CV Joints and Double-Cardon joints

[jmbrodsky@domain.elided]

     These two are NOT the same.  I have worked personally with Toyota 
     FWD cars, Chevy Trucks, and VW Rear-ends.  The Toyota Front and VW 
     Rear are basically the same.  A CV joint is typically thought of as 
     a series of balls held in place by criss-cross paths in a race that 
     mounts around an inner bossed 'knob'.  The knob has depressions 
     that hold the balls, and the balls fit into grooves on the inside 
     of the 'outer' race.  The result is the common CV joint found on 
     MOST fwd cars.  A double cardon joint is a spring loaded assembly 
     whereby two regular cardon cross U-joints are mounted in a coupling 
     with a spacing of about 2.5" center to center.  The joints have a 
     spring inside of a ball that attempts to line up the two U-joints.  
     The plane of action of a CV joint is parallel to the wheel at all 
     times on a FWD, where the place of action of a DBL Cardon is the 
     bisector of the input and output shaft planes.  If the input to the 
     DBL cardon is level,  and the output is at 20 degrees, the plane of 
     action is 10 deg.  Also the total thickness of the CV joint is 
     rarely more than a few inches, while the entire DBL Cardon is 
     normally about 5".
     
        Hope this clears things up,
     
     

     -Joel Brodsky

         '76 IHC Scout II 345/tf727
         '75 IHC Travelall 150 4wd 392/tf727
         '72 Chev Carryall 3dr 4wd 350/th350 sold, but not forgotten.
                (the Chev had the Dbl Cardon in front at the T/C)