Constant Velocity Joint: Description and Operation

Fig. 1 Front wheel drive components. 1982-85 Eldorado, Riviera, Seville & Toronado:

Fig. 2 Front wheel drive components. Exc. 1982-85 Eldorado, Riviera, Seville & Toronado (Typical):

Fig. 3 Exploded view of drive axle. 1982-85 Eldorado, Riviera, Seville & Toronado:

Fig. 4 Exploded view of drive axle with tri-pot inboard joint. 1985-88 models:

Fig. 5 Exploded view of drive axle with ball type constant velocity inboard joint. 1982-84 Citation, Omega, Phoenix & Skylark; 1982-84 Cavalier, Celebrity, Century, Cimarron, Cutlass Ciera, Firenza, 2000, Skyhawk & 6000:

Fig. 6 Exploded view of drive axle with tri-pot inboard joint. 1982-84 Citation, Omega, Phoenix & Skylark; 1982-84 Cavalier, Celebrity, Century, Cimarron, Cutlass Ciera, Firenza, 2000, Skyhawk & 6000:

The front wheel drive system, Figs. 1 and 2, consists of a final drive unit, left and right-hand output shafts and drive axles. On 1982-85 Eldorado, Riviera, Seville and Toronado models, the output shafts are splined to the side gears and are retained by a retaining ring. Each drive axle, Figs. 3 and 4, consists of an axle shaft, with a ball type constant velocity joint at the outboard end and a tri-pot joint at the inboard end.
On 1982-84 Citation, Omega, Phoenix, Skylark and 1982-84 Cavalier, Celebrity, Century, Cimarron, Cutlass Ciera, Firenza, 2000, Skyhawk and 6000 models, two different types of drive axle design are used. Both designs use the same ball type constant velocity joint at the outboard end. One design uses a ball type constant velocity joint at the inboard end, Fig. 5, the other design uses a tri-pot joint at the inboard end, Fig. 6. Both designs incorporate male splines which lock on the transaxle gears with snap rings, except for the left side inboard joint used with the automatic transaxles. The left side inboard joint used on automatic transaxle models utilizes a female spline which installs over a transaxle stub shaft.
On 1985-88 models except Nova and 1985 Eldorado, Riviera, Seville and Toronado, a ball type constant velocity joint is used at the outboard end, while a tri-pot type joint is used at the inboard end, Fig. 4. Snap rings are used to lock the male splines of the axle shafts into the transaxle gears, except for the left side inboard joint used with the automatic transaxles. The left side inboard joint used on automatic transaxle models utilizes a female spline which installs over a transaxle stub shaft.
On 1985-88 Nova models, a ball type constant velocity joint is used at the outboard end, while a tri-pot type joint is used at the inboard end. Snap rings are used to lock the male splines of the axle shafts into the transaxle gears, Fig. 4.