Hi guys,

 

Just wondering if there is anything I need to look for which would cause my new CV joint to fail after 8 months or so of "normal" driving? It was a NAPA gold new part so thinks its under warranty, but don't want to go through all the hassle without knowing if there could be some cause?

 

Welcome to my world, I have a stock spfi 1990 Loyale and have had 2 sets, 2 SETS, in my car now and now the drivers side one is starting up:mad:, they have lifetime warranty, just tired of changing it out, which I'm pretty good at now:lol:.

 

But I don't know really know any casuses to activate this problem.....but I would like to, any info out there??

 

 

-Nomad

...yeah I did Wheel bearings too, so ... that shouldn't be it?

the problem is aftermarket axles. they have a high failure rate. i'm not saying every single one fails...so sure you'll see plenty of "success stories". facts are aftermarket has a certain percentage failure rate. to some people it's worth the risk, to me it is not. you'll have to decide where you fall. they leak early, clicking, vibrating, i've even seem them explode (after 100 yards of driving no less), etc.

 

best bet is a used subaru axle and reboot it.

or MWE out of colorado, he's been rebuilding subaru axles for a long time. a little more expensive than a cheap aftermarket but it's a %100 success rate.

...was afraid of that ....this one started making some noise pretty early on too, then suddenly got really bad over the course of last week, finally gave out completely on my driveway(lucky!) ...Hopefully won't see the same problem with the driver side(same brand). Guess I'll try one more since it's a freeby, before upgrading.

I Had that Problem, but Now is Solved, Using a Better Kind of Grease does increase the Lifespan of those CV Joints.

You Might Consider the Quality of the Grease Used, which has Much to do with the CV Joint's Life...

I Use Graphite Grease designed Just for CV Joints, Like the one in the Pic Below:

Kind Regards.

EMPI makes some decent axles - I have run a set for over 4 years now on my hatch - I now have a bad boot on one of them but they are still going strong. They are brand new axles - not reman. They are made in China but EMPI is a well-recognized quality aftermarket brand in the VW community. I have had good luck with all the one's I've used on all models of Subaru's and other cars. So far - other than a boot failure - I have not had to replace one.

 

I get them for $69 each from Discount Import Parts here in Portland.

 

GD

These were "new" also about $85.00 w/no core at NAPA .... Hopefully they make good on the warranty.. main reason I chose them was they were in stock & convenient ... DOH:mad:

Understandable - they should warantee them if the boots are still good. Won't cover your labor and will probably fail in another few months - just the nature of those NAPA axles. Many, many folks have been burned by their axles.

 

Personally I don't ever shop at NAPA anymore. Their tendacy to rebrand everything to their own house label and the overall poor quality of the parts I've received time and again from them has soured me on the chain. I now shop through Lithia Subaru in Oregon City, Discount Import Parts in Milwaukie, and occasionally through Baxter's Auto Parts. The rest I buy online through www.rockauto.com, www.summitracing.com, and a few times through Amazon, etc.

 

GD

You should get good at replacing them and nothing should rust or seize if you keep taking it apart so the freebies might not be so bad to just keep swapping!?

I have napa crapdrive axles in my car. They're crap. My last one started clicking, I dunno, 200 feet up my driveway. The boot blew about 100 miles later, and it started vibrating wicked bad within the next hundred miles... And I wasn't even abusing them. My replacement is doing alright... I'm really sick of replacing axles though. I wouldn't use napa axles.

....well looks like I'll be into it soon ... hope the next one lasts longer.

I have napa crapdrive axles in my car. They're crap. My last one started clicking, I dunno, 200 feet up my driveway. The boot blew about 100 miles later, and it started vibrating wicked bad within the next hundred miles... And I wasn't even abusing them. My replacement is doing alright... I'm really sick of replacing axles though. I wouldn't use napa axles.

many (if not most) aftermarket axles are like that, it's not just NAPA.