Axle R+R

[A. Wolfson]

Hi all- longtime lurker, first time poster. Hoping some of you more knowledgable than I can help me here:

Had a bad axle that showed itself on longer trips... Clunking repetitive sound when accelerating, getting louder as it warmed up. I bought a new GSP axle and had it installed on the driver's side, which had more free play in it, per a reputable (found on this website) shop. Well, lo and behold, on my first 3 hr trip on it, the rear end started clunking again something awful. Now I'm suspecting either a bad axle or the other side was actually the side that needed replacement...

My question is: how do you tell which axle needs replacement? Or, how much free play should an axle have in it when moved by hand? The new axle moves some, but softer, back and forth. The old passenger side axle doesn't have any obvious tears or leaks (but then again, neither did the replaced driver's side), but moves about the same amount, but when it gets to either end of its play, kind of hits the end harder rather than gentler like the new (and potentially bad) axle.

Any help would be appreciated, and thanks!

[winmutt]

Little to no free play. I could tell by which side the noise was coming from. Poke your finger in the cracks of the boots to check them.

[A. Wolfson]

Thanks winmutt-

What am I feeling for when poking the cracks in the boot?

[winmutt]

Your finger going through. Wear gloves unless you like your fingers to smell like you dont use toilet paper.

Rear bearing could also be the culprit.

[barry123400]

Assuming it is a bad cv joint and the start up time of the clunking is as before. Logic says you changed out the wrong axle. Also the long time interval till clunking starts indicates the joint is low on fluid.

I would inject some fairly heavy weight oil in the outer joint using something like a turkey baster or small plastic tube fed by gravity. Access gained by removing the inner clanp and getting in between the rubber boot and axle itself. If problem stays away and the boot does not leak you may be alright for quite some time.

If nothing else it could prove it was the problem. Also from a financial aspect if you did not find the axel hard to change just put the one you pulled on that side. By reversing the direction of rotation it could go 200k before trouble with it. You are starting to wear pretty well new areas of the cv joints when you change sides.


Really since you probably needed one anyways this way costs you no more. Make sure the boots are in reasonable shape on that axel you pulled before installing it. If not seriously cracked it should be ok. If I was not paying for labour I would not heitate to do this. If paying for labour I would do it differently. Still adding some lubricant to the suspect joint though as an initial test.

I really doubt the new axel would generate identical symptoms to what you had. Sure anything manufactured can be bad but the chances of an identical sequence on the new part are almost astonomical in my opinion.

Putting your finger unprotected into oily cracks can be harmful to your health. You can contract things far worse than a smelly finger as previously suggested. That is bad enough but temporary in nature. Things like dermatitis are more serious ...

[A. Wolfson]

Thanks Barry and winmutt. I'll try and report back... the only issue is that it shows up at least an hour into driving, and I don't take those kinds of trips often.

A bit frustrated with the shop if they did change out the wrong axle. Labor isn't cheap, and I don't have the space to do this kind of under-the-car job myself.

If it were rear bearings, would the symptoms be similar? The clunk only appears after driving a good while.

[winmutt]

In my wifes wagon you can feel it clicking as it rolls to a stop. If you told them which axle to change you only have yourself to blame. It is a pretty easy job for a weekend warrior, maybe you should DIY?