rcrad4 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 hey guys I'm needin to replace shocks springs and cv axels on my 88 GL waggo. I wanna put an sjr lift in this summer as well. Any recommendations and reasoning on brands for these things and best place to get em? Thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skylar Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 For cv axles go to Rockauto.com and order the Empi brand . Why do you feel like you need to replace the shocks and springs ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcrad4 Posted May 12, 2012 Author Share Posted May 12, 2012 reasoning for Empi? and after 270k they are shot! small bumps rattle the brains out and big ones leave me bouncin for the next quarter mile :-/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 KYB GR2's are commonly used in Subarus for some reason, i've had no complaints with them with limited experience as i haven't done many strut swaps. reasoning for Empi? aftermarket axle market is terrible. a few seconds on google or a subaru forum shows countless threads with new axles causing issues. those of us that do a lot of subarus - can't even count or remember how many times we've seen "new" axles have issues. leak grease, click, grind, vibrations, blow to pieces with little balls rolling all over the ground, i've seen it all. sure - you can get a good one too, my point isn't that every one will fail - but they are such a high failure rate it turns into a waste of time and headache over time. also - i've seen new aftermarkets have more issues on lifted vehicles. in other words i've seen new aftermarkets vibrate like crazy on a lifted rig but run fine on a non-lifted rig. don't waste your time with any store bought axle. i personally have two options: 1. reboot a Subaru axle. they are very robust and never fail if kept properly greased/booted. if the only issues yours have is cracked boots it would be silly to throw away or trade in Subaru axles for junk new ones. hard to do on older Soobs of course.... 2. MWE. he's in colorado and so you have to deal with shipping, but it's well worth it. $75 an axle plus core or shipping back and forth. lots of folks on here have bought from him. some folks like EMPI, but there have been issues reported on here and subaruoutback.org. i'd still consider these a decent alternative to the rest of the aftermarket axle debacle, but given there are two other perfectly good options i haven't bothered to try the EMPI's. avoid everything else like the plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 My supplier has had issues with the EMPI axles so they have primarily switched to the OPParts branded units. Made from the same components as the EMPI's (both get their components from the same company [probably GCK] in China). The biggest problem I have with both is poor boot quality. Also they don't have the same dimensions as the stock axles so when it comes time to replace a boot on one.... well I have had to have my supplier warrantee them over a failed boot because they couldn't get me a boot to fit it. If you have some axles with the original NTN brand joints and shaft you can call up Rockford Constand Velocity and get stars, balls, cages, and boots/clamps and rebuild them yourself. It's pretty easy and it's hard to justify throwing away the cup/claw and bar which are high quality Japanese components if they aren't destroyed. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcrad4 Posted May 13, 2012 Author Share Posted May 13, 2012 alrighty. thanks for the input guys! appreciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Just a Little Advice, for Longer CV Joints' Life, read ~► Here. Kind Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loyale 2.7 Turbo Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 ...also some advice in EA82 Suspension, ~► Here. I Hope those Writeups can Help. Kind Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bighorncrag Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 I too would advise staying away from the Chinese market in "new" axles. EMPI, A1Cardone, OPparts, and FEQ are all made in China and have proven unreliable. Yes, you'll find some that end up being good and lasting a long time but it's more of a gamble than adding new grease and boots to your old OEM axles. If the joints are shot and replacing the boots is pointless, try Altrom brand parts. Altrom can be located here. Altrom is an aftermarket brand out of Japan, comes highly recommended by a local repair shop I'm acquainted with as well as another local shop operated by a former Subaru dealer tech. I like the mixing and matching of suspension recommended by JesZek. ...also some advice in EA82 Suspension, ~► Here. I may have to do some experimenting on my own 88 GL Wagon with JesZek's setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcrad4 Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 Thanks for all this to chew on! thanks guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tosh Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Dang, I'm glad I read this I was about to pull the trigger on a brand new EMPI axel. I've actually never "rebuilt" an CV axel before and would kind of like to give it a shot. I've read up Numbchux guide (Here) to axel rebuild and I'm pretty sure I can "get this done no problem. Is there a quality "rebuild" kit out there with new bearings and whatnot ? or is the best way to just clean and re-grease? I've read this guide: http://www.scifaith.com/clickers/ recommends swapping the outer joints drivers/passenger. Good idea? Lastley who makes the best boot, besides OEM subaru? I had heard good things about the EMPI silicone ones but idk if those where worth it after GD said their are issues with the EMPI stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Dug this up as I'm also in the market for some front struts....I was eying the acdelco struts on rockauto. Anybody have any experience with dem der struuuts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.