thanks alot, now I have another item to add to the must have list.

Yep, Billy is right, this how it starts, Eric makes an excelent, "how to thread" and it gets added to the never ending list.
The last time Eric posted a caliper rebuild thread it cost me 500 bucks or more.

Thanks Eric, Great thread

I did some AC work for Sway-away years ago. I wish I knew then, I was going to need some of their products, now.

TI

Both edges were chamfered on the 911 CV's.

Nada. It was explained to me that it was actually "healthier" for the CV to have a floating axle.

Paul has a similar setup on his 3.6. I'll let him weigh in here as well. His utilizes the later hubs with the centering ring. I believe he's using different CV's as well. All the same though... get the right length axles and the world is your oyster here.



This relates to Gint's question as well. The standard axles have a shelf that prevents the CV and axle from "full-floating" the Porsche axles do a semi-float because of this. This shelf is where your conical washer would normally go. With the Sway-a-Way axles they are allowed to full-float. This allows the CV's to find their natural center and actually handle more torque. This is a "biggy" with the off-road crowd.

http://www.swayaway.com/OffRoadRacing.php

Check Model 2421. It might be right for you.

Paul used 108mm CV's, does anyone know by chance the part number of the transmission flange that works with the 108mm CV's? Can this flange work with both the 914 and 915 trans?
Thanks for the help!!!

Those are actually 108's as well... I'll see if I can pull a number. You could Google Porsche Parts PDF and get it there. Use a 70-73 911 as an example (probably earlier as well but, not sure on the cutoff).

According to the PET I came up with this list for the tranny flange
65-69 901.332.209.12
70 901.332.209.15 Chilled cast
70 901.332.209.21 Pressure cast
71 911.332.209.00
72-73 915.332.209.01
74-77 915.332.209.01
According to an old mid america catalog it lists the following:
7/68-9/71 108mm CV
1/75-86 100mm CV
87-89 100mm CV diferent part number than the 75-86 part number.

I think you're safe with any of these... they should all be coarse spline/108mm.

Thanks Eric!!
Can I use any one of these part numbers today in my 914 trans and then reuse them later someday if I upgrade to a late model 8:31 915?
Just curious!!

If you get an early 915 that takes the coarse splines... yes. I think you're safe with anything up to 74 or 75 but there's probably someone a little more knowledgable on 915's here than I.

I "believe" the 76 915 was the first with a thinner spline and the smaller 6 bolt CV's.

Thanks Eric!! I am curous what Paul is using, since he is using 108mm CV's with a 1977 915/61 Trans.

I "think" he's using later stuff all around. He can weigh in. He had to make spacers for his hub-centric hubs if I recall, that would make those later. 930 stuff would be the same 108mm size, The CV's are 6 bolt no-pin vs. 4 bolt 2-pin.

I've had a few early flanges machined to 6 bolt (Bob Burton, George Spencer and Andrew Mallagh come to mind) to accomodate new 930 CV's. The pin holes need to be drilled and tapped for the extra two bolts.

Thanks Eric!!!

Behold my new 914 axles with 911 C/V joints and sway-away axles. However where can I find new boot clips? The originals have 74 oetiker stamped on them.

For those of you considering this route the C/V joints are pressed on the the axles and It took 500 psi with a press to separate them. Thanks for your help Eric.

Click to view attachment

Those small clips do seem to have dried up. May have to use regular clamps.

Great Job BTW!!

Oetiker clamps are available from McMaster-Carr. Search for "ear clamp".

I was not able to locate any "ear clamps" but I did find these

http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-hose-clamps/=llxpjh

However I have to buy 25 so if anyone needs any let me know.

David

http://www.mcmaster.com/#ear-hose-clamps/=llyeki

Dave always has good info.

The idea is to allow the axle to "float" and not put any side load on the CV's., only rotational load. This is much better for the CV's . The outside snap rings keep the axle from sliding too far either way. No internal ring is needed

Also, don't forget the 5mm spacer required for the stub axles. As you know, I prefer the hub centric style.

Eric, the axles should slide in the CV's like a clutch and input shaft unless you are just talking about removing them from the stock axle. If you have to press the CV's on the new race axle you loose the self centering action they were designed to have.

Paul, he bought complete cv/axle assemblies that had the 4 bolt 2 pin config. That's the only way to get those CVs these days. He had a tough time pressing them off the 911 axle. Sometimes they come right off. Sometimes they need a little "help".

OK, I was only worried about the fit on the new axle. Sometimes I have to press the old ones off too but they fit on easy over the new race axles

I was going this route, but I'm thinking of using the later G50 CV, mainly because I'm a CSOB (would save me $150) and I should be able to figure out a solution for the gasket/end cap issue.

The G50 is 6 bolt X 10mm and has no relief for a gasket, but is suppose to be the same in all other regards.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911...patibility.html

Part number for the G50 CV is 911-332-923-01-M60
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/ksearc...-332-923-01-M60








Only real issues is the 6 bolt 10mm vs 4 bolt 2 pin and no gasket. It looks like the 928 cap will not fit into the early flange/stub.

Adding to an already great thread...

Dimensions of a stock 914 transmission output flange

Click to view attachment

Overall length is 100mm

Total of 18 coarse splines

Ok, so what if you went with the newer style everything. Like for my 78 I have. Do I need to make an adapter to make the 6 bolt cv's fit the trans axles? Or is there a different way then that?

'75-'79 (or so) has smaller cost reduced CVs (100mm) versus the earlier 108mm.

Later 915 with the 100mm variety CV have fine spline which won't fit the 901 coarse spline output...

More comparison photos. You can clearly see the ability to run more HP with the 911 goodies. I run the 108 four bolt/2 pin CV's No problems yet.

First, the Swayaway on the right side:
Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Warning! There is an output flange that looks EXACTLY like stock with larger CV's. I believe but I am not sure that they came off the automatic version of the 901. It will slip right in, looks perfect but the center 35mm dimension is slightly smaller, perhaps 1mm. It would be easy to bolt in and go with pending failure to come....it's that close. So make sure you measure your parts!!! I almost installed a set but noticed they fit in a little loose.

So it would be all good if I ran a 915. I may not use them now, may keep them if I decide to go with a 915. Damn, what a pain in the a$$ this has been for me.

With a 915, be prepared to spend $4k+ converting it to work in a 914.

For this you will need to get the 911-901 hubs, stubs and input shafts. Used prices vary but many like me have found these for around $300, but YMMV.
Be careful as the '69 and earlier 911-901 input shaft fits but is NFG and I believe some 915 coarse spline 108mm input shafts work, but the later fine spline does not.
Keep in mind that the CV boot flange (metal part) is NLA, not included in kits (but is included in full axles) and as rare as hens teeth....so make sure you get those as well. Don't worry if they are all bent up, as they can be straightened to serviceable condition quite easily.

The correct 1974 to mid-year 1975, 108mm CV (4-bolt, 2 pin) is NLA as a single, you can buy whole axles (press CV's off and toss the 911 axle, $454. for two axles on the bird) or you can modify'86-89 108mm, 6-bolt, G-50 CV's ($300. for 4 kits, includes CV, grease, boot straps and boot, but no CV boot flange).

911 axles are useless on a 914. Any way you go you have to buy the new axles from swayaway ($320) for this method.

Also if you have no bolts, washers, backing plates, gaskets.... that's an easy $100 if new.
You will also need two new rear bearings.

Now anyone considering doing this knows the whole price, no big surprises.

Then you need wheels and lugnuts... oh and the front end, brakes, caps, tires......

You guys are awesome. Thanks again.

BTW, I looked everywhere but couldn't find so I confirmed with Sway-a-way. The 2420 axles come with SAW's special circlips. Their catalog shows that you can buy them separately but they are not needed.

Also, I just purchased axles from Bugs and Buggies for $288 shipped. Note in the following link that the part number is correct for 28 spline axles, but the page description is wrong. http://www.bugsandbuggies.com/Parts.asp?CN...p;SN=2&GN=4

What size Oetiker clamp is on the small end?

I looked on PET and there is no small clamp listed. Were they required?

Clamps are used to keep hot grease from coming out and messing things up. They would also keep the boot from sliding off its' mounting point.

I have seen rebuilders us snap ties (aircraft ties) in lieu of the metal clamps.

I've seen many racers use the simple plastic zip ties for securing CV boots. For people like us who service things quite regularly, the zip strips are the ticket. I think the Oetiker clamps are fantastic. But they're intended to be a longer-term/lifetime installation. Since we take things apart all the time, I think the zip strips are suitable.

I notice on the later 911 stub axles (both inboard on trans and outboard in trailing arm) the stubs have relieved/clearanced areas for the CV. Even the wimpy 100mm stubs have the cleared areas. Why is that?

All the stubs i've seen for high performance usage like dune buggy VW high performance racing abuse, where CVs take way more abuse than street driving or road racing, don't have the stubs cleared around the CV ball area. So the guys running the 108mm early 911 or 930 CV joints have no issue with CV ball clearance on their stubs I assume?

Thanks,
Kevin

I hope I don't have to take them apart often, one dirty job I hate.

The CV stubs used in this application don't have the reliefs, those are later 911 made to fit the 928 cup they use instead of the paper grease seals.