Skiv: Looks like RCMart and a few others still have some product. Couldn't say if they're still in business though. There are a few of these manufacturers who seem to fly under the radar.

Anyhoo, last week, a friend looked at my M03 and told me that my CVDs were rusty. I thought he was crazy, but when I looked there was a very light coating of surface rust beginning to appear. It's a bit weird because my car never goes anywhere near water and the humidity here especially in winter, is next to nothing. I decided to tear them down, as it was time for a rebuild anyway. Here's what I found. (sorry, no pics)

The interior surfaces had a extremely fine coating of flash rust, as if they'd gotten very slightly damp at some point. The anti-wear grease I built them with...last year maybe...was completely gone. They were as dry as a popcorn fart. Here's the interesting bit: The pins inside the joints were notched on both ends, on opposite sides, to about halfway through. Looks like the forces in the driveline eventually wore a groove into them and it kept getting deeper as it went.

Fortunately, the drive pins that go under the wheel hexes are exactly the same size. (2mm x 10mm) I'm pretty sure these are 3Racing CVDs, btw. I think these units have been in my arsenal since around 2008. Not bad for a cheap part, but they may be on their last rebuild.

Jim