supadupamikey

Hey guys, I have a stock 96 Civic EX 5spd with 105k miles.

There is some clicking when I take sharp turns and the steering gets kinda shaky above 60mph. There is also this "play" in the steering wheel... its weird... like it'll go left and right like an inch or two very easily, however, to past this inch or so requires more force... almost like a rough spot or something. The steering wheel shakes left and right all the time when on the highway and it shakes moreso when taking turns.

My dad said he thinks its the CV joint going bad and to just replace the axle.

What do you guys think?

thanks a bunch!
-mike

Caveman74

your pop is correct! CV Joints

D16Z6racing

clicking - axles/cv joints
shaking - warped rotors or unbalanced wheels

My options/ideas/opinions for inspection.

supadupamikey

You guys are quick!!

I did a search (before posting) and figured my dad was right about the cv joints.. but, i didnt know if the shaky-ness was related or not... and wanted to give all the extra info I could.

Oh... also, the car has been doing this for weeks, but, i only drive like 5 miles to work each day at a maximum speed of like 30mph, so, i always forget... until we jump on the highway and then im like whoa!

but, starting last night... the turn signals dont shut off after making a turn... this related too? or something else acting up?

Ricey McRicerton

Somethng else..time to take apart the steering colum and see what's up.

Wink1100

shaking at the wheels on highway and turning, check or listen tothe pitch sound of your front wheel bearings.

sohcvtec1995

just look at the cv joints and if there is a huge hole in the boot, then there you go. If they are fine then it is you steering rack. Also just get your tires balanced, or rotate them and see if the shaking calms down some.

supadupamikey

ok, im gonna take it over to my moms house tomorrow morning and put it in the garage and try to check it out... and go from there.

there might be a couple things wrong with it... but, i'll tackle one thing at a time...

once i figure out whats wrong with it... is there any problem with using autozone (or the like) replacements? or is this one of those Honda-OEM-Only things?

i called autozone earlier and they quoted me $59.99 with exchange for a rebuilt axle with lifetime warranty and they had 1 in stock... and they quoted me $95 for a wheel bearing and it was special order only.... just some useless info... Tomorrow, all the shops/places/etc will be open... so, I'll have a much greater selection of replacement parts.

thanks again for the help
-mike

supadupamikey

************************************************** **************************************

UPDATE

So, I finally gave the car some long deserved attention... Well, both outer CV joints were shot! I called around a few local parts chains for some driveshafts (axles, cv shafts, whatever you call them) and Autozone had the cheapest ones... $59.99 with exchange.

So, I pulled the axles and went to Autozone... got the rebuilt ones and went back home and put them in. Well, the steering wheel doesn't shake back and forth like it used to and it doesnt have that rough spot like it used to... however... not, it shakes under acceleration. the steering is definately improved... but that shaking under acceleration is quite annoying... i've always drove it hard... but, it feels like the dash is going to fall above 5k rpms...

It didn't shake like this before I changed the axles...

Anyways, my dad yelled at me for going to Autozone and said I probably got a bent axle or another screwed up cv joint in the axles from Autozone... He said to jack the car back up and watch the axles spin and see if they look bent or warped or anything.

Also, the axles I took out had weights or something on them (which I had to exchange at Autozone)... in the middle of the axle... like this rubber dough-nut... and the rebuilt ones dont have them. And it was a solid piece and you'd have to take the whole cv joint apart to put that doughnut back on...

Think the axles are junk? If they are junk, should I try to get another one (or both)? Or should I go demand my money back and go elsewhere?

thanks guys,
-mike

Caveman74

I got some a autozone and havn't had any problems

2000blackgsr

Don't the Autozone axles have a lifetime warranty?

supadupamikey

He told me there was a lifetime warranty on them...

it was the only pair in stock though...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 96coupe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't the Autozone axles have a lifetime warranty?</TD></TR></TABLE>

1 point 6

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by D16Z6racing &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">clicking - axles/cv joints
shaking - warped rotors or unbalanced wheels

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agree on the clicking is axels, but shaking doesnt mean warped rotors since there really isnt such a thing.
Explination? Click here:
http://garagetuners.com/showth...myths

ekb18cCivic

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by D16Z6racing &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">clicking - axles/cv joints
shaking - warped rotors or unbalanced wheels

.</TD></TR></TABLE> also a bent rims my olf 15s shook when i went over live 50 cause the passenger side rim was bent

supadupamikey

rims arent bent

rotors arent warped

think the rebuilt axle(s) is(are) junk? or is there a wheel bearing thats going bad too?

supadupamikey

bump

anyone else?

supadupamikey

************************************************** *****************************

UPDATE

******************

I took the reman axles back to Autozone and got my money... I tried everywhere to find a kit to rebuild the cv joint on the original axles, but, never found anything...

So, I went to All Parts to pickup another set of reman axles... a local parts store thats always gave excellent service, but, they're usually a little higher price-wise because they're smaller... Oh well... their stuff is always higher quality than autozone, advanced and the like... And after using my dads account, they came out 50 cents cheaper than the Autozone axles... bonus!

So, I put this other set of axles on the car... and it is WAAAAYY BETTER! Yeah!

However, there's still a problem...

I think its the passenger side wheel bearing...

If I jack up the car and let the wheels spin freely the right wheel wobbles a little bit... its at the same exact spot in the wheel revolution (is that what i am trying to say?)... and if i turn the wheel all the way to the right, theres a *thump*... *thump*... *thump*... at the same time the wheel wobbles...

The car also pulls to the left...

Wheel bearing? Yay? Nay? I've rotated the wheels and it still does it... so, its not a bent wheel or tire belt...

Where should I get the bearing? When I called Autozone a few days ago they quoted me $95 for the hub assembly and it was special order...

thanks guys
-mike

B18C5-EH2

Are you sure you tightened the axle nuts enough? The wheels can have some play if the axle nut isn't tightened enough.

If the axle nut is tight then I'd guess it is the wheel bearing. Usually the wheel bearing beaing bad will cause a sort of "roaring" noise at higher speeds much like a bad tire would sound.

supadupamikey

Yup... they're tight. The spindle nut if flush with the end of the axle.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you sure you tightened the axle nuts enough? The wheels can have some play if the axle nut isn't tightened enough.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmm... fun fun fun...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18C5-EH2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If the axle nut is tight then I'd guess it is the wheel bearing. Usually the wheel bearing beaing bad will cause a sort of "roaring" noise at higher speeds much like a bad tire would sound.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Guam_CiviC619

GAWT DAMNIT!!!! The cheapest I can get axles here for my <u>87</u> is <u>$154</u> with exchange!!!

I agree with Tom on the wheel bearings.


Modified by Guam_CiviC619 at 3:05 AM 12/24/2003

supadupamikey

well dayumn... im so tired of this crap...

i call this morning and order a wheel bearing... they should have it by noon he says... so, i yank my hub/spindle assembly off and head to the parts store/machine shop... get the bearing and drop it off with my spindle at the machine shop... he calls me 5 minutes later and tells me its the wrong bearing...

i go back.. the bearing is the wrong size... he says he verifies its for a 96 civic non-ABS... so, he says i must have ABS... im like... no, it doesnt have ABS. So, they whip out my old half-shafts (axles, driveshafts, whatever you call em) and compares it to the reman axles... and the hub assembly is a little bit different. the original ones also had that rubber doughnut in the middle of the axle... the guy says its for ABS... im like, i dont have ABS. he says that rubber doughnut is a sensor.. im like... it doesnt have ABS... thats not a sensor... its a damper... he says no, it has some form of ABS... i tell him theres no ABS box under the hood (shiny metal thing with mad brake lines)... and theres no ABS light on the dash, and theres no ABS sensors on the wheels or anything... however, he's positive that it has ABS...

blah blah blah... its f'n christmas eve... my car is in pieces... they have my hub/spindle... the machine shop closes at 2pm today... and all the warehouses to get a different bearing are closed for the day... and tomorrow... ****!

*sigh*

so he's going to order a set of axles for ABS and he's getting the ABS wheel bearing...

i cant find a damn thing to do with ABS on the car anywhere...

i think im losing it... *twitch* *twitch*... we're in Ohio from Florida for this week and we gotta get back on the road at the absolute latest Sunday morning at like 4am... now its going to be Friday around 3pm before these other parts come in...

**** **** ****

im so confuzed

i just want my car back together and running like it should

why does everything have to be so difficult...

supadupamikey

**********************

Well the car is fixed...

oy vay... lots of crap later...

im using an ABS half shaft on the drivers side and a non-abs half shaft on the passengers side... and i got a new wheel bearing on the passenger side for an ABS civic...

who cares... not me... the car is back together and no more clicking/thumping/grinding/etc/etc/etc..

just need an alignment now