Axles, MWE vs OEM

[charm]

2000 outback, 165k, auto

 

I've done my homework and it sounds like I'm good either way. But, I still have a few questions.

 

It's Sunday so I can't just call and my curiosity is getting the best of me.

 

-Cost. It looks like MWE axles run, I think I saw $75. It looks like CCR's engines include shipping, and it looks like you buy the MWE axles from CCR, does the axle cost include shipping?

 

The only online supplier of Subaru axles had them listed at $350. Is that correct? $350 vs. $75 for, what looks like based on what I've read here, similar quality.

 

-Shipping. With a Subaru axle I can get in my car, vibrate my way a few miles down the road on my bad axle, and get one from the dealership...no problem. What's the turn around time on a MWE axle? Do I need to return the core?

 

I've found mixed opinions on using an impact wrench on the axle nut. Has anybody seen anything bad happen from using an impact wrench on the axle nut? Without an impact wrench, it sounds like getting that bad boy off is by far the hardest part of the job.

 

Any other advice is more then welcome. I tried doing this once before on my Impreza without an impact wrench and gave up. Spent $250 at the mechanic for new boots instead. Since then, I have acquired an impact gun and have discovered that I can do this by removing the strut bolts and not trying to seperate the ball joint. (Might have been easier if I owned a fork.)

[GeneralDisorder]

The Subaru dealer will also have availible remanufactured axles - which are similar quality to MWE, etc. I've heard excelent things about them, I beleive they run around $175.... in that neighborhood.

 

Personally I use the EMPI axles - they are brand new and I haven't had an issue with one yet. EMPI is a well known brand and has a good reputation. $65 each and locally availible.

 

You aren't going to hurt anything useing an impact on the axle nut - don't know where you got that from. I always impact them off.

 

You can remove them without an impact - just put a 1/2" breaker bar or beefy ratchet on them and hit it with a 3 lb. sledge..... repeatedly. You'll eventually spin it off. It's basically a "hand impact".

 

GD

[Dickensheets]

My axle from napa burst the boot after 20k miles. Just so you know.

 

My axle nuts came off with a 24" cheater. No biggy.

[98obster]

My axle from napa burst the boot after 20k miles. .

 

cheap boots on an otherwise decent axle sucks. I've also used EMPI on a 2" lifted OBS with no issues. Was yours the "Max Drive" axle? worth rebooting?

[jp98]

MWE is a separate company from CCR. CCR just has a link to MWE's web site for the price. I believe that the $75.00 is for a rebuilt CV joint's on the axle and for a new CV joint it is $95.00. At least that is what I remember from when I did one of my axles a year ago. If you give them a call they will explain all that you need to know about the axle.

[idosubaru]

Subaru prices are stupid, there are two much better options:

 

MWE - i've bought a number of axles from them. MWE and CCR are completely separate, actually they used to share some facility space but dont' any more. $75 does not include shipping. so you'll be out shipping costs and return if he wants a core, you'll have to ask. i believe the number on the site is wrong, they should update that.

 

He has common stuff in stock - EJ being very common since they're all the same left, right, auto, manual, FWD (when it was available), EJ25, EJ22, wagon, sedan, impreza, legacy forester - all interchangeable! You don't get much simpler than that.

 

Another option is to get a used Subaru axle and reboot it. I get used axles for $30 locally and I buy all newer axles (that fit your car). It's not hard to get on in good shape still too - with good boots. You can slap one of those in there and reboot it once it breaks or just reboot it before you install it. My experience is with the newer axles you can easily get away with just rebooting the inner joint and not the outer. The inners break sooner and the outers last longer - particularly the newer style with more convolutions like yours has.

 

Definitely impact on the axle nut, not sure who would say not to do that, but it's definitely not an issue on Subaru's.

 

Your current axle is not likely to blow up any time soon. Not that I recommend abusing it but you shouldn't have to worry about time here. My axle boots broke on the way to colorado in my lifted rig - 4,000 miles later and some vibration i still made it home just fine. And I was playing in the sand years ago in Georgia with busted boots - bad idea, sand makes mince meat of axles. I still drove 900 miles home that way with lots of noises and vibrations but made it nonetheless.

 

if you stuffed some grease in the joint by hand the vibration would go away. done it a bunch of times.

[J A Blazer]

I did front axles on my 2000 OBW about 2 years ago. Used MWE. Didn't have a problem getting the axle nuts off. I shipped the old axles back to MWE for a credit, which wasn't a particularly smart idea since the cost for me to ship them back was more than the credit.