CV joint go bad without torn boot????

Herm99 · Post by **Herm99** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 3:50 pm

Is this possible? I ask because I just replaced my front right axle last month, almost immediatly after I have yet another clicking/clunking when i make long left hand turns. I checked the left axle and boots are in fine shape, it appears there is some build up (grease) at the end of the boot, but nothing drastic.

Has anyone ever had a cv joint go bad with the boots still in good shape??

I'm hoping the axle i just replaced isn't a bunk one, that or the only other thing i can think of, is that the previous owner had replaced a torn cv boot and didnt clean the joint or relube it. Car had 130k on it when i bought it, so thats a possibility. I just HOPE i dont have to replace that right side axle again, that was a huge fuggin pain in the ass. (stupid push pin!)
TIA

ericem · Post by **ericem** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:16 pm

What type of axle did you buy? Where was it manufactured. Problematic ones are made in china because of cheap casting.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:21 pm

I bought my 1995 Legacy for cheap because the axle had failed with an intact boot. It failed so bad that the car couldn't move forward under because the axle was spinning inside the boot!

Herm99 · Post by **Herm99** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:57 pm

ericem wrote:What type of axle did you buy? Where was it manufactured. Problematic ones are made in china because of cheap casting.

I bought it from a online vendor i frequently use, it was made by a company called "First Equipment Quality" ....I'm not real sure where it was made, I threw away the box already.
The more i hear it though, the more I think its the left one, and not the one i replaced. I might just have to replace it and see if the noise goes away.

Herm99 · Post by **Herm99** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 7:00 pm

ciper wrote:I bought my 1995 Legacy for cheap because the axle had failed with an intact boot. It failed so bad that the car couldn't move forward under because the axle was spinning inside the boot!

Do you know if that was the original axle? Or had it been replaced?

ericem · Post by **ericem** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 9:46 pm

Herm99 wrote:
ericem wrote:What type of axle did you buy? Where was it manufactured. Problematic ones are made in china because of cheap casting.
I bought it from a online vendor i frequently use, it was made by a company called "First Equipment Quality" ....I'm not real sure where it was made, I threw away the box already.
The more i hear it though, the more I think its the left one, and not the one i replaced. I might just have to replace it and see if the noise goes away.

Ya I was debating between those axles and the EMPI axles. Got the EMPI off autopartsway after doing some research. I have no regreats they have a boot like on newer soobs, they are brand new, and 1 year warrenty. So far put a few thousand km on them and work perfectly! Hopefully the first equipment ones had warrenty, call back the online place you got them from.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:36 am

Herm99 wrote:Do you know if that was the original axle? Or had it been replaced?

It had 240k miles on it when I bought it.

I laughed a little when you asked that. I doubt there are any Subaru's on the road older than 5 years old with either original front axle.

ericem · Post by **ericem** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:21 am

ciper wrote:
Herm99 wrote:Do you know if that was the original axle? Or had it been replaced?
It had 240k miles on it when I bought it.

I laughed a little when you asked that. I doubt there are any Subaru's on the road older than 5 years old with either original front axle.

funny you say that. When the the car was i believe 6 years old 1 front axle was replaced on the left. The one on the right was original till a few weeks ago.

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:58 am

Original from 1993? No way. How many miles were on it? You must drive in a straight line at all times or something!

ericem · Post by **ericem** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:03 am

According to my father it was original. 310,000km lol. My father was the main driver for most of the km. He's pretty aggressive.

This is the axle

ciper · Post by **ciper** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 4:29 am

You should start a new thread with a poll. Say "Could my right hand axle/boots be original after 180k miles" because I call shenanigans!

ericem · Post by **ericem** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:54 pm

ciper wrote:You should start a new thread with a poll. Say "Could my right hand axle/boots be original after 180k miles" because I call shenanigans!

Well ill tell you what the axle had a shit load of play.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:13 am

my two front axles were original when I got the car, replaced them both within a few weeks of each other at 160mi.

Car now has 186 on it.

Herm99 · Post by **Herm99** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:32 pm

Just for the record, I replaced that front left axle that was suspect of making the noise, mind you neither boot was torn on it. So i replaced it anyways, and shazam the noise is gone!!

So it WAS the axle, apparently CV axles CAN go bad without any torn boots! I had never seen such a thing. Subaru must use some cheap bearings in them. Plus I had also noticed there was some seapage of grease on the inside of the outer boot (where it clamps down), possibly enough grease leaked out of there to shorten the life of the joint.

All is well now. Thanks for everyones input.

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:48 am

i rallycross a lot with my old FWD legacy and i destroyed at least 3 CV axles on that car over the years. apparently sliding into a hairpin at 35 and then cranking the wheel to full lock under WOT can damage things.

the last set both went out with no trears in the boots. carquest gave me new ones for free.

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CV joint go bad without torn boot????

CV joint go bad without torn boot????