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Bad CV axle?


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Go somewhere where you can make the tightest turn you can either left or right. Then come to a complete stop and crank your steering wheel as far as it will go, left or right depending on the direction and then make a complete 360 circle. If the cv is bad, you will hear the famous "click, click, clicking" noise to let you know. 

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Normally they dont until the boot rips, but they can. I agree with Naked Buell. I believe that some auto parts store have lifetime warranty on cv axles and being that they are the same on both sides you can kinda get both for the price of one. If you are ok with lieing to the store.

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Usually, they click, and it gets worse in sharp turns, so try the suggestion above.

 

Aftermarket axles are junk [with a few exceptions that can be found searching other similar threads] 

 

I have only rebuilt OEM Subaru axles, many times.  [they key is to notice the torn boot before they start clicking]    Far better than the typical aftermarket ones.  It is harder to find OEM ones now, I'll admit.

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I have found that if you are replacing one side the other side isn't far behind. Plus, then you know both are good and document it and you can see how long you go before the next replacement. I always inspect every once in a while to look for cracks in the boot. Usually the one close to the exhaust pipe. 

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I have found that if you are replacing one side the other side isn't far behind. Plus, then you know both are good and document it and you can see how long you go before the next replacement. I always inspect every once in a while to look for cracks in the boot. Usually the one close to the exhaust pipe. 

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I've been driving these GL / Loyales since 1988.  A couple of them got past 200K miles.  Never had a front wheel bearing go bad.  [side note, I am almost done with the first rear wheel bearing repair I've ever had to do to one of these cars]  If it's making some kind of constant noise, maybe it's a bearing - I'd think if a bearing was bad, it died due to contributing factors like the seal/s are shot or the axle nut got loose.

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How about checking the bearings any tips?

 

Raise the wheel slightly off the ground.  Grab the top of the tire and push /pull on it.  If it moves in and out the bearings are gone.  There should be no play in the movement of the wheel.

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DaveT i like your exhaust. And it will pass "CA" emissions?

 

Yes the pre cat puts alot of heat on the pass side inner boot. I actually had that boot rip on me today, on my loyale.

 

It sounds like you have a bad cv axle. Sometimes you can grab the cv axle and try to move it and it will kinda crunch sound. If it does then you know, but if it doesn't that dont mean its good. It maybe a driveline but that's really rare

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Nice work on the exhaust DaveT. I have not tried to Tig yet and the more and more I see it I want to try it. I paid someone to do the last exhaust on my Rx and then when I got underneath my car I want to beat him with the exhaust. It is garbage. It looks like a child playing making metal stick together, and I paid $400 and got garbage. I guess I should look into a tig machine.  :)

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TIG welding stainless is a dream. As long as the 2 pieces touch, you barely need any filler. The exhaust pipe is about. 06 thick, so it's not too bad, but for your very first welding, thicker is easier.

 

yeah well done man.  I think the mocking up and lining up part looks like the hard part. takes me forever.  engine rebuilds are easy - *this bolt* goes in *that hole* wash, rinse, repeat.  body work and custom exhaust welding i've done but it's just hard for me, partly because I'm not inclined towards it, partly because my equipment is low grade, and partly because I've never put much thought into set up that would help/make it easy.   thanks for the pics, i'll spend more time on the set up/mock up next time. 

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