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I was on my way to Corvallis from Salem today and I heard all this clicking and other weird noises that scared the shit out of me. At first I thought it my engine knocking real bad, I revved the engine and it sounded fine. How far can I get with the cv axles doing that? I just need to get home.

1990 Legacy L Owner wrote:I was on my way to Corvallis from Salem today and I heard all this clicking and other weird noises that scared the shit out of me. At first I thought it my engine knocking real bad, I revved the engine and it sounded fine. How far can I get with the cv axles doing that? I just need to get home.

probably anther 10,000miles you'd be surprissed how far a bad CV can go.

Till it lets go and all the marbles fall out at 95 mph like mine did. I drove it home, but the wheel kept jerking like hell to the left......

Replace it when you can. They are $25 from the U-pull it.

ericem wrote:

1990 Legacy L Owner wrote:I was on my way to Corvallis from Salem today and I heard all this clicking and other weird noises that scared the shit out of me. At first I thought it my engine knocking real bad, I revved the engine and it sounded fine. How far can I get with the cv axles doing that? I just need to get home.

probably anther 10,000miles you'd be surprissed how far a bad CV can go.

No one can tell you when it will let loose.... Yeah, sometimes they last a long time without breaking, but no one can tell you for sure that it wont blow apart in 2 miles....

I would personally replace it when you get home... Waiting for it to let loose is probably a little on the dangerous side....

They aren't hard to replace, so do it before you're left stranded.

Yeah, I'd agree to replace it asap.
I have had one bind up on me real bad, and it's actually quite dangerous. It'll practically jerk the wheel from your hand with no warning.

I've also put several thousand miles on ticking CVs but it's not worth the risk especially if the ticking is really loud and fairly frequent.

Ok. I'll replace it ASAP. Would it be smart to get a used one? Shouldn't I get a new one?


Thanks for all your help.

A new CV axle is like 65 bucks when you bring in your old one for replacement. They have a lifetime warranty. Save your receipt and you'll never spend another dollar on that axle if you have to replace it again. Who knows if a used one doesn't have the same issue.

Seems like non OE axles are more vulnerable to clicking then a used one IMO, if u get a used one make sure you replace the boot and grease it before instalation and make sure that its OE somehow, usually if u pull a axle from a FWD car you can notice there thicker and there is no non OE FWD axle they use the AWD sized axle on the FWD

The non-OEM axles are just remanufactured units anyway. They are the same basic thing with lower quality componentes.

Talking about it with one of my coworkers, he was suggesting rather than getting cheap remanufactured joints, get good OEM joints from the junkyard and repack them with grease and replace the boots. This is from seeing the OE axles last a long time, then the replacements only lasting a few years.

don't what you guys are talking about OE axles lasting a long time.
my car had them BOTH replaced under warranty because of clicking.
My axle is going again (don't know how many times they were replaced when not under warranty)
A friend of mine (also a 92 legacy teal A/T) drove his axle to the point where it popped apart. he put it back together and drove home.

Most I've seen lasted about 10 years. The main problem is the rubber boots deteriorate or get damaged and once that happens the grease flies out and dirt gets in. If you were vigilant (anal) enough, you could keep an eye on them and either replace the boot at the first sign of tearing or ziptie another boot over it for reinforcement. Don't know if it helps, but I spray rubber protector in the pleats occasionally.

Well, I got home just fine. It's funny, when my car is having problems or makes a weird sound, I can't listen to the radio. I have to roll the windows down and listen.

Are there cv axles that would be an upgrade for my car?

I know you can get them custom made out of lightweight aluminum, but I highly doubt its worth it.

I would go oem and call it a day...

Ok, thanks all for your help.