So, last time I was under the car, I noticed that the larger CV boot clamp on my driver's side outer joint was starting to slip off. So I put it back on and recrimped it with some pliers... It was still full of grease. That was about 5,000 Miles and maybe a month or two ago.

Lately, the east coast has been blanketed with much snow, so I havent been under the car for a bit. Last week, the joint started clicking lightly. It's the typical sign that all us FWD drivers know as our axles are gonna go. So I figure, I've got a while. I've seen people go for months at a time with axles sounding like this, and totally ripped open, almost non existant CV boots. Just making a soft clicking in hard turns.

Unfortunately, over the past two weeks, the clicking has gotten louder and louder, and the necessary turn to induce the clicking has gotten less and less.

Last night, while accelerating on a highway on ramp, it started pulling whe steering wheel when clicking. This morning, it had dried up enough for me to get under the car, and I noticed that the clamp that I had tightened was now nowhere to be found. And the CV boot, which was still intact, had pulled back enough to let all the road salt and sand in, and all the grease out.

I'm not going to be able to pick up new axles until Tuesday at the earliest, much less put them on... But this is my only car.

If they totally let go between now and then, which I fully expect a chance of what will happen? I do a lot of highway driving. I hope it isn't as bad as when a RWD car looses a driveshaft.

 

I never got that far, I replaced my axles as quick as I heard clicks. Do a search on Tom's How-To of axle replacing, I'm sure it will make your project run a lot smoother.


EDIT-Here's the tutorial, I went and got it for you.

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


[Modified by Paranoid Android, 10:02 PM 3/2/2003]

 

DON'T DRIVE.... it can be as bad as a rwd....

think of it this way... what do you think will happen if the joint blows apart at highway speed and your on the gas... one side will stop turning and the other will absorb ALL of the exess power. Worst case your car will almost definatly go side ways. best case you'll loose control of your car on a public road endagering EVERY driver around you....

Borrow a car rent a car get an axle at autozone or pepboys TONIGHT and swap it ... but I would not recomend driveing on the roads if your that sure it's gunna go.

 

I waited until mine went on my old civic (didn't care) and when it did all i heard was something bounce around under th car (chunk of the cv joint) and the engine would just rev like it was not in gear. I pulled over parked the car and came back the next day to tow it home. Replaced the axles and went on my merry way.
The power will NOT be transfered to the other wheel, you will have no power being put down. The worst case scenero is the axle will come apart and lodge into your steering or suspension. Probably won't happen being that the axle is short once it breaks. Most likely what will happen is you will step on the gas and go nowhere, it will probably go when you take off from a light or stop, unless you downshift, slam it in gear and drive like a maniac it's probably not goig to go while driving down the freeway.
I drove mine like that for about 6 months (after the cliking became bad). so you should be fine until next week...i wouldn't recomend going any longer then a couple weeks

 

That's what I planned on, just waiting a week or two, but the snow prevented me from doing anything on the car. Plus the wear has been accelerated by the sand.

 

Mines been out since before christmas.. been through a couple down shifts on the high way and all.. the clicking has gotten worse, but it's still alright. I'll prolly order a new axle here soon. I just don't have 185 bucs to blow.

 

Holy ****... Don't go new. I can get remanned axles for $55 plus a $50 core. You get the core back when you bring the old ones back.

 

Mine have been bad for the last 8 months on my 89 Hatch, just haven't wanted to spend the money to replace them. The clicking is pretty bad now and it shakes horribly while slowing down at speeds above 60mph. Once I get my airbag kit sold this week I am going to get them and put them in.