This is what happens when a CV axle comes loose on the highway

[Kershaw]

epic OP. cell screenshot had my rolling. :)

[Roysneon]

I had one loosen off a bit once but caught it before they actually backed off at all. I also snapped a CV joint inside the boot, once I was going downhill or on a flat road I could drive it along at 25% power :) Luckily it happened to me a 5 minute walk from my apartment.

[grahamsy2k]

hahaha

[ZekeTheSneak]

Mine fell off at like 15mph, stupid greasy bolts. Cleaned and red locktight.

[jlevie]

You don't need (or should use) Locktite on the half shaft bolts. Correct torque is all that is really needed (see the Bentley or the TIS), but if you use Locktite use the blue variety.

[freeride53]

Lol, i love causing traffic too. OP, happy you didn't wreck! That's some gnarly shit

[McGyver]

Years ago I'd been hearing a driveline noise on my 745i for a day or two until I finally crawled under the car to see what the hell it was.

All six bolts on one of the CVs had backed out about 1/4" or so, no idea why. I had plenty of warning though, maybe it was luck.

same deal in my vert, i was lucky that i was bleeding brakes and noticed it.

[e30rapidic]

so no warning? just driving along and blammo. No vibration or weird feeling at all? I find that hard to believe.

[MR E30 325is]

This happened to me in my second E30, about 6.5 years ago.

Lucky for me it popped off as I was rolling to a stop at a light.

Nobody had the decency to give me a hand, so I set up a triangle and fixed it right in the middle of the street.

Good times. I love my E30.

[glucklich21]

so no warning? just driving along and blammo. No vibration or weird feeling at all? I find that hard to believe.

In stop and go traffic, in the rain, maybe going 45 tops, no there was no vibration or other warning. I heard the sound a flat tire makes for about 2 seconds (CV flinging about), then the sound of a tire dragging on the pavement. (CV axle wrapped around the E-brake) That was it.

When I have had my CV be loose before, I didn't get a vibration till above 60+ and even then it was minor till about 75.

[nando]

I had all 6 CV bolts come loose on me as well. Luckily it happened right as I pulled into work, and I didn't lose any parts. I heard a wierd rattle/clunk sound just as I was parking. Ended up having to use the factory jack (SCARY AS ****), and crawl under the car to tighten them with my fingers, just enough to get home and retorque them.

I think the reason they came loose was likely the use of an impact. you should have used a torque wrench... A lot of the time, impacts don't torque as high as you think (and too high isn't a good thing either).

[glucklich21]

This same impact I used took off my crank bolt on my S50 and M42. The torque is there. ;)

My guess since I had to retorque them down every 2 months or so is the flanges being messed up from before, it was hard to tell after the cv axle coming loose.

[nando]

yeah, but you don't know *what* torque was there. you could also overtorque them and end up yielding the bolts.

[Wh33lhop]

I have had this exact thing happen to me--CV bolts backed out, and my axle thumped around until it found my ebrake cable and flat spotted my brand new RS3. Diff was fine though, and I was even able to reuse the axle after a little argument with a grinder.

I had also torqued my CV bolts to spec (30ftlbs iirc). Problem was, they were greasy. Next time I cleaned them off as best I could, used loctite and cranked them down a little harder. Now I check on them periodically whenever I get the chance.

[M3Philipp]

I'am happy to see you saved your car, and it did not lead to a crash.
So, all your bolts of the CV axle broke, the ones that connect the CV axle with the differential, right?
The CV axle was then only connect with the tire (wheel hub), and because of the speed and hitting the road, it did go up again, killing the differential mounts (that connect the diff to the car.) ???