New or Remanufactured Axle?

[ORCoaster]

You have to get the car on a non slip surface when cold.  I think you have enough slippage on the sand and right hand turn that you won't hear it then.  The pavement won't allow your wheels to slide like the sand does.  That is my idea.  Idears.

[damac]

I replaced my jettas axles with some nice online parts a couple years ago, so about 30,000 miles on them and a week or so ago there is a hairline rip along the clamp area on the inner side, grease exploded all out underneath the whole car just from that little slit.  Also noticed some humming wear noises when turning on the freeway with the window down.

Anyway I don't see trauma, just what looks to be cheap rubber with hairline cracks so I have to wonder if modern day rubber is of worse quality. Sure seems that way to me looking at all sorts of parts I have bought so far that have failed over old originals I find at the junkyard?

I just moved on to the autozone stuff, use their reward zone card and its easier to take them in.  I have actually been lucky thus far in that they will shift stock around to your local store if they don't have them in stock.  Better than me having to pay shipping, wait, then get a return, etc.

Guess I will learn the hard way if their remans are junk

[CRSMP5]

but they also life warentee if you keep the receipt.. not like hard to change...

[rs899]

Speaking of warranties, AZ found my drivers side axle purchase from 1998 ( on the truck) so I can get another one to use.  I have another lifetime warranty at Carquest for the other side.

It popped again, today a couple of times.  I am starting to think passenger side ball joint.

I am going to get it up in the air tomorrow and check it over.

[wolf_walker]

I've been round and round with axles the last few years.  Most of them suck.  They can and do fail and/or malfunction other than just clicking on hard turns.  I have had some really bizarre vibrations and what felt for all the world like alignment or tire or steering component symptoms be caused by damn shoddy rebuilt cv axles.  Not to mention boots that last 30K if you are lucky.  It is at the moment my considered opinion after buying a dozen sets in the last few years for my vehicles and a few I service, that nobody but GKN/Loebro makes any rubber or joints worth a *** for older VW's.  They ain't cheap, but changing axles pisses me off, and crawling all over my front suspension and tires and bugging the alignment guy pisses me off.  CV axles have a lot to do with how a FWD car drives.
There is an outfit in the US that I forget the name of that rebuilds them, supposedly well, but I bought new GKN joints and boots for the same price they wanted to rebuild one so I never tried them.  People say hey, they are $50 a pop and have a warranty, just change em out, but I think that is BS on a number of levels.

[rs899]

Yeah, axles are already a nightmare and are going to get worse.  Recycled Jack (Parts Place) has a good deal on GLO (Italian made, NOS) CV joints now - 2 for $40.  I am thinking of buying some of those, but I do have lifetime warranty on everything now.  Problem is, as I said, the stuff is wearing out and your are just going to keep swapping out old bent and worn stuff with the parts stores until you get tired of it.

Back to my problem-  self inflicted injury.

Ball joint, sort of.  I rebuilt and changed the lower control arms 2 months ago and didn't fully tighten the pass side ball joint (on the spindle).  So the spindle has been turning rather than the BJ.  I tightened it, but the spindle is worn now and can't clamp the BJ.  So, I need another spindle, and unfortunately this is a '91 so it needs to be from an '88 to '92.  There MAY be one in town at the boneyard, if I trust their online inventory AND someone else hasn't beat me to it AND it isn't ruined AND I can get it off with the car up on stands...

Update...checking ebay, there are a few knuckles out there for $50ish, but I would like to minimize downtime. 

Prothe has one for $27 (nude) and I already have a bearing.  Not sure I want to trust my life on that particular item to Chinese metallurgy...

[8v-of-fury]

Not sure I want to trust my life on that particular item to Chinese metallurgy...

Yet you trusted your life and the lives of others knowingly driving around with a unidentifiable clunk from the steering components? heh, true story.

Just saying, China is probably just as, if not more advanced than the good 'ole US of A when it comes "manufacturing".

[rs899]

Yet you trusted your life and the lives of others knowingly driving around with a unidentifiable clunk from the steering components? heh, true story.

yeah, a couple of days.  I am sure people go weeks or months before they get to a mechanic

Just saying, China is probably just as, if not more advanced than the good 'ole US of A when it comes "manufacturing".

They don't do hard steel well, yet

[8v-of-fury]

Lol. Still, a steering clunk means stop driving. Scary siht your dealing with at that point man. Lotta forces going on whilst turning.

[rs899]

Agreed, but since I had replaced the following in the last month, I wasn't super concerned. 

Inner and outer tie rods
Ball joints
Lower control arms
struts/mounts

The only "old" parts ( and they were 2 years old) were the axles and front wheel bearings

I hadn't counted on my own poor workmanship...

Besides , I was still trying to pinpoint the cause and location of the noise.

[8v-of-fury]

I hadn't counted on my own poor workmanship...

Besides , I was still trying to pinpoint the cause and location of the noise.

Im just messin with ya. Was just ironic is all lol.

[rs899]

Im just messin with ya. Was just ironic is all lol.

Well, use a smiley then next time...

Wasted the day chasing down the one available knuckle in the area.  The car had the part, but I couldn't get the axle nut off despite standing on it with a 2 foot plus 3/4" breaker bar  ( I am 200 pounds)  .  I guess it will have to be from ebay.

[8v-of-fury]

I can break my axle nuts with a 1.25ft breaker bar, and I weigh 260.

JUMP !

[burn_your_money]

I had to hang off a 8' cheater bar to crack a axle nut loose once I'm only 170 though

[CRSMP5]

at least its not a subaru... get nut off.. but hell takes 20 ton press to get the axle out of the hub... myself... is take off balljoint, tierod, strut bolts.. cut boot.. hit joint with hammer to knock it off axle... then take to a shop to have nut removed... better then ebay/shipping..