drive axles shot

strodda · #1 01-08-2003, 08:39 PM

has anyone had theirs replaced? i took my car back to the shop today cause i thought they messed something up cause i was hearing a rubbing noise. it didnt make the same noise again, but i heard a ticking noise, and i asked what it was... told me, my drive axles are bad. how long could i make it with these till they just stop working totally?? said its gonna cost another $450 to fix both sides, and i dont want to fork out that much again if i dont have to.

-=Evol90Accord=- · #2 01-08-2003, 09:05 PM

is that the same as a cv half shaft? the part that has the inner/outer cv boots on it?

autozone sells them remanufactured w/ a lifetime warranty on em for like 80 bucks each. takes about 2-4 hours to change em out yourself.

strodda · #3 01-09-2003, 01:46 AM

i really have no idea, hopefully someone will know. ive only worked with simple things like changing suspension and header. if it is the same, would the cv boot be the part that covers the joint where the axle meets?? i think i remember hearing that there's oil in the boot, and if its gone bad that oil would be leaking? or could it be that the axle has gone bad but the boot is still in good condition...

Rollinon18s · #4 01-09-2003, 03:36 AM

Evol is correct. They aren't hard to change out, I've had to do mine many times when the back of my car was higher than the front. The lifetime warranty is awesome too, saves you money. I know for your car the axle nut is a 36mm. Here is a site, maybe it can help you understand:

http://www.raxles.com/install.htm

strodda · #5 01-09-2003, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rollinon18s
Evol is correct. They aren't hard to change out, I've had to do mine many times when the back of my car was higher than the front. The lifetime warranty is awesome too, saves you money. I know for your car the axle nut is a 36mm. Here is a site, maybe it can help you understand:

http://www.raxles.com/install.htm

thanks for the link. i would like to do it myself to save alot, but im still kinda confused. i wouldnt know what im looking at. any chance of knowing where i could see some pics?

and i read the install procedure, it mentioned loosening the axle nut with the car on the ground. how am i supposed to get under my car without lifting it?

-=Evol90Accord=- · #6 01-09-2003, 06:31 AM

seriously consider getting a Haynes Repair Manual from Autozone. It has step by step instructions on how to do this with pictures.

the axle nut (also called the spindle nut) is the big 36mm nut in the center of your wheel, its not under the car. you would loosen the lug nuts and then the spindle nut using a breaker bar with a LONG extension (i had to go to ace hardware and get a 4 ft galvanized steel pipe to break the damn thing). DO NOT use a ratchet for the spindle nut, I went through two Husky 1/2 drive ratchets doing this!

there are a couple specialty tools that will make this job a LOT easier, you can rent em from autozone for free. you'll need a slide hammer, the attachment for the slide hammer that you bolt onto your wheel studs (this is to get your rotor off the axle since its pressed on), and a fork to break apart your ball joints (you might consider getting new bushings after doing this since the fork tends to tear them apart... they were old anyway, right?).

lemme know if you need any more tips.

-=Evol90Accord=- · #7 01-09-2003, 06:40 AM

oh yeah, and the cv joint is filled with grease, and if it tears the grease goes everywhere. The joint then goes bad because the metal bearings are rubbing around a metal cage with no lube... eventualy they wear grooves into the cage which causes the clicking sound. It eventually gets worse when the bearings fall out of the cage, and your car will suddenly stop in the middle of a turn somewhere. I personally have never seen this, but my mechanic told me thats what would happen. I was also driving with that annoying clicking sound for well over six months, and have heard of people doing it for as long as a year.

strodda · #8 01-09-2003, 02:54 PM

ok, thanks for the tip on those tools. guess ill have to go pick up a haynes manual. do i have to take the brake caliper off of the disk?

one more thing, for now. what gaskets will i need? i want to have everything before i start work or ill be stuck without a way to get to the shop.

Rollinon18s · #9 01-09-2003, 03:01 PM

What Evol said is pretty much all you need. My friend could change them in 15 minutes he got so good at it. Oh and the axle nut is a bitch to break the first time...I took mine down to a friends shop and had them break it and he ended up blowing through 2 brand new Snap-On ratchets...it sucked! My friend that did my other side ended up welding the socket on the end of his jack stand pole so it wouldn't break off. The Haynes Manual is good though...make sure you buy the whole axle though, don't get just the boots.

strodda · #10 01-09-2003, 09:23 PM

thanks for all the help, but i took the easy way out. i got it done for just over $300, i know i could have saved some by doing it myself, but i dont have the time to learn or do it. im always working, and schools starting in a couple weeks, which would leave me even less time if thats possible. although, since i paid for parts and labor, theyre both insured if anything goes bad. now i know all you diy'ers out there are frowning, but ill learn someother time... at least i got my haynes now

Rollinon18s · #11 01-10-2003, 01:18 AM

The Haynes manual kicks ass. I learned all kinds of things from it and even though it may not be the real Honda manual...it sure gets pretty close to it. I would have taken mine to Honda to let them replace my axles, but they would have just told me my car was too low and stuff like that. They would have fixed it, but I would probably have not been allowed to have the warranty.

strodda · #12 01-10-2003, 11:28 PM

true, i would prefer getting it fixed at the dealership, but they charge a lot more. back when i had to get my suspension fixed, they told me over a grand for parts and labor. i paid some guy a midas $20 to take the rusted bolt off and put a new one in... no parts neeed to be replaced.

Rollinon18s · #13 01-13-2003, 11:33 AM

I need to get all my bushings replaced...that is going to be costly, but I can take my time cause the car is parked right now.

Accord_Racer03 · #14 01-23-2003, 04:15 PM

You can go a pretty long time on those axles when they're going bad. It's really annoying listening to them but you can prolly hold off for like 2 months. I waited about 2 months when mine was going out and now I have another one going out. it's been like that for about a month now. I'm waiting around cause i might do a swap. They're not real expensive and they're pretty easy to put in like they said.

dutchaccord · #15 01-23-2003, 05:04 PM

did it myself..... easy, and it save's u some money.

a cv-joint costs about 150 euro (1 euro = about $1) a pcs.

Good Luck,

Stefan

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