Mechanic says change whole axle?..

[slycat]

So my car is like 110k miles and during some free work at the dealership, they tell me my cv boots are close to cracking and should be changed. I called my mech and he says its not efficient to change just that and that it should be changed with axle...whatever that means.

is he correct? any ideas?

 

[Pacfanweb]

Telling us what kind of car it is would be helpful.

And yes, in many cases, it's cheaper to just buy a reman axle and replace the whole thing. It's much easier. Changing CV's on an old
axle is often a pain, and they charge a lot more labor to do it.

I'd wait until the CV's are actually making noise, though. Cracking boots means that the grease is going to sling out of them, but they'll last
quite awhile before they start failing.
But yeah, when it comes time, just replace the axle...more than likely it'll be cheaper or practically the same price.

 

[Zenmervolt]

"Close to" cracking? I've never heard that one. And putting a new boot on should be dirt cheap. If they aren't cracked yet then the joints should be fine with no need to replace anything other than the boots.

A whole axle is usually cheaper than replacing the CV joints, but replacing just the rubber boots shouldn't be terribly expensive.

ZV

 

[natto fire]

Yeah, the only other solution is a split boot, but I am not sure if they even make those anymore.

I have changed CV-joints on a Prelude before(essentially what you have to do to change the boots), and it is definitely more difficult than just changing the axle. With the market flooded with cheap remaned units, and the warranty on them, it is usually more economic to just get a remaned axle.

 

[Splork]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
"Close to" cracking? I've never heard that one. And putting a new boot on should be dirt cheap. If they aren't cracked yet then the joints should be fine with no need to replace anything other than the boots.

A whole axle is usually cheaper than replacing the CV joints, but replacing just the rubber boots shouldn't be terribly expensive.

ZV

If you have to replace the boot, you might as well replace the axle.

-sp

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Splork
If you have to replace the boot, you might as well replace the axle.

-sp

Bull. Cut the old boot off, fill a split boot with grease, clamp the new boot on. If you catch it before the original boot has cracked through you don't even need to re-pack the joint.

$25 plus shipping for a bolt-on replacement boot.

Under $20 for a non-split boot.

Any competent mechanic should be able to replace just the boot. Depending on how much they're gouging for labor it might still be cheaper to do the whole axle, but it really shouldn't be.

If the joint is gone, then yes, the whole axle is cheaper, but if the joint's good it's cheaper to put a new boot on it and there's no reason it wouldn't work just fine.

ZV

 

[db]

Especially if you are paying somebody to do the work, there is less labor to just replace the half-shaft. (If replacing the boot only, there is the same labor of removing and replacing the original half-shaft plus the time to then remove the boot from the shaft, clean the joint, grease the joint, put on boot).
Bottom line: if you are going to keep the car, replace the whole half-shaft, not just the boot.
If you're going to sell the car, sell it before the boot breaks. If you want another 10-20k miles, put on a split boot (when the original breaks).

 

[slycat]

yeah thats the thing...i wanna sell the car while its still decent but if it starts making noises...

integra 97

 

[Pacfanweb]

You'll never see me recommend a split boot. Most shops won't, either. They just don't last...if you run or work in a shop that sees lots of cars for repair, you'llhave seen lots of split-boot repairs that have come unwound, and not that long after installation, either. I'm sure there are always a few people with stories of how they've done fine on their cars, but at best they should be considered a temporary fix. They simply will not last like a new boot would. Google "split cv boot" and you'll find all sorts of shops and mechanic sites that recommend against them.
Even the link ZV provided recommends them only for temporary repairs.

IMO, and this is an odd time that I don't agree with ZV here, at 110k it doesn't make sense to replace the boot. As I've already stated, I don't like the split boots.
And it certainly doesn't make sense to remove the CV joint itself, install a new boot, and then put the old CV joint back on.
If the car had 50-60k...yeah, maybe. But over 100k...screw it, replace the whole axle.
But again, as I also stated in my previous post, I'd let it go for awhile before I even addressed the issue. Chances are, it'll last quite awhile before it starts making noise, THEN you can replace the axle.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Yep ignore it till it starts making noise and even then its no emergency. Could go years without ever making a noise or start tomorrow. A reman axle is probably around $70 with a lifetime warranty and with the labor replacing the boots just doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[jtvang125]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Yep ignore it till it starts making noise and even then its no emergency. Could go years without ever making a noise or start tomorrow. A reman axle is probably around $70 with a lifetime warranty and with the labor replacing the boots just doesn't make a lot of sense.

Acutally you should be concern when it starts making noises. It left me stranded on the freeway once after all the grease leaked out the joint overheated and all the gears inside just collapse. The joint was smoking like crazy when I pulled over.

 

[steppinthrax]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
"Close to" cracking? I've never heard that one. And putting a new boot on should be dirt cheap. If they aren't cracked yet then the joints should be fine with no need to replace anything other than the boots.

A whole axle is usually cheaper than replacing the CV joints, but replacing just the rubber boots shouldn't be terribly expensive.

ZV

When working with rubber you should know old rubber when flexed will show cracks. It's an early indication that it will crack soon.

 

[Jthomas Annillo]

So my car is like 110k miles and during some free work at the dealership, they tell me my cv boots are close to cracking and should be changed. I called my mech and he says its not efficient to change just that and that it should be changed with axle...whatever that means.

is he correct? any ideas?

If it is just the boot and the joints are in good shape just replace the boot. If your actual joints are bad its more cost effective to replace the whole axle

 

[razel]

Wow 97 Integra... Awesome it still runs. I'd keep driving it but also keep in mind about your axle. In other words, drive carefully over rough area and pay more attention listening when covering over bumps and the like. I'd trust what your mechanic said since it's a 20 year old car and he's had hands on unlike us. Seals and rubber parts are what go no matter what condition your car is in. Drive it with the mindset that you'll replace it and either set aside the money to fix it or patch it up and sell it for the next person to worry about.

 

[RLGL]

HEY PEOPLE THIS THREAD IS 10 YEARS OLD!!!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

HEY PEOPLE THIS THREAD IS 10 YEARS OLD!!!

True, but it's still a good question.

A couple years ago, I had to make basically the same decision on the car that hadn't been built yet when this thread was started. (Ended up replacing the whole axle. $70 part and half an hour labor.)

^^^ This.

Perknose
Forum Director

 

[AdamK47]

If only slycat had listened to the advice given in this thread... RIP

 

[slag]

If you have to replace the boot, you might as well replace the axle.

-sp

Wait.. what? My son's Audi A4 had a cracked boot. We took the axle off, separated the boot/end, repacked it, and put it all back together in like an hour tops and it cost $13.00. It wasn't clicking, just had a tear and had thrown grease all over the innter fenderwell. No need to replace the axle shaft/half shaft for a torn boot. That's just bad reasoning.

only 10 years old.. and still sound advice.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Wait.. what? My son's Audi A4 had a cracked boot. We took the axle off, separated the boot/end, repacked it, and put it all back together in like an hour tops and it cost $13.00. It wasn't clicking, just had a tear and had thrown grease all over the innter fenderwell. No need to replace the axle shaft/half shaft for a torn boot. That's just bad reasoning.

only 10 years old.. and still sound advice.

It assumes:

1) You're not using a split boot and glue. (Which some places/people do recommend against. But it does allow you to replace the boot with the axle on the car.)
2) You're not doing the work yourself.

Labor costs are going to be most of the cost. If it's $X to get the axle off and on, then you're spending $X plus either spending $Y for the refurb'd axle ready to go out of the box, or $A for a new boot kit, and $B for labor to replace/repack the boot.

If X+A+B ~= X+Y, it's a wash, but Y will get you back on the road quicker.

If you're willing to take the time and do it yourself, then hey, more power to you.

 

[Rifter]

I would usually change the whole axel.

That said i blew a CV boot offroading once, so i cleaned it as best i could to get dirt out on the side of the trail, repacked it with moly wheel bearing grease(all i had on me) wrapped it in a few dozen layers of shrink wrap(the stuff you wrap skids with in a warehouse) And drove it for 2 more years till i scrapped it, and even then 2 years later it was not clicking, yet.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If it was cracked for a while and dirt got in there and/or most of the grease was gone, yeah, I'd replace the whole axle.

Also, I know this thread is 10 years old.