So the first thing I did after buying my new 96OBW in Brooklyn was test it out by driving it back home to Colorado. It did great, but I did notice that my right cv boot had ripped about half way across nebraska. A few months and a couple thousand miles later, I'm getting sort of a clunking noise when I turn to the right.

 

I'm wondering:

Does everyone agree that it is most likely my cv joint?

 

How long do I have before the joint goes completly?

 

What will happen if the joint fails before I replace it?

 

If/When I decide to replace the cv axle, what special tools will I need? Will I be able to do it myself?

 

Thanks guys!

It's the joint. Could and probably well last for 10K or more miles but when it fails it is a catastrophic failure.

Be warned that the longer the blown CV joint goes, the more stress it is under. That stress manifests itself as noise (clunking, clicking, grinding) and heat. If it is the outer joint (usualy is since it turns with the knuckle), that heat will be offloaded onto the wheel bearing. Overheating wheel bearing is no fun.

 

That said, I drove around with my Cabriolet for 4000 miles with a blown boot and the Legacy for about 7000 miles before changing them.

The tools you need depend on how you're planning to do the job. If you're planning to just install a remanufactured axle/half shaft, then to remove the existing one you'll need to be able to break loose the axle bolt, a good set of pin punches to knock out the spring/roll pin on the differential axle stub, and some other basic tools (like ball joint separator) depending on how you extract the axle out of the knuckle. Just note that you shouldn't loosen the axle bolt other than to break it loose while there's weight on the wheel.

 

I'd probably go with a Subaru reman axle, or if you have $$ a new OE axle. Other reman axles like from Autozone and other places generally have a lifetime warranty, but you might have to replace them more times over the lifetime of the vehicle.

 

I wouldn't be in a huge hurry to do the job, but as mentioned, when the thing blows, it's not going to be pretty, plus the potential for other damage/heating.

When I replace it, I plan on using a rebuilt axle, from either an autoparts store, or I'll order one on the interweb from an axle rebuilder I suppose. Any thoughts on the best way to go? I am NOT looking to spend a lot of money.

 

Also, will the noises get really bad right before it goes? I.E., will it be obvious that it is about to go bad?

If you're looking for inexpensive then either autoparts store or a salvage yard is probably the way to go. If you can find one at a salvage yard with the boots in good shape I might consider it over even an autoparts store reman unit because the impression I get is the aftermarket units are just not as good quality as the original one on the vehicle.

 

The autoparts store remans though remember you might have to replace them many times over the lifetime of the vehicle, which isn't a big deal if you don't mind spending the time to do it (they generally have a lifetime warranty).

 

As far as sounds, I've never had one go, but I've read that it generally starts with clicking in tight turns, then clicking in any turns, then clicking all the time, then louder clicking, and so on. I think I've seen posts on here where people have driven for years with them like that, so who knows.