92 Loyale, 5sp 4wd single range, 170K

 

I have been experiencing a shaking of the transmission/shifter that is getting worse. I can feel a strong vibration during hard acceleration in lower gears. If I am gentle on the gas, it is barely noticable. This happens when the clutch is fully disengaged.

 

I have installed lots of new parts on this car.

 

Within the past year, it has new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, and shifter bushings. Manual transmission fluid is 15K old and it "looks" ok.

 

Within the past couple weeks it has 2 new EMPI front CV axles, new front wheel bearings and seals, new rotors and pads all around, new shocks and tophats with king springs.

 

I was thinking that it might have been a clogged fuel filter, so I put a new one in yesterday and it defintely helped, but the bad vibration is still there.

 

Tranny mounts and engine mounts "look" intact.

 

Also, this problem seems to almost go away entirely in 4wd (as a test, I am not driving around like that)

 

The car drives great with all of these new parts, but I cant get this vibration to go away! Its slowly getting worse!

 

Anyone have any ideas here? I plan on changing the tranny fluid to see if that helps.

 

What is the bad actor here?

 

Thanks

Oh and the balljoints and rod ends are newish also.

Bad inner CV joints are a common cause.

Did the vibration change w/the "new" axles were installed?

You think the EMPI axles were shot immediately? They were new in the box. I know they arent as good as MWE or OEM, but I would hope that they work OK for a little while.

 

Is there any way to verify a bad CV besides swapping it out?

 

Thanks for the input.

No 100% way.If they have play,they`re bad.If not,they may still be bad.

Was threre any change after swapping axles?

Well, the EMPI axle was indeed bad.

 

There is ZERO vibration after I installed the old axle with no grease and a torn boot.

 

I guess I will be returning the bad EMPI and ordering up an MWE from colorado.

 

Lesson learned.

The EMPI axle was indeed bad.

 

I installed the old one with no grease left and a torn boot and the vibration dissappeared completely.

 

Lesson learned.

yep, this is how it goes with aftermarket axles. glad you got it figured out.

 

how did you determine which side? you could tell kind of which side it was?

I have this problem with autozone remanufactured cv axles. I have put 4 on my passenger side, they last for a few hundred miles then start clunking on right turns, then start clunking on acceleration... they won't replace it anymore ! What are the best cv axles to get ?

I have this problem with autozone remanufactured cv axles. I have put 4 on my passenger side, they last for a few hundred miles then start clunking on right turns, then start clunking on acceleration... they won't replace it anymore ! What are the best cv axles to get ?

MWE seems to be the best choice with the least complaints here.

I have this problem with autozone remanufactured cv axles. I have put 4 on my passenger side, they last for a few hundred miles then start clunking on right turns, then start clunking on acceleration... they won't replace it anymore ! What are the best cv axles to get ?

it's not autozone - the axle market is terrible no matter where you buy from.

 

reboot a subaru axle or go with MWE. those are the two 100% options.

I keep seeing MWE. What is that ? I was starting to think it was a transfer case problem or bad engine mounts causing the cv axle to wear.

it's a guy in Denver that rebuilds subaru axles. Marshall is his name.

 

you have to deal with shipping and shipping your cores back. so while he's not expensive ($75), the cost goes up quick with shipping. it's worth it though to have that kind of quality and save yourself the time.

 

subaru axles cost me $33 each, i just get them and reboot them too sometimes for easy EJ stuff.

it's a guy in Denver that rebuilds subaru axles. Marshall is his name.

 

you have to deal with shipping and shipping your cores back. so while he's not expensive ($75), the cost goes up quick with shipping. it's worth it though to have that kind of quality and save yourself the time.

 

Oh cool. I am not too far from Denver. next time i go there i will look him up. Thanks !

Oh cool. I am not too far from Denver. next time i go there i will look him up. Thanks !

if it's EJ stuff he usually has it in stock, if it's anything that might be uncommon (like XT6 stuff for me), call ahead of time and give him a heads up.

yep, this is how it goes with aftermarket axles. glad you got it figured out.

 

how did you determine which side? you could tell kind of which side it was?

 

It was the drivers side, and I remember thinking that the inner joint felt "tight" when I installed it...like it was binding up when I moved it around.

 

I didnt worry about it, and hoped that it would loosen up after driving for a little while. This of course didnt work out.

yep, this is how it goes with aftermarket axles. glad you got it figured out.

 

how did you determine which side? you could tell kind of which side it was?

 

It was the drivers side, and I remember thinking that the inner joint felt "tight" when I installed it...like it was binding up when I moved it around.

 

I didnt worry about it, and hoped that it would loosen up after driving for a little while. This of course didnt work out.

Loose axle nut.

I remember thinking that the inner joint felt "tight" when I installed it...like it was binding up when I moved it around.

 

I didnt worry about it, and hoped that it would loosen up after driving for a little while. This of course didnt work out.

your intuition was right, new axles can be very tight, i've seen some be really difficult to articulate through any angle when they're new. but like you said, they worked themselves out.

 

yours obviously had some other cracked up thing going on.

Loose axle nut.

 

It did not end up being a loose nut and it never was. I always torque to 150 and then go until the next notch in the castle nut.