CV axles life span?

[flinter]

Hi,

As a very general rule, typically how long do CV axles last before needing replacement? I own a 2017 Hyundai Elantra Value Edition with just 69K VERY light mileage on it. I am a very conservative driver. I checked both the CV axles and when I moved the back and forth, there is a VERY VERY slight play. Its normal for 69K miles?
The car tracks totally straight and the front tires are wearing completely even.

Thanks
Michael in NJ

 

[Oillover]

It's fine.
From the drivers seat, you probably wouldn't notice the "play".

 

[joekingcorvette]

I never replaced them in anything except my mom's 99 Buick. One side was replaced at 90,000 miles but it's an old car and who knows how many million potholes and curbs were hit. My Civic has 128,000 miles and they appear to be tight.

 

[DriveHard]

I have had them last well over 200K miles (VW and Audi), and over 150K on a Pontiac Grand Prix. If there is no odd vibration that changes with application or removal of power, they should be good to go.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Should be fine at that mileage, unless weather or an accident damaged them.
My SWAG is 100K easy, 200K getting there. The axles on our beloved TSX have 212K and are perfect.

 

[Passport1]

VW experience; OEM axles are great. Got a couple of replacements from Advance Auto that were horsecrap.

 

[FowVay]

Here's the deal... make sure the boots never tear and sling out the grease and you'll never have to replace an axle in the life of the vehicle.

If you ever see grease inside the fender well then immediately pull the axles and replace the boots. If you let them run dry of grease and expose them to grit and grime from the highway then they'll be short lived and junk.

Pay attention, keep up with the maintenance, and you won't have to deal with cheap junk aftermarket axles... EVER.

BTW, it's not easy replacing the boots but it's well worth it in the long run. My 2002 Hyundai Elantra is on the original axle and has had only one set of replacement boots. The car is ready for the scrap heap but the axles are spinning around just fine.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

They last as long as the boots stay intact

OE axles have thermoplastic boots, while most aftermarket axles use inferior neoprene.

 

[RAR]

I’ve only replaced mine on my Mini (and other cars I’ve sold) when they are obviously worn or the boot is ripped and the joint full of crud.

Yes, I’ve used aftermarket axles. They functioned just fine and no issues. I don’t own Hondas or other such cars so I can’t speak to aftermarket axles for those.

 

[MRC01]

Here's the deal... make sure the boots never tear and sling out the grease and you'll never have to replace an axle in the life of the vehicle.
...

They last as long as the boots stay intact
...

Not in my experience. The sign of a CV nearing death is that creaking grinding sound when you turn the steering wheel all the way at slow speeds and apply power (like when parking). When the CV boot cracks or tears, the CV joint's days are numbered. It will die quickly afterward. But I've also seen CV joints start to die at around 100k miles even when the boots are not cracked or torn.

 

[Tman220]

Never personally had a CV axle go bad. They usually only go bad if they rip the boot or being over powered with a modified car. Maybe up here in the north being cooler overall helps with boot longevity, not sure.
My anecdotal evidence with vehicles I do or did own, none of which ever needed cv's
1989 Olds EightyEight 200,000 miles
1998 Olds Intrigue 200,000 Miles
1998 malibu 3.1 250,000 miles
2009 malibu 125,000 miles
2012 Regal GS 101,000 miles
2005 GMC sierra 185,000 miles
2005 Civic 224,000 miles
2007 Camry 295,000 Miles

 

[nicholas]

Honda odyssey cv's go around 100k

 

[DemoFly]

I need you to define "play".

Play of the shaft going perpendicularly in and out of the transmission?

Rotational play at the CV joint?

Rotational play of the entire shaft going into the transmission?

 

[edyvw]

Idk about Hyundai, but on BMW they are practically indestructible. If needed to be changed, general rule is used over new, ANY new unless OE or GKN.

 

[CR94]

I replaced the axles on my Mazda at roughly 310k and 340k miles, both after the boots on the outer joints split. The NAPA rebuilt replacements were still going when I unloaded the car at 606k, but one inner boot had cracked due to being improperly installed by the rebuilder.
I suspect outer CV joint boots will last longer if you avoid often parking with steering turned sharply to either side, especially in cold weather---and avoid unnecessary sharp turns
in general.

 

[1 SX]

The kia and sonata are both over 9 years old and on org CV. boots/axles & look and operate flawlessly.
I don't ever expect to have to replace a CV axle on the H/K.

My past 90's GM century/cutless cars on the other hand... I could replace the CV in 30 mins flat, because the OEM boots blew out and every aftermarket CV from like the zone ect is pure junk. So I was replacing them kinda often... Today I'd get a OEM used CV from a junk yard before I'd get a new aftermarket one.

Last note I DO NOT turn the wheel to either extreme nor do I hold the wheel on the stop. also when I have tires off wipe the axle boots down with a clean rag. I believe that helps cv axle and boot life.

 

[Cujet]

I had a Honda set of CV joints go bad at about 40K miles, the Honda OEM replacement set lasted about 10K, and the next set was the catalyst for sale of the car. The problem with this particular car was probably the extreme angle they lived at, coupled with my very high speed, long distance driving. They always failed on the highway, at speed. What I noticed was an ever increasing vibration that felt like a very rough engine. The inner CV was clearly overheated.

 

[supton]

Had one go, never understood why, until I caught an SMA video on it. Honda Civic. They had (have?) rubber bits on them, which can trap saltwater and literally rust the shaft in half. Wife's Civic might have done that, as it snapped an axle somehow. 125k?

My VW tore a boot, so I rebooted it. "Everyone" said that a reboot was way better than reman junk. Time consuming but not bad. Joints were fine, as I had caught it before it had lost a lot of grease. Forget when that happened but well past the 200k mark, probably 275k?

On my 4 wheeler I bought some boots off ebay and they were junk, I think they tore in 10 miles. Extreme angle. One of these days I'll fix with duct tape (it gets like 20 miles a year so not exactly high on the to-do list).

I tend to think of them as lifetime items, or I should say, as much of a lifetime as anything else on the car. 150k-200k and then anything (or everything) is circumspect.

 

[brages]

On my previous Odyssey, the inner joints flung out their grease without developing a tear in the boot. Vibration under acceleration developed. Current Odyssey is good at 210k miles.

 

[zzyzzx]

After feeling the play in yours, go to an auto parts store and see if they will let you check the play in a new one for comparison purposes. At 69 K miles you should be fine unless Hyundai's axles are like their engines.... Now at 150K miles, or more I would question an axle. Really a new axle with less play is probably going to vibrate less, I should think.