daehttub2000 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I was unpleasantly surprised by a torn CV boot while my tires were being checked:mad: It happened sometime over the winter when I was plowing through some deep snow:rolleyes: Two shops have told me that I should pay the $315+ to get the axle replaced at the same time the CV boot cover is replaced. The charge for the CV boot cover only is $270! I really don’t want to spend that money on a 12 year old car and I recall torn CV boot covers being replaced for considerably less (not my first CV boot cover). Am I being taken for a ride? The 95 AWD Legacy L Wagon has 150,000+ miles on the original axles. What would you do? Can I get by with a cheaper solution? Keep greasing the axle? CV boot solution that doesn’t require axle removal? Maybe I should stop beating on my Subie:-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 er um ... Just replace the axle, it should be cheaper. I had the dealer replace an inner boot on Blu ( just torn, car was there for the awd clutchpack). It cost me about 220.00 to have it done. I need the other now, I am replacing the axle, its cheaper. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reveeen Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Considering a "boot kit" (boot, clamps, and replacement grease) costs me $12, I know I learned how to do it myself in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Ive never used one on an inner. Ive used them on outers and had it fail. Maybe on an inner it will work better. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 You might get a good used half shaft from a junkyard. Personally I would not use an aftermarket half shaft as I've seen too many posts about issues with failure and some weird vibration stopped in drive afterward. MWE axle rebuild might be an option. Aftermarket rebuilt halfshaft is probably cheapest though. There's been other posts of people going a good number of 10's of thousands of miles with the thing clicking and stuff but not failing...not saying it's the best option but if it passes inspection and you know it might fail... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86BRATMAN Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I've replaced the front driver side axle on my mom's 98 legacy L late last year, it now has weird vibration that developed about a month or so ago. It does it pretty regular at highway speed, about 60 mph around here. If I had it to do over I would have done some research first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtdash Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Cost me $150 for the passenger side last month - inner and outer. Local shop - not a chain. Keep shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterD Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I think i paid $60 from Napa for a reman axle... so far it works:) Next time i hope to find a good used axle and order some book kits from the dealer.. if my drivers side boot goes bad i'll replace the boot. its tough to find boot kits... unless im looking in all the wrong places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stumpy Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Quotes from OEM parts catalog @ http://thepartsbin.com 12-13$ each for boot kits (inner/outer front/rear) axles assemblies from 70-102$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1995SubaruImpreza Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 When I had mine replaced on my 95 impreza it was about 15.00 for parts and 50.00 to have it installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 the price seems a little high, but you are not getting taken for a ride. it's much easier to just replace the axle than the boot, so the price difference is justified. more money for the new axle....but less time for installation. replacing the boot is dirty, annoying and easy to mess up on the fly. whoever installs your axle - just make sure it's a Subaru axle (new or used) or from MWE. don't buy aftermarket. the other option is to just let it go for awhile. i've driven 50,000 miles on broken front boots (mostly highway)...far more on rears. i never replace rear axles, they don't fail (knock knock), mine are currently broke in the rear. if it's an inner boot on the front, they'll last longer than the outers. the outers have more range of motion (steering) and get stuff in them easier. in maryland and georgia i'd go years and 10's of thousands of miles with broken front boots and some moderate clicking around turns (tell tale CV noise). i would only replace them if i had to go in there for something else. they didn't fail and it wasn't worth my time. now that i drive frequently in WV...they use some kind of coal or crushed rock on the roads in the winter and it degrades CV's quickly. mine is making a horrific racket now after 6 months of driving, mostly through the winter, and i've got a new one on hand to replace it with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Remember that inner boots can be repalced without removing the axle from the wheel hub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 If you're on the north side of Chicago , you could come up to Kenosha and I'll replace the whole axle or just the boot for 50 bucks. It'll only take an hour or so. you buy parts. I have the tool for clamping real CV boot clamps. Those *fold and lock* ones are crap, you can't get them tight enough and they come off, espescially on the outers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 i've got 2 cv boots for an impreza if you want them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daehttub2000 Posted May 5, 2007 Author Share Posted May 5, 2007 This is an awesome board. Thanks for all your input and offers of help. I am running low on cheese curds so I may head up into Wisconsin sometime soon Gloyale:grin: Nipper: Doh! I am afraid of making that mistake so I’m taking my time on this one. The CV boot is on the inside of the driver side front wheel. There is a clean split where the boot cover separated from the wheel. There is still a ton of grease inside the alloy wheels that came out of the boot/axle and it’s making no noise. If there is a way to just replace the CV boot cover without messing with the axle, I’m all for it. I’m thinking of going to Autozone to pick up some grease to tide me over until I figure out what to do. In the interim, the old girl is parked in the stable. Good thing the snow has melted in Chicago and the Salt trucks are no where to be seen… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjo Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 If i remember correctly, an half shaft from auto zone/advanced auto will run you about 90 bucks after the core. It's a real easy swap too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 If i remember correctly, an half shaft from auto zone/advanced auto will run you about 90 bucks after the core. It's a real easy swap too.$60 dollars from Autozone with the core. For me, it's $60 for the axle and $60 for the hour's worth of labor to replace it coming to a total of $120. However, since Autozone axles have lifetime warranties, it's just $60 per time the axle goes - which is rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daehttub2000 Posted May 5, 2007 Author Share Posted May 5, 2007 Good News. I called around and found a PepBoys with a service bay that will do my CV Boot and Axle replacement for $140-$160 total with a lifetime warranty on the remanufactured axle. $60 axle, $60 labor, remainder for CV boot stuff and any possible extra labor. There is a $50 "core" deposit that I get back to net the cost out to $140-$160. It would be $50 higher otherwise. Sounds like PepBoys is in the used/remanufactured parts business. Firestone was $315 and the Subaru dealership said it would be at least $315 if not higher. I think I'll use Pep Boys more if this works out O.K. I'm taking it in tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Good News. I called around and found a PepBoys with a service bay that will do my CV Boot and Axle replacement for $140-$160 total with a lifetime warranty on the remanufactured axle. $60 axle, $60 labor, remainder for CV boot stuff and any possible extra labor. There is a $50 "core" deposit that I get back to net the cost out to $140-$160. It would be $50 higher otherwise. Sounds like PepBoys is in the used/remanufactured parts business. Firestone was $315 and the Subaru dealership said it would be at least $315 if not higher. I think I'll use Pep Boys more if this works out O.K. I'm taking it in tomorrow. PROCEED CAREFULLY ! Like all things in life you get what you pay for. Check out the pep boys with the BBB first. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 agree with nipper....check BBB for pep boys. also your existing axle with a new boot would be more reliable functionally speaking that the "remanned" stuff they'll put in there. i've seen brand new ones (aftermarket) fail myself and on this/other boards. if i were paying i'd install a new boot before going with an aftermarket axle. chance of failure is small, but why intentionally take on any chance of failure? even if the axle started clicking i'd rather have an actual Subaru axle on there....but i've been scarred (seen the aftermarkets explode). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daehttub2000 Posted May 6, 2007 Author Share Posted May 6, 2007 Thanks for the input. I checked out the Better Business Bureau and my Pep Boys location didn't have any complaints. I did see a few from around the country on other "venting" websites but it looks like everyone gets complaints. The parent company has the "Satisfactory" rating from the BBB but so does Sears Auto...:-\ I buy a lot of my car parts and supplies from here and they always seem to have full service bays. The guys at the desk are reasonably knowledgeable about Subies and one was a former 95 Legacy driver. I did get the CV boot and axle replaced this morning. Total tab was $168. I'll keep my ears open and will let you know how this works out. I have my fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanaenk Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 If it isn't clicking yet and its OEM - I wouldn't touch it until it starts clicking. Chances are that Autozone axle you buy tomorrow might get torn and start clicking before already open OEM one. Mine pass. side boot is open for last 10k miles and is yet to click. Although I have a j/y spare laying around, in case I need to replace that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Not clicking, a mystery vibration also counts. i have that now so its going to be replaced, as the inner CV is causing a vibration that comes and goes. nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srs_49 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 $315 doesn't seem that outrageous for the entire axle assy. While I've never had one replaced on the 2002 OBW, I have had them replaced on my '92 Sentra, and they were running around $275 a pop. That was 2-3 years ago. I would not go with the boot replacement. I tried it once. It was a real mess and I could not get the joint to seal tight enough to keep the grease in (which also meant water could get into the CV joint). Plus, if you don't know how long the boot has been torn, it's hard to assess how much dirt, etc may have gotten into the joint and is starting to wear parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 By the same token, with a remanufactured axle, you don't know what kind of abuse the core might have been through. It is true that cleaning out the old grease is a dirty job and special tool is needed to tighten the band. But shop towels, brake cleaner, and the band tool cost you only around $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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