Rear Axle parts opinion

[JamesStein]

Does anyone have any experience with Cardone Axles on an 80's 300D?

PartsAmerica has them listed for $79.99 for rebuilds. Which is quite a bit cheaper than the $200 that Fastlane wants for rebuilt axles.

Are the Cardone axles garbage?

[leathermang]

You should be able to find some major shop locally which will give a lifetime of owning the car warranty... of course the major work is getting it off and back onto the car.... but that way you are dealing locally at least...

[TomJ]

Not that I REALLY want to admit it here, but I do have one Autozone axle on the car (the only thing I could afford at the time.)

No problems "yet", but the axle I got had the bearing area painted over with gray paint and showed some scoring. Also, they just take the cores apart, clean everything, paint, re-grease and re-assy with new boots. They "might" replace a ball if needed, but no more than this is done.

The "better" rebuilds are actually ground oversize, then oversize balls installed and everything re-hardened. Probably last a LOT longer than the AZ ones.

One thing to think about. The AZ lifetime warr one at $79 will mean you have to replace it every other year or so (they are betting you won't keep the car long enough to have to replace the axle.) This is not a hard job and goes pretty fast and is a good opportunity to drain and re-fill the diff with new synth oil and install a new side cover seal. Job takes about 1-2 hours at most, so if you can afford that every ~2years, then get the cheap axle.

[JamesStein]

Originally posted by TomJ
No problems "yet", but the axle I got had the bearing area painted over with gray paint and showed some scoring. Also, they just take the cores apart, clean everything, paint, re-grease and re-assy with new boots. They "might" replace a ball if needed, but no more than this is done.

Considering the fact that my other option was to rebuild my existing axles these are no worse. Unless the underlying part is just total crap.

At ~$100 for the parts to rebuild both sides of the shaft, these are cheaper and I don't have to spend the time doing the rebuild myself.

[JamesStein]

Oh well...

The 'cheapies' seem to be unavialable.. At least through the 'big' online suppliers.

Time to go junkyard skimming I suppose.

[84300DT]

i think the re-built ones i got from carquest were actually cardone which understand is one of the biggest reconditioners. they came with the 'lifetime' warranty -
sofar no problems after a couple of years.

[rbarnes]

I just bought a pair from NAPA. The cost was around $100 each with a lifetime warranty. Unfortunately, I was 900 miles from home with no tools or facilities when the boot parted, so I had to have a local indy do the work.

[rwthomas1]

Carquest = $69.95/each and Pepboys = $99.95/each. I have one of each. They work fine. Even if the "rebuild" only consisted of a grease-n-boot job, who cares? If it wasn't for the rubber boots failing the axles would likely last forever. They are so easy to change why would you rebuild. RT

[JamesStein]

I just picked up an axle from Car Quest.. 69.99 with a $120.00 core charge.. man do they want that old axle back

I haven't installed it yet.. But to tell you the truth.. this thing looks and feels better than anything I would have done on my own. I can't imagine that it will fall apart in short order.

[84300DT]

core - yeah i think they must send it back to cardone.
we need to keep these cores going back for reconditioning!!

[JamesStein]

I wonder how much they'd pay for a 'core' without the purchase of a reman axle.

[oldnavy]

Doesn't someone just make a 2 piece boot for these car that can be put on to replace a bad boot? Thought I remembered this was something done a lot on Chrysler FWD cars over the past years. Although I could just be havingasenior moment.

[JamesStein]

Originally posted by oldnavy
Doesn't someone just make a 2 piece boot for these car that can be put on to replace a bad boot? Thought I remembered this was something done a lot on Chrysler FWD cars over the past years. Although I could just be havingasenior moment.

I know they used to make them. They are called Split boots. I've found plenty of information on the web about them, but none of the local parts stores sell them. Although for my money.. $69.99 doesn't seem that expensive to replace the whole axle.

[oldnavy]

I was thinking I remembered that the cause of so many failures was the boots rupturing, which meant that dirt and water did their thing.

[leathermang]

Split boots were available for Volkswagon half axles....
The cost of the half axle is not really the point... the amount of work to take the old one off and put the new one on is excessive because they did not use the VW example... which is bolted in place on both ends... Much easier ....