Sapper 157 Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 So i was taking a turn this morning when I hear a very audible "click, click, click". At the time I didnt think much of it because I had a lot on my mind. When I got home I popped open the hood and was doing a little minor carburetor work when a splatter of black grease caught my eye. Upon further inspection, I found that the drivers side CV boot had failed, and there was grease everywhere. I kinda expected this to happen soon because only a few days ago I was under the hood and I thought to myself "man, that boot sure has a nasty scar in it". and sure enough today it bursts. So my question is, is there a company that you all would recommend for me to buy my new CV from? Is there one brand that is better than another? This is my first CV failure so I just need a little help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihscout54 Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 How bad is the noise? Those things can last a long time like that. If its only under acceleration in hard turns Ide reboot it. Those Dorman Speedi boots are kinda pricey and hard to come by, can be found on ebay still. They suck, but if the axle is weak anyways maybe this will get you another 25k with minimal work. Ive had some trouble with aftermarket axles. Sometimes a clicking factory axle, is better than a $60 dollar piece of crap. The boots are terrible on aftermarket axles and Ive had remans make that noise right out of the box. With these cars, the only options are reman or aftermarket. There's posts that say people have had good luck with the Empire axles and they run like 60 bux shipped. I wonder If CCR is still offering axles for our cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinky26 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Yeah, if the boots didn't fail I do believe the axles would last a bunch longer. I've read that the OEM boots last much better. Have yet to actually try one, have one on hand for when it's time. I've seen them listed on eBay, still available through dealerships too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapper 157 Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 I think im gonna go with the EMPI axle. $64 with shipping. It's a relativity easy repair isnt it? I watched a youtube video of a guy doing the axles on a 1997 Legacy and it looked very doable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 You need a 36mm for the castle nut. I've had good luck with the new axles at Oriley's with the lifetime warranty. Haven't heard good things about the rebuilt ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subasaurus Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 (edited) Always try to get new, their only like $10more, around $55 for remanufactured and $65ish for new ones but if they don't have new ones at Oreilly's, then just go with the remanufactured ones, my aftermarket (don't remember the brand) cv axles are still good after 2years and still going. Autozone is special order now and so is advance autoparts so if you don't mind the extra week of waiting then order with them. but i once got a remanufactured one that would vibrate my whole car at 40mph, turned out the shaft was alittle bent, not noticeable unless you turn the wheel and watch it.. anyways the advantage of buying it from a store is lifetime warranty, you're set for the rest of the ownership of the car, and alittle trick, since lefts and rights are the same size, i only bought 1 front one and 1 rear one, and now i have 4 new/remanufactured ones, ill let you do the thinking of that yourself. oh and don't forget to buy a pack of those metal pins you stick in the 36mm crown nut. also forgot to mention, that pin that holds the cv axle to the transmission, it only goes one way, if the cv axle is 180degrees wrong, it will get jammed halfway in and then you're really screwed, so make sure you double triple check that before you start hammering in the new pin. Edited July 26, 2015 by Subasaurus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihscout54 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 that pin that holds the cv axle to the transmission, it only goes one way, if the cv axle is 180degrees wrong, it will get jammed halfway in and then you're really screwed, so make sure you double triple check that before you start hammering in the new pin +1 This is very important. I guess its an easy mistake to make, keep in mind that the pin is smaller than the hole in the tranny stub. Its held tight by the axle itself. In other words, if it gets difficult to "TAP" in right away or half way stop take it out and reassess. It should go in smoothly without intense hammering. Ive removed a couple of axles that were installed one tooth off, 180 out or what ever, and its 4-6 hours of hard work and costs about 4 drill bits, 2 awls and one thumb nail per axle. Those pins are made of the hardest diamond steel known in Japan. Unless the axle nut was loose the cone washer will be stuck. It needs a tapping, where its cut, with a tiny flat blade or a small pick. Inspect the splines of the hub as its a common failure. The cone and lock washers arent supposed to be reusable. Youll have to make that call, unless they were loose I generally reuse them. The only other common nuisance Ive run into is axles that are real tight in the hub/bearings. Some pull right out with almost no resistance. Takes a little hammering for removal and light impacting wrenching for install. Be aware of the risks or ruining the wheel bearings, and threads on the axle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihscout54 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 Also worth mentioning, you will have to create some swing room to slide the DOJ off the trans stub. There are a few ways to do this. You could remove the pinch bolt for the ball joint on the knuckle and pry the knuckle open. Then beat the control arm till the ball joint pops out. You risk cracking the knuckle this way. Could also try to remove the lower nut for the ball joint pivot shaft and separate the joint from the control arm. Doing this would likely ruin the joint and its boot. If your due for ball joints then just plan on doing this and have the joint ready to install during reassembly. This is what I have always done. Another option is to unclamp the sway bar and remove an inner control arm bolt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subasaurus Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 3:30hours-4hours just to remove the halfway in pin that i hammered the living hell out of just because of how stubborn i am untill i realized this isn't going to work, after a cut finger, my hands so black and greasy i couldn't see my nails, a broken vice grip tool, 5drill bits and lots of drops of sweat burning my eyes, i finally got it out and i was celebrating like i just swapped an engine or something into my car even though the wheel was still all taken apart.. also when hammering the axle to remove it from the hub where the bearings are, make sure to install the crown nut backwards and flush to the cv axle end, no guarrantees, but it increases your chances of not damaging the threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucasP Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 That sucks man. After a couple you get pretty quick. I started one yesterday at about 9pm and was done by 10. I used to reboot the axles on my old 83 wagon. But on my 87 I just go buy the new ones with the lifetime warranty and swap them out when my boots get worn or they start making noises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman2 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 "Another option is to unclamp the sway bar and remove an inner control arm bolt" That is how I do my 87 Brat. I have set tools out. Jacked up Brat and dropped back to the ground in 20 mins. Try to beat that time several years ago I made the 180 degree mistake. Four hours later, several drill bits, busted knuckles from beating a drift and I had the DOJ pin out. Know I find it much faster to just take my time and double check everything!! Even then a half hour is doable. Unbolt inside "A" arm, drop sway bar off "A" arm, drive pin out of DOJ joint, remove axle pin, lossen axle bolt, stick tire back up with two lugnuts for leverage and snatch off transmission stub. One hand on DOJ and foot on bottom of tire. I might have forgot some minor step. Been three years or more since I installed EMPI axles, new motor /trans mounts and I have not had to touch it since. At one time I was doing one boot or the other every year (all DOJ), being I have had this Brat for nearly 18 years that is a lot of axle pulling. Remans suck, many aftermarket boots suck, plus you need to make sure your engine mounts and transmission mounts are good, mine were not. I have had to leave reman axles at the counter defective (didn't even leave the store with it)!! Also had them clicking from day one of install. Some have claimed EMPI was bought out but I got actually EMPI and they are good, if you can find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 When i do mine i always check the hole by lining it up with the punch so the old factory pin just slides in with a few taps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tundrabrat Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Just put a new one in and it sounds like I put the pin in wrong. Sucks but I'll worry about it next time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I'd reboot it - if it's the original Subaru OEM axle it'll likely quiet it right up. I've done it a bunch of times. If it just broke and slung grease and started clicking - it'll be perfectly quiet if you clean and reboot it. I've never yet rebooted a noisy axle that wasn't quiet afterwards...granted I choose wisely I don't just reboot any rusted clunking unknown axle I find. Also - i've driven 50,000+ miles multiple times on broken boot front CV joints that are clicking, the OEM axles won't break unless you're driving in sand or other abrasive stuff. And 100,000+ miles on rear axles, I've never bothered replacing them when they boots broken because they're not gonna fail for normal use. Aftermarket axles are nowhere near that robust - if you replace it you're probably throwing away an axle that will last another 10 years and buying one that won't. Just google "subaru axles" or "subaru aftermarket axles" or something like that and read a billion years about how problematic they are. I don't even know how many bad axles i've seen new right out of the box, I had a brand new one explode in less than 100 feet after installing it. I'm done with it, my time is too valuable to dork with that stuff. But I get how easy and cheap...and NOT MESSY lol...they are, so that's why everyone does it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Oh - and you can even test it - get under the car and pack a load of grease up into the joint - squishing it all up in there as much as you can. then drive....is it clicking? if the clicking goes away - then it's gonna be fine when properly cleaned and booted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapper 157 Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) I'd reboot it - if it's the original Subaru OEM axle it'll likely quiet it right up. I've done it a bunch of times. If it just broke and slung grease and started clicking - it'll be perfectly quiet if you clean and reboot it. I've never yet rebooted a noisy axle that wasn't quiet afterwards...granted I choose wisely I don't just reboot any rusted clunking unknown axle I find. Also - i've driven 50,000+ miles multiple times on broken boot front CV joints that are clicking, the OEM axles won't break unless you're driving in sand or other abrasive stuff. And 100,000+ miles on rear axles, I've never bothered replacing them when they boots broken because they're not gonna fail for normal use. Aftermarket axles are nowhere near that robust - if you replace it you're probably throwing away an axle that will last another 10 years and buying one that won't. Just google "subaru axles" or "subaru aftermarket axles" or something like that and read a billion years about how problematic they are. I don't even know how many bad axles i've seen new right out of the box, I had a brand new one explode in less than 100 feet after installing it. I'm done with it, my time is too valuable to dork with that stuff. But I get how easy and cheap...and NOT MESSY lol...they are, so that's why everyone does it. I wish my dad would have know about that rebooting trick with the OEM axles. The ones that are on it right now are aftermarket ones. My dad replaced both front CVs about six years ago. Edited July 28, 2015 by Sapper 157 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferp420 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 ive replaced the life time warrenty axles from orealys more times than i can count the last run i bought all new silicon boots when i took the brand new axle apart to put my new silicone boot on there was no greese in the axle at all bone dry the splines dident line up they were loose and clicking by hand out of the box i refused 3 at the counter before settaling on the one i got i rebooted and greesed it and seems fine no clicking rebooting isent as hard as changing the axle but its very messy with a boot and geeese upgrade i think the aftermarket axles hold up fine but dont exspect to go and just bolt them in and have them last you have to rework them to get them to last the only problem is you void the warrenty when you reboot the axles if they can tell they wont take them back im getting my next ones from the junk yard at least i know what im getting 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subaru_dude Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) Have had two sets of brand new parts store axles click straight out of the box, so be aware that's possible. And also, if you're tapping the axle pin and it suddenly feels like it's not moving aka the hammer is actually bouncing off the pin when you hit it nice and square, then stop immediately or you could ruin the tapered bearings in the front diff. May not be recommended but I just use a long nail and bend it so it can't fall out and also ran an '84 2wd dl without any pins OR nails for almost two years without incident. Edited July 29, 2015 by Subaru_dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 What brand silicon boots did you get?How long have they lasted? Are they on a lifted subaru? Have had two sets of brand new parts store axles click straight out of the box, so be aware that's possible. Yep, I've seen new axles do just about anything - clicking out of the box, vibrating out of the box, and blowing to pieces in less than 100 feet before even making it to the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferp420 Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 i got them off of ebay they wernt cheap $100 for all 8 i got blue but they have them in red yellow and black also there %100 silicone you could actualy streach the small end over the joint if needed with out damaging them like in the old days and yes they are on a lifted rig for about 4-6 mounths still no clicking and most importantly they look good 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapper 157 Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 UPDATE I got the old axle out no problem. got the new one in and the pin in the right way no problem... but now the d**** thing wont come through the d**** hub! Ive been trying to coax it through for the past two hours and no luck. am I doing something wrong? the axle I took off and the one I installed are both made by Empire so they are identical to one another... so why is this stupid thing giving me so much trouble? The video I watched of a guy doing his axles on his legacy showed the axles sliding right in no problem. mine will go through to the point I'll have about an inch of the threads coming through the other side and then it wont budge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihscout54 Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 I mentioned this possibility a few posts up. I usually install the wheel/hub side first, as it gives you a little more ability to wiggle the stub around in there. Due to differences in machining or worn bearings etc, some go in/out easy some do not. If you dont have a proper tool for this an impact or just a wrench (whatever you used to remove the axle nut) can be used to pull it through the rest if the way. Usuaully I can finesse my way through the first bearing and get the threads out far enough to continue pulling it through (gently) with the nut and a big washer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subasaurus Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) This is the part where every big washer you have will be needed i can usually get the threads through the hub and thats all i need, don't slam the hub on the cv axle to get it through, yes it will work but the chances of you damaging your brand new cv axle and the bearings and the transmission are pretty high, did it once and luckly nothing got damaged. Anyways this is the tool i used to get it through, don't even know what its called but i call it a big fork. i just thread in the crown nut and slowly work it out, install the rotor and continue pulling it through, and once the tire is on the floor the breaker bar on the crown nut does the rest of the pulling and tightening. Edited August 9, 2015 by Subasaurus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapper 157 Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 I mentioned this possibility a few posts up. I usually install the wheel/hub side first, as it gives you a little more ability to wiggle the stub around in there. Due to differences in machining or worn bearings etc, some go in/out easy some do not. If you dont have a proper tool for this an impact or just a wrench (whatever you used to remove the axle nut) can be used to pull it through the rest if the way. Usuaully I can finesse my way through the first bearing and get the threads out far enough to continue pulling it through (gently) with the nut and a big washer. Okay thanks guys! Sorry i missed that other post of yours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbosubarubrat Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Anyways this is the tool i used to get it through, don't even know what its called but i call it a big fork. Its called a pickle fork. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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