hypervish

Hey all,

I'm heading out for a 2000 mile road trip in the morning to Chicago, and just did a quick inspection that I should have done last week when changing the oil, but held I off till last minute. (bad idea clearly)...

I spotted a greasy drivers side axle on the drivetrain side. Take a look at the video for specifics.

Do you all think it's safe to drive 2000 miles? I'm not sure I'll be able to replace it myself before leaving, and I rather not take it to a shop. I'm not sure how long it has been leaking, but it doesn't look too severe.

fastnoypi

IMO, if it is clicking already...rent a car. If not, i would say its safe for the trip.
I've put on alot more than 2000 miles on axle boots with bigger rips and able to refurb them back to like new with an OEM boot kit.

hypervish

No noises yet. If there were, I'd probably opt to take the ES300.

I called my uncle (ASE certified mech.) just now and he stated the same thing, if it isn't clicking, don't worry about it.

Thanks! I'm going to clean the boot up and the excess grease, and I'll keep an eye on it during the trip.

fastnoypi

just a tip since your boot doesnt look horribly splattered. If you can find the rip, you can wrap the boot in electrical tape as a temporary mcgyver fix. It will keep any remaining grease inside till you can address it properly.

hypervish

Thanks, I'll inspect the boot to see if I can find a tear.

salimshah

If you plan to replace the boot and regrease, then I would not take it out for long trip.

If you plan to replace the CV (shafts) then you can do the trip. Once you hear metal to metal then you are increasing the rub/grind.

To inspect the tear, you will have to jack up and spin the wheel to expose the tear.

Salim

hypervish

I plan to replace the entire CV Half Shaft assembly, after the trip.

I tried to look for a tear, but can't find anything.

I'll update everyone after returning from the trip.

hypervish

Made it home, without any issues from the axle! The RX ran flawlessly as always, what a champ!

I'm thinking about CARDONE SELECT Part # 665195, from RockAuto for $45. Or, I could get an OEM axle from a junkyard for $75, but I won't know how many miles are on it. I think I'm leaning towards the RockAuto solution.

As much as I always advocate for OEM parts, I can't see myself paying $600 for an OEM axle... not at 15 years old with 219,000 miles. I much rather spend that money towards new OEM engine/transmission mounts, which I plan on doing in the coming months.

salimshah

Yours and mine have almost the same miles and I replaced my boot and re-greased the inner 20k miles back and serviced the other 8k miles back. [inners]. If the joint is NOT clicking, the OEM service kit is a good option. The gamble is how long the outer boots are going to last. Other advantage of servicing your own shafts is they are guaranteed to be dynamically balanced as long as you mark and match the mark

Make sure you buy new output seals for the transmission.

Salim

fastnoypi

great to hear no issues! That is dirt cheap for $45..even if it is an additional 10 or so to ship.
Best of luck with the aftermarket/reman axle..especially with a lifetime guarantee.

As i mentioned in another thread, i had mixed results. One is lasting over a ton of miles and another i had a pin hole leak in the boot that showed itself after a week or so after install.
Fwiw, the one i had bad luck with was a lifetime autozone axle. Even though at the time it was $75+ with the core, i've exchanged it with no hassles and no waiting.. Apparently the stores only care if you have an axle in exchange..so if you keep the box and receipt, you can swap your other axles as they rip boots or break. Something to consider to avoid long warranty exchanges.

fastnoypi

Great idea... on one of my other cars i was lazy about installing new seals. I accidentally pinched it or damaged it slightly when putting the axle stub through. I've had a slight leak on my driveway for the past year to remind me. Finally the weather here in NJ is getting mild enough that i can address it.

hypervish

No clicking or odd noises yet.

Do I need a seal puller to replace those seals? Or are they simple to R&R?

Yeah, I've been reading reviews and it looks like all of these cheap axles are garbage.

I'm seconding guessing installing one of these.

fastnoypi

i can't say they are exactly garbage but i would cede to say id rather be doing something else than swapping axles often. My lifetime autozone axle is going 50k miles strong after the first warranty exchange. An EMPI branded axle i have, never had an issue since out of the box. IMO, they are one of the better reman units.

I guess its more of a gamble on the cores they receive and who along the assembly line takes the care to put things back together.

If you have access to a junk axle you can use a junkyard axle as a core for a remanufactured exchange..and recondition, regrease and re-boot your OEM unit as a trusty spare at your leisure.

hypervish

I found a junkyard axle with 89k miles for $48 with tax. I'm probably going to buy it and just install that. And, I'll hang onto my old axle and keep it as a spare to fix eventually as you mentioned.

Do I need to disconnect the tie rod, ball joint, and the strut? Or just the tie rod and ball joint? The service manual doesn't state to disconnect the strut.

fastnoypi

I haven't done an RX axle yet, only on a handful of other makes and models.


edit: instructions for AWD removal found in my '99 RX service manual pdf

Removal
1) Remove cotter pin, cap and axle shaft lock nut. Raise and
support vehicle. Remove front wheel(s). Remove fender apron flap.
Drain differential fluid. Remove bolt and ABS speed sensor.
2) Disconnect tie rod end from steering knuckle. Disconnect
lower ball joint from lower control arm. Using plastic hammer,
disconnect axle shaft from axle hub. Push front axle hub outward, away
from axle shaft. Using a slide hammer, remove axle shaft from
differential.