NAPA Axles

[AcuraTech]

Was doing some maintenance on my car today (92 Acura Legend) and noticed the passenger side outer CV boot was torn open. I just re-booted that axle a couple years ago, but whatever. Went into the parts department to find out CV boot kits for my car are no longer available through Acura. (Argh. Older cars.) Of course, re-man Acura axle is still available though, for about $200. Forget that.

Called up NAPA and found reman axles for $52 and new axles for $92. Went with the new version. I figured since the boot has been open twice now, the CV joint has probably seen better days. So I bought the new one. Popped it in, no problems so far.

Talked to another tech that I work with, he mentioned that others have had problems with NAPA axles, such as noise and vibration. Haven't experienced any of those problems so far, drove the vehicle about 20 miles today, plenty of tight turns and got it up to about 75 mph.

When I took the old axle out, I compared it to the new one and the new axle seemed a bit shorter. I just attributed it to the fact that FWD drive axles are able to stretch a bit, and the old axle was OEM and worn.

So the question is, anybody have any experience with NAPA axleshafts (reman or new)? Took a look at the reman shaft before deciding on the new one, wasn't very impressed. Looks like it was just spray painted and re-booted.

There's a few other (cheaper) parts stores in town, but I've always had decent luck with NAPA parts, so that was the deciding factor. New axle was still 'Made in China', but I guess these days it's hard to find anything that's not.

 

[Kestas]

I have no experience with axles, but I do have experience in dealing with NAPA parts as a supplier. The parts supplied to NAPA are made to less stringent standards than OEM parts. Auto manufacturers have stringent standards that must be met, and the suppliers' feet are held to the fire by the warranty programs (30K) that exist for each part. Not so with aftermarket parts. As long as they last a reasonable amount of time (mechanic's guarantee on parts and labor, 12 months?), then NAPA is happy.

That's why OEM or dealer parts are so expensive, the quality is there. If you're patching a car for sale or to help it limp along, NAPA parts are fine. If you want to repair a car for the long haul, OEM parts should be considered.

 

[xlt4me]

I've never had any from NAPA but I've used re-mans from AutoZone, (don't remember the brand), and Advance auto, which was Cardone brand. I've changed them whenever a boot tears. I've done my old Voyager, My son's old Eclipse, and my Stealth. The cost of the re-man isn't that much more than a new boot and I don't have the crimp tool for the band.

I've never had a problem with vibration. One of the shafts I changed on the Voyager got a torn boot after a few years and AutoZone exchanged the whole shaft under the lifetime warranty.

 

[1sttruck]

If you will worry and fret about replacement part quality just get the OEM, but then don't whine about how much they cost. I pick and choose between OEM and NAPA (1st choise) or Schucks and Autozone (2nd choice), sometimes ordering parts off of the internet. I've had to take more parts back to Autozone than with the others. Pulling parts at a junkyard is another option for some items, but I've also had tools stolen at junkyards. Next time I go to a junkyard I'll be carrying a big can of pepper spray for bears, in addition to keeping the tools closer at hand.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I usually buy my parts at Napa, unless it's an identical part for less money. An example would be I checked the price of a set of Felpro valve cover gaskets for my truck a few months ago. Both stores carried the Felpro set but they were $25.00 at Napa and $18.00 at AAP. I went to AAP for the gaskets. I buy things like Regane, car wash soap and windshield wiper blades when I have to take the very occasional trip to Walmart.

I have never had a problem with any part I bought from Napa. In my experience anyway, the quality is always better than what is available from other parts stores. Recently I replaced both stabilizer bar links on my truck and the quality of build and construction was very evident over that of the OE links. The other parts stores in town didn't even carry the links I needed. I did learn from that experience that Napa will often have 2 different lines for the same part, like an economy quality part and what they called the "OE replacement part". OE replacements cost more but are built better. I bought and had to return 2 serpentine belt tensioners from another parts store before I found that the Napa tensioner was the only one built exactly to the same design as my original tensioner. Yet the incorrect tensioner with obvious differences in design was the one the parts computer at the other store listed for my truck. I have not had a single problem with the Napa tensioner.

Napa was a little picky about the documentation that I replaced the accumulator and fixed orifice tube in my AC when I bought an AC compresor there not long ago. That is easily understandable, it has to be done to validate the warranty on the compressor. The compressor incidentally was a reman unit and my AC works better now than it ever did with the factory compressor and accumulator. Odd thing was Napa requires you to replace the accumulator but they don't stock one for my truck. I had to get that at Carquest.

I use Napa parts because they have always been very high quality, in my own personal experience anyway. If things like a gasket or radiator cap or a battery for my keyless entry remote are cheaper somewhere else for the same brand part, I'll go to the cheaper store if I have time. I won't drive clear across town to save 50 cents, but there are other parts stores less than a mile down the street.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Doesn't Honda still make the actual Axle/CV Boot all-in-one replacement for your Legend? That's what they used on my Integra last time when the CV boot was torn. They just replaced the entire axle.

 

[Papa Bear]

"When I took the old axle out, I compared it to the new one and the new axle seemed a bit shorter. I just attributed it to the fact that FWD drive axles are able to stretch a bit, and the old axle was OEM and worn."

Maybe it's an Accord axle.

 

[firemachine69]

Originally Posted By: ThirdeYe
Doesn't Honda still make the actual Axle/CV Boot all-in-one replacement for your Legend? That's what they used on my Integra last time when the CV boot was torn. They just replaced the entire axle.



Most times it's less of a headache to replace the entire axle assembly, as opposed to just the boot.

 

[DC84]

I wouldnt be to concerned about using a Napa reman. In my years i have used many remans from AAP, AZ, Napa, Carquest, and other smaller chains and never had any real concerns. Every now and then you will get a bad apple but for the most part remans do the job just fine. Keep the reciept just in case a problem does occur, most of the time parts stores are willing to exchange them without much hassle.

 

[1sttruck]

Another thing I like about NAPA is that they have a modest selection of US made tools, compared to almost none at other places.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Plus their ProSelect filters are some of the best out there for the price

 

[Jimmy9190]

Plus their ProSelect filters are some of the best out there for the price

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