I know this has been discussed before, but I'd like this forums best -- current -- opinion. 

I've got a largely stock 1986 BRAT in need of axles. 

Can I please hear your current recommendations for the best source, preferably in the Seattle area or Pacific Northwest?

Thank you.

Andrew

The best option is to search high and low to find an oem axle.  Clean, regrease,  and reboot.

how much money do you have there is a place that will custom build you cv axles and they have a life time warrenty but they cost more than your car each so for 4x tbe cost of your rig you could have bullet proof axles but then the stub shafts need to be upgraded then your ring and pinnion and your spider gears need upgraded

you could just get good at changing the axles and carry spares

15 hours ago, atw said:

I know this has been discussed before, but I'd like this forums best -- current -- opinion. 

I've got a largely stock 1986 BRAT in need of axles. 

Can I please hear your current recommendations for the best source, preferably in the Seattle area or Pacific Northwest?

Thank you.

Andrew

1.  clean, regrease, and reboot them.  i've done it multiple times and OEM axles went from clickety clackety loud and shaking the rear view mirror - to perfectly smooth and quiet. 

2. Used OEM axles. 

Aftermarket are trash - all of them.  one might last 20,000 miles, i've seen multiple "new" "lifetime" different brands, blah blah blah blow up in under 100 miles.  OEM's never do that.  i've seen many aftermarket failures, I couldn't count them if i tried.  I've seen a few blow up catastrophically while driving and luckily no damage but the possibility of damage was imminent with those heavy parts flailing around. 

3. If wasting time, high risk of issues, and reasonable risk of catastrophic failures (which i've seen multiple times and I'm not even a shop worker/owner) is okay with you - buy whatever is easy/cheap/exchangeable/locally availble/shippable and keep swapping as needed.   rockauto often has cheap axles available.  buy one extra for a spare. 

Also it might help to be clear and truthful. 

Folks complain about axles - can't find, etc - but many times the axles they're looking for are readily available (often I have them on hand while I'm reading people complain about them) and they never bother to ask on here or posts a parts wanted question/thread, clearly effort or $ must be the cause? 

So it seems when it comes down to it people are just lazy or cheap or something like that when it comes to axles.  And I get that, I'm lazy and don't want to think about other things, so that's not a slight.  Being clear about it - like you don't want to put any effort or $ into used OEM, or you do....will help things along and avoid a long ambiguous axle post. 

Edited December 19, 20196 yr by idosubaru

it's $40 where i live for them to clean an axle out, change the bearings and cage, regrease, and reboot.

there's not many places remaining though, theres only 1 that i know of here in my city that dedicates to only CV Axle Rebuilds.

 

stick to OEM, pull yours out and get that one rebuilt.

if you cant find oem axles you can buy a junk axle from a auto parts store and reboot them and add some decent grease they last alittle while most of them dont have any grease at all and the boots are junk

1 hour ago, ferp420 said:

if you cant find oem axles you can buy a junk axle from a auto parts store and reboot them and add some decent grease they last alittle while most of them dont have any grease at all and the boots are junk

And sometimes the old grease pours out like water when you pull the boot.