My car has 244k miles. Bought it used ~225k. From old receipts --

* the outer boots on both drive axles were replaced ~140k
* the left side axle was replaced with an aftermarket unit by Quality Tune-Up ~200k (4 yrs ago) It still looks pretty good.

The right side axle outer boot is now torn up again, and the inner boot is split. I assume this is the original OEM axle for the car. Other than the torn boots it still drives fine.

Any recommendations on options between rebooting the current axle, purchasing a new or used OEM axle, or purchasing a new aftermarket unit?

Regarding OEM new, does anyone know the difference between the US-built and Japan-built units? There is a 2x price difference between the two.

Regarding aftermarket brands, any recommendations? The forums seem to be overwhelmed with complaints about every brand.

Thanks. John

 

One of our moderators recommended raxles.

I always had problems with rebuilt CV joints on my old 95 accord. The O'Reilly brand that was a new CV joint worked ok, but I think it caused vibrations too.

 

I have been using Advance Auto NEW axles after my Raxle axles boots were splitting about once every 3 years. Haven't had a problem since and they are only like $45 each and new.
I have a new Raxle unit if you wanna buy it

 

I have had good performance w/ my Raxles but don't have a lot of miles on them, but several years of use. They did cure a severe vibration under acceleration problem that AZ axles could not fix. I will use them again when I need a cv axle. They cost about 2x other aftermarket axles.

I had a bad experience w/ Autozone axles (4 axles all which caused vibration under acceleration).

Your best option is to buy a new (not rebuilt) axle in any case. OEM are w/o doubt the best performers, however they cost 3x what aftermarket axles cost.

I've seen many praises to EMPI axles, but have not used them myself. They are available from many suppliers.

CV axles are a complex mechanical part that gets lots of dynamic loading and it's not surprising that failure of these is a frequent problem.

good luck

 

Thanks for the updates so far everyone.

* I checked AdvanceAuto online ... "ToughOne" brand for $74.99. If there is a better price available please let me know.
* EMPI new is ~$60
* Raxle quote just in -- $160 plus core, or $220 w/o core. Why would I get that over Honda OEM US-built @ $150?

Thanks. John

 

Agree that raxles are not worth a premium over OEM. I thought OEM was more costly. Good to know they are competitive.

My 06 TSX has original axles that are still performing well; no leaks, cracks in rubber, and no noise. I checked their online prices and found $400 and $500. I'll have to do some shopping when time comes. Used axles are an option, if you can verify low miles.

good luck

 

For Honda OEM righthand-side axles for my car there are US-built (44010-SV1-A51) @ $150 and Japan-built (44010-SV4-952) @ $320. I have a question into Curry Honda as to the physical difference between the two, as that is a huge difference in price.

 

Add coupon code TRT30.
Merchandise ready within 30 minutes at your local Advance Auto

 

Okay, so I ended up rebooting the passenger side axle using EMPI boot kits, ~$10 each from partsgeek. Rebuilding the axle was a stressful but actually very quick process ... once you figured out how it came apart it was very quick to disassemble, clean, repack, and reassemble both sides of the axle. The grease was a mess though.

One problem I have though is that the outer boot doesn't seal properly ... the sleeve isn't deep enough to tcover the outer CV joint housing properly, so the band isn't sitting in the groove. As a result that side of the axle has been oozing out grease pretty much continually since I rebooted it. The inside boot is fine though.

Also, another development, I snaapped something on the left side last weekend -- either axle or bearing. Lots of squeaking, and knocking on deceleration. I stopped the car almost immediately and had it towed home. Since the car is 19 years old and has 250k miles on it, I'm just going to replace both bearings, and the LCA bushings while I'm at it. That will complete the front suspension rebuild on this car.

While I'm at it, though, I'd like to just go ahead and replace both axles. The axle on the left was a Quality Auto aftermarket ~5 years old now and is probably broken at the outer CV. The axle on the left may be OEM, but is poorly booted and has 250k miles on it. So I don't mind replacing both, especially when I am going to have the spindles off and I can get both axles for around $100.

=====

So back to the question -- which brand of aftermarket axle? Here's what I've gathered:

* Advance Auto has two brands -- Carquest CV for about $75, and USA Industries for about $60. It looks like the TRT30 discount coupon is still working, so 30% off those prices. Sounds like a deal. And potentially local pickup which makes it real easy to deal with quality problems.

* Cardone Select NEW axles seem to have a following, but also many claim they are cheap now and made in China. The company is in the US. These are ~$50 each.

* Cardone Reman are supposed to be OEM reman only ... but some people have claimed that they are not.

* Many people love Napa Auto Parts axles, but they appear to be just Cardone Select sold for 50% more ... the warranty card that you can download from their website names CARDONE as the warranty provider.

* EMPI used to have a good following, but word is that they were sold to another company (USA Industries?), renamed Empire, and now made cheaply in China.

* I can still get OEM new or reman Honda axles for ~$150 each. But I really would rather spend $100 on axles right now, not $300. We probably won't have the car too much longer as it stands.

Any thoughts or comments on the above?

Thanks. John

 

I've heard complaints about some axles from virtually every source you listed (except the Honda OEM units); the only non-OEM source for new axles which consistently gets stellar reviews are those from Raxles (www[DOT]raxles[DOT]com/). FWIW, they are an American manufacturer.