CV Axle lengths

[boxerhummfetish]

I very unluckily received the wrong axle (too short, length=27.3") for my front CV assembly. It won't fit on my '95 Impreza manual awd and I'm wondering how in the world this mix up could've happened... ugh .

 

I feel horrible having this new FEQ axle uselessy lying around. Where would this shorter axle fit (~27.25 inches)? Are the front axles different for auto trannys or 2wd's?

 

The standard part seems to be 29.5 inches, and I have no idea how they shipped this part instead. (Too late to return though, since I didn't bother to change the CV until over a year after ordering the axle).

[idosubaru]

perfect timning. this came up on another forum in a different way but it seems there are different length EJ axles. so far our best guess from the XT forums is that FWD EJ front axles are a tad shorter - and i believe this is even spelled out in the FSM's. but i'm not sure how they could be.

 

someone mentioned they seem to remember the FWD axles actually being thicker as well...so if yours appear to have that characteristic???

 

i just installed a FWD EJ22 transmission in an originally AWD vehicle and used the original AWD axles. maybe the hub side is where the difference is though???

[boxerhummfetish]

Wow thanks for the hint. My guess is that this mystery part is an EJ axle. Did the FWD transmission go on the AWD without problems? If so I would guess those axles are the same. My mystery axle is significantly shorter, like by 6 cm (59 cm versus 75 cm). Is this FWD transmission of yours an auto or manual?

 

From the napa parts online parts catalog it seems to tell me that 2WD parts are compatible with AWD for the automatic 2WD, but not for the manual 2WD.

 

perfect timning. this came up on another forum in a different way but it seems there are different length EJ axles. so far our best guess from the XT forums is that FWD EJ front axles are a tad shorter - and i believe this is even spelled out in the FSM's. but i'm not sure how they could be.

 

someone mentioned they seem to remember the FWD axles actually being thicker as well...so if yours appear to have that characteristic???

 

i just installed a FWD EJ22 transmission in an originally AWD vehicle and used the original AWD axles. maybe the hub side is where the difference is though???

[boxerhummfetish]

I just came across these links which opens the possibility that the mechanic incorrectly though the axle was too short. The compressed length listed by empi seems to be comparable to that which I measured, and the axle indeed seems to stretch a bit (whether a full two inches remains to be seen).

 

This is the std (awd and auto part for the 90s soobs):

 

http://www.empius.com/2008_driveaxles/axle_images/80-5511.html

 

Look up a different soob with this part reference:

http://www.empius.com/2008_driveaxles/driveaxles_pg22.html

 

[idosubaru]

yes come to think of it - the 2" difference is too much, more than the difference i'm referring too. so yes one isn't extended, or the other isn't compressed enough.

 

the axle probably will work. sometimes new axles are very tight and hard to move though, so work it around and i bet it drops right in. strange that a mechanic messed this up, you'd think he's familiar with the play in CV axles.

[yohy]

I recently changed both front axles on my ’97 L auto with 165K on it and can verify the compressed length of the original Subaru axles that came off the car, 26.875 inches. I can go into why I know (the dreaded vibration after axle replacement) but I can verify the length of the new EMPI replacements was 26.875 as well. For reference, the factory spec for the Cardone (the Subaru replacement manufacturer) replacement is 26.75. Also, the difference between compressed and non-compressed could be as great as 2 inches. Hope this helps.