who makes good axles?

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in your opinion, who makes good FWD CV axles?

I've done 6 axles installs. I normally google and found everyone has their own issues but Napa's rebuild maxdrive ( i think they are cardone axles)are what i've had good luck with.

I ask this because my 6th axle install was today and napa didn't have it in stock, so i went with AAP + coupon for their GSP new axle. I think the car has a vibration in the axle. I'll look into this weekend. I've never felt an axle vibrate before.

Isn't Duralast axles cardones as well?
 
i'm not breaking them. mainly boots are torn and its not 6 on a single car. Its more like 6 axles in the past 6 years and its 5 different cars. I've never had an issue with a rebuild napa axle, even tho they cost a little more then everyone else.

I'm just interested to see if people have had bad experiences with other axles. aleast here if you post something up, most likely its another fellow auto enthusiast or least someone who knows a small about cars. Stuff i read on the part sites and anything else google shows could be just another joe who likes ti complain and doesn't know anything.
 
A lot of people on the Pontiac Bonneville forums have had awful experiences with new axles, and much better ones with NAPA remanufactured axles. I wouldn't know myself, however.
 
If I needed one, and I haven't, I'd go to the junkyard. The parts store "all new" axles look kind of pencil necked and light duty. It could just be their generic illustration. I think of axles like alternators; would rather have an OE made one even with some use than a questionable offshore builder/rebuilder.

It's wierd that axle failures keep happening to you. If it were all one car I'd think your powertrain was shifted in its mounts, stressing them.
 
I can get 25-30 years and 250k out of an axle. Obviously there is a quality issue here.

NOTHING Chinese. You want to take ORIGINAL axles, ones where the boots have not failed and allowed a lot of grit in, to a domestic rebuilder.

You want to make sure that when they do them, they do not grind into the case hardening of the axle. This way you keep the OE hardness and quality of the bearing surfaces.

Then you preferably want OE boots installed, which can be VERY difficult!

This doesnt make for the $50 special at the local McParts store...
 
Yep, always original manufacturer's axles. Install new OEM joints, grease & boots if necessary. Aftermarket Chinaloy ones just do not last as long, ever.
 
Check out a company called Raxle. A lot of subu, BMW and other guys have had ton of great experiences with them. Lifetime warranty too
 
We take ours in to Fred's, local driveshaft hole.

He either swaps them out on the spot with rebuilts (full one year warranty-no mileage limit) or re-does them on the spot. I've only had to leave one car's shafts there in forever, they're very professional. And we've run his rebuilds 100k miles plus in young children's cars!

There's one near you, you just have to find them.
 
i'm a DIY guy, i also help my brother's friends with their beaters. Raxles and lifetime warranty will almost never come into place. Being in a pothole city, i guess its more prone to happening.

ive had good luck with napa stuff, but i've read about others having not so good.

I might start rebuilding them, rebuilding a non-clicking axle is just checking all the bearings inside and regreasing with a new boot right? Where would one get the bearings from if one was bad?
 
Originally Posted By: NYSteve
Check out a company called Raxle. A lot of subu, BMW and other guys have had ton of great experiences with them. Lifetime warranty too


Another vote for Raxles...good stuff.
 
The NAPA MaxDrive CV axles is quite beefy and the boots are good. However, they still make popping sounds when turning full-lock, as my Porsche SUV has air suspension. This probably means the NAPA product cannot articulate as well as the OEM Porsche axles do. You GET what you pay for...
 
Originally Posted By: dilberto88
The NAPA MaxDrive CV axles is quite beefy and the boots are good. However, they still make popping sounds when turning full-lock, as my Porsche SUV has air suspension. This probably means the NAPA product cannot articulate as well as the OEM Porsche axles do. You GET what you pay for...


Napa's reman axles are made by Cardone, as are Autozone's reman axles. Cardone only uses OE cores and scraps any non-OE cores they receive.

My experience with Cardone does not match yours. I've used two Cardone axles and didn;t have problems with either
smile.gif
 
I used the AAP "Toughone" axles on my minivan a couple of years ago, and no problems. Lifetime warranty, anyway. I think BITOG'ers over-think this one sometimes.

Why would I go OEM when the OEMs got loose, causing vibration in ~150k miles?
 
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Originally Posted By: brages
Why would I go OEM when the OEMs got loose, causing vibration in ~150k miles?


I have seen some aftermarket ones, even ones recommended here, get loose and vibrate with only a couple thousand miles or less on them.
 
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Local firestone just did the axles in our s60. they gave me the choice of axle to source. NAPA was the priciest, and autozone was the cheapest. The clerk wasn't a mechanic - all she knew was the technicians complain about the auto zone parts (surprised me). I selected NAPA. I've been pleased with them.

-m
 
My new MaxDrive CV failed today, after 900 miles. Early-on, I was hearing creaking and popping in reverse and recently a dull thud upon acceleration and coming to stops. Tonight, all six new Chinalloy stretch bolts backed-out, leaving me stranded. Yes, it has a warranty - but it comes nowhere near the original Porsche part. I won't be doing this frugality exercise again...SMH
 
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Buy a good used axle and reboot/regrease it if the original is toast, its an easy job just a little messy. Use OE boot or Rockford Dura Boots if they have them and Redline CV-2 grease. For many cars you can buy just the joint that is defective with a new boot from an online OE dealer much cheaper than a complete assembly.
Forget aftermarket the vast majority of them are poor quality and a waste of time and money. How can a new axle have any sort of quality when it cost less in many cases than a single high quality poly boot? The simple answer is it cant.
 
Originally Posted By: dilberto88
My new MaxDrive CV failed today, after 900 miles. Early-on, I was hearing creaking and popping in reverse and recently a dull thud upon acceleration and coming to stops. Tonight, all six new Chinalloy stretch bolts backed-out, leaving me stranded. Yes, it has a warranty - but it comes nowhere near the original Porsche part. I won't be doing this frugality exercise again...SMH


I retract my above statement. The failure was caused by ME. I used the shorter, NAPA bolts with the existing washer backing plates, effectively losing about 4mm of thread purchase on the flange. This combined with NO threadlocker and 460ft/lbs of truck torque backed five of six bolts completely off the flange. I limped the Cayenne home on one bolt.

I got another warranty axle from NAPA and installed OEM Volkswagen Touareg V10 CV bolts, designed to handle up to 550ft/lbs of torque. Yes, each bolt was soaked in Loctite #242(blue).
 
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