Hello all,

So both of my CV joints have fallen out of their place for 3-4 months,
one of the them is bone dry, and the other one is close. I think I only hear
the clicking sound when i turn in one direction, but I think I need to replace
both of them.

So I am currently in the D.C. area and I havent gotten the chance (or time)
to find any reputable mechanics in the area. I've called many DC shops today and
they are quoting me anywhere from $140-$700 parts n labor for both axels.

I'm probably gonna take my car in tomorrow morning, but do you guys think
around ~$350 is a good price for this kind of work. I've never replaced axles
so I have no idea what I'm getting myself into.

Car is a 1997 Civic EX with ~130k miles on it. The other question is, is this
a typical mileage for original axels to go bad? I also need reliable work because
I literally won't have the time to screw around if the new axles go bad on me
in like a year only.

Thanks for reading guys.

 

well i purchased both axles from the local parts store for a total of $120 with exchange of my bad axles.... so ~$350 for parts and labor, sounds reasonable....

as for a reputable shop out there, i can't help you with that one, as i am located in CA..... hope my info helps

 

I just did an axle on mine last night took about 30-45 minutes I'd recommend doing it yourself not bad there's a FAQ on the civic sticky's!

 

~$350 is too much. buy the parts and do it yourself. there should be a write-up on how to do this.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sintype &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">~$350 is too much. buy the parts and do it yourself. there should be a write-up on how to do this. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep!!!
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=382416

Its a B-series write up but close enough to get you started not hard at all!

 

agreed on the simplicity of the job.....

when i swapped mine, the longest part of the job was going to get the parts. otherwise it took me about 30 mins total each side.....

so you gotta figure out if the 1hr of work is worth the ~$200 in labor.... your choice

good luck

 

A couple of places told me that the axles they are ordering are $110
per axle, the rest is labor, in that case the labor sounds reasonable.
Is that $110 tag bs you guys think?

Doing it myself is really out of the question, it would take my probably
a full day to get all those tools, and my mechanical skills suck, not to
mention I will not have time to use them.

 

110 is too much for just one axle.

autozone sells them for roughly 60 each plus a few bucks for cotter pins

 

no they don't

its close to 165 minus the 35 for the core exchange = 130/side

you might be confused becuase $60 is the going used rate on here

 

[QUOTE=i drive a honda]

So then about $130 for both sides sounds like reasonable labor?
I'm curious how long did your stock axles last you guys, on a stock
or close to it build. Thanks

 

[quote=Re3irth]i had to change mine at 180k i was'nt the first owner, and i bought the car at 16Xk so haha not long!

sounds like it they're charging you what? 1.5 hours? good deal to me.

 

It's usually about 1.0 hours per side and if you do both at the same time, most shops will give you a .5 hour discount. 1.5 Hours is right on. Axles are easy to do, just don't take it to Jiffy Lube or some crap like that. Take it to an import specialist or your local dealership. I'd always recommend the dealership if you want the best quality work. Try to get an experienced tech.

 

even if your not mechanically sound you should be able to do this yourself, and save alo of money doing it. also when you do it you know it was done rite

 

what kind of crack are you smoking?? because i want some. Just bought two D-series axles for my sol, $70 per side, brand new, not a reman.

To the OP if your mechanical skills are no good, or you just dont trust yourself, go to the dealer and get em done, be prepared to pay quite a bit more as they will look to make about 30+% on the part, the going labor rate is going to be around 85/hr. i believe it pays 1.0 of labor per side as well. Since the car will already be on the lift, you will most likely only get hit for 1.5 hrs which someone has mentioned previously. All in all you will be looking at around 300-400 for the work the work. You could also go to a local goodyear store, and they will do it aswell, for possibly a little cheaper than the dealer.

 

Just got NEW axles from NAPA for $75 each.

Raxles sells them for around $130 per axle. That's a great company

 

Pretty simple, I can do them in about 20 min each. Id say give it a whirl dude, hardeset part is smacking the ball joint loose. Its a learning experience, and you'll save some money.

 

A ball joint tool is a good investment. You won't kill the dust boots either, and it makes that part of the job easy. Loosen the castle nut until it's flush with the bottom of the stud and press against that. That way you won't hurt the stud or threads.

 

So I got them replaced yesterday for $330. They ordered brand new axles..
And the owner said that the shop they ordered from gives a year warranty on the axles,
so if anything goes wrong in a year, I can come back. I figure if nothing
happens in a year, they did a good job and should last as long as axels should
last. They charged only $50 per side for labor plus tax. They showed me the
new box of axles and my busted up old axles. So I guess they got a quality
pair.

Also, I noticed driving back home from the shop right away that it seems like
the car jolts forward pretty fast like in first or 2nd. Like the launch is noticeably
stonger. Just wondering if you guys had a similar experience.

 

$50 per side is cheap on the labor. Factory axles are about $230.00 each, so you got aftermarket ones. They'll work fine unless you significantly upgrade your clutch and power level.

You won't notice a performance gain from axles. They are one of those things that are supposed to just work as designed. People upgrade to performance axles because stock ones brake under to much stress.

A couple checks for the peace of mind:
-Check the axle seals on the trans to make sure they didn't ruin them when removing or installing the axles.
-Verify they installed a cotter pin on both castle nuts on the lower ball joints.
-Verify they staked the spindle nut on each axle.
-Verify they tightened the pinch bolt on each fork.
-Verify they torked all 8 lug nuts.

 

I wish i knew what axle seals, cotter pin, castle nuts, spindle nuts, or pinch bolts
are. Any good picture that explains some of the major things to look
at? If the car is running fine now, how can i be sure they did all the stuff
you mentioned correctly?