Bad_dude

My 1990 Accord LX 4AT with only 142k miles on it, has a broken CV boot on the passenger's side.
This will be my first time doing this job, I am afraid of re-manufacture not doing a good job and I have to redo it too many times like the horror stories that I read around the internet. I would like to get the job done well the first time.
The problem is I am on a budget. A local mechanic offered me $90 for part and labor and 1 year warranty. I really want to go for it but I am almost certain that he will use very substandard part that it will break after a year.
Thus this is why I decided to do it myself. My budget is $110. I wanted the Raxles.com one but it will cost $130 plus $40 shipping.
What other brand new or re-manufacture do you guys used before that is good?
I have heard that the new axles made in China can be worse than a re-manufacture ones.

Some good ones I heard of are:
A1Cardone-Re-manufacture
Master Pro which probably the same as the Cardone from Kragen

However, the bad ones are the new Cardone which is one of the those new made in China with poor QA control. I wonder why would Cardone makes better re-manufacture ones than new ones?

I got to get it done this Sunday, so I would like good experience input from the brands you have used.

My boot just broke last week and the axle is still not clicking or any sign of failure yet. The boot is about half torn and opened. Thus the grease will dry out soon. I have been pumping the can pray lithium white grease into the hole every other day to keep it lube until I can decide on what to do. I wonder how long it will last before the repair is needed? I want really to wait a little more.

I sincerely thank you all for any suggestion.

djkurious

I would go for the Autozone axles for a automatic. They work fine and last long and have a lifetime warranty.
If this was a manual, nothing but RAXLE or HONDA. My 97 Auto worked fine with the autozones. Of course, it was a auto.
My 95 manual didn't like the 3 sets of manual autozone axles that were installed. Luckily all it cost me was time.
Within day 2 of having them installed, the car would have this horrible vibration at about 2000-5000 RPM range.
The manual transmissions are more sensitive than the auto transmissions. I have installed Autozones auto axles on about 6 accords
and 1 Integra in the past year w/o any issues.

Atomic1

Am in the same boat as you. After some research, I think I may go with a new (NOT remanufactured) NAPA axle. Seems like people have better luck with these and they're quite a bit cheaper than Raxles. You're right, anything else remanufactured is pretty much a waste of money and time because you have to go through three bad ones to get a good one that doesn't fall apart in 6 mo.

02 accord

An out of balance axle would cause vibration at certain vehicle speeds, not engine rpm. I'm on the 3rd autozone axle. Never had vibration problems, but they all developed play/clunking in the outer CV joint. I'll have to grab a new one next time I'm doing suspension work.

Bad_dude

I am thinking of the EMPI axle which is about $80 new.

Atomic1

Actually, have you considered just using an OEM replacement boot kit? I'm looking online and see it comes with all the bands and everything. For $40 you can get boots and bands for inboard and outboard on BOTH sides.

I know this would be a messy job, but I have issues giving away a $600 Honda joint as a core return for a $100 reman unit.

Bad_dude

It's too late. I paid $90 for the mechanic to do the job already today. I could wait any more. Plus I cannot really tell if the axle on my car was an OEM one or another remans.

Thanks guys.

professorman

I have autozone axels, and they work. I like the lifetime warranty with them.

Kaitosenin

yeah no, autozone axles for the lose, I had 3 of vatozones axles go out in about a years time frame and I in no means dog on my cars, my crx however its the weekend toy of course,but for the accord no,
vatozones axles are quite cheaply made, If I may recommend The Masterpro brand new axles for Oriley autoparts, they may be a little bit more pricey but worth it in the long run lifetime warranty and all, not rebuilt in some crapshack sweatshop somewhere in china or mexico