Front drive shafts... interchangeable?

[the_bard]

After having the passenger side front drive shaft swapped out on my '92 Loyale (4wd), I'm noticing a lot more clicking in the turns... and it's only been about 150 miles since I swapped 'em. Knowing that my original problem was not solved by swapping the shaft out, I figure my old drive shaft is still good. I'm thinking about pulling the right side and replacing the new shaft with the old shaft... but the clicks seem to be coming from the left side. That leaves me with two questions...

 

1. Are the front drive shafts interchangeable? Would it be possible to take that old shaft that was on the right side and put it on the left side? If that doesn't stop the clicking, I'll take that drive shaft and put it on the left side... if they're interchangeable. I'm also not sure if the axle's would have a "preference" for side (due to natural wear & tear).

 

2. I didn't check the size of that new drive shaft, compared to the old one... they seemed the same size when I put the new one in. If the new shaft had been slightly shorter or longer, would that be causing the clicking?

 

P.S.: The hood release broke off, too... add that to my list

[edrach]

Many remanufactured axles are no better than the one you removed except for the fact that the boots and grease have been replaced. Go with a re-manufacturer that warranties their axles and don't be shy about bringing back any that don't meet muster. I would not suggest putting the old one back on the other side. I suspect that the '92 Loyale is the same as my '86 GL wagon and that both sides are identical. I've had good success with axles from http://www.cvaxles.com/. Cost for my old car was $55 per axle plus shipping plus a refundable core charge of $55.