Hi, I just got my 78K mile service done. The service-tech mentioned that I needed to replace both the front axel boot as they were cracked open or cracked. I did some net-lookup and found the symptoms of this would be known when you hear a clicking noise when you make turns or when you speedup. I have not heard any of these noises’s when I drive. The Accord drives smooth. The estimate the service-tech (Honda service center) gave was $250 per axel boot, that’s a total of $500 + TAX.

Can anyone please guide me on the severity of this problem and recommend a place where I can get it fixed for a much cheaper price?

 

They need to be replaced. If the clicking isn't there yet.... it will be soon.

 

Go and get a couple of lifetime guaranteed axles from your favorite discount parts store and change them out yourself. They will also want to know if you have anti lock brakes. WOW, I need to move back to the states, I only get $70 for a boot change, parts and labor. Axles rebuilt just came down in price here too, the whole job for axle replacement is now only $135 each side, parts and labor. You will need a large socket for the axle nut, maybe a 32mm??? Sometime the axle gets stuck in the hub but if you have to beat it out then this is why you just go for an entire axle as opposed to doing just the boot, as mentioned in the other post, damage may already be started, just not clicking yet. It is a notorious Honda problem.

 

They are saying they are torn, starting to leak, and will fail once the bearings lose the grease.

Quite a lot of mileage for (origainal?) axles- about what I got from my first Accord axles. You can spend to reboot (about $25/side parts/1 hour labor MAX per side), but I would think about changing the axles with that kind of mileage (it's pretty easy to install axles if you can turn a wrench).

Check our RAXLES at raxles.com. When I recently rebuilt my suspension I replaced both axles. One was a rebuilt that lasted only around 20,000, the other only 12,000. Typical crap from an auto store. The problem is most remanufacturers only replace what's shot, and throw the rest of the parts back in. If the shaft is bent, they cut/weld/grind. You get what you pay for.

I saw this ad for Raxles and checked him out. He uses only never-welded axles, and never welds axles. The boots are very heavy duty, and he replaces all the bearings (only the shafts are reused). Cheap rebuilds usually run about 75-$100, his were around $135/each.

I bought a set, and checked them out very carefull before install. The boots/bands are very heavy-duty, a good sign of quality. I installed them, and they seem to run verry true and quiet. Only time will tell, but I think his claims are true-he makes no bones about the price, but the bearing units, HD boots and bands cost money. Check it out- I have installed a lot of axles before, and it appears his are very good quality (I have never seen any rebuilt from any AP store that loked as good). You get what you pay for, and if these prove out they will be well worth the money.

 

Reman axles; you get what you pay for. When the rebuilder 'fixes' the old CV joint they plunge grind out the housing so that oversized bearings and cage will fit. When they plunge grind the housing they remove the case hardening of the housing. You then get a CV joint with the bearings of a harder material than the joint housing walls, born to die.
the axle may have a lifetime warranty, but the labor isn't included. Who likes swapping axles once a year.