I know this is a common problem on FWD vehicles, but considering this is my first FWD I do not know the cheapest solution. The other day while rotating my tires and doing a brake inspection I noticed BOTH sides cv joint outer axle boots were cracked, and grease was everywhere :-/ I cannot guess how long this has been like this( less than 6,000 miles for sure), although the axles are not making that horrible "Clicking" noise while turning yet.
Is it worth just buying the boots and trying to salvage the axles before they go bad? Or could it be possible that they axles may go bad anyway so mine as well change the whole axle? So far I have found a boot kit for $28 that comes with the clips/grease/boot from courtesyparts.com, factory nissan sales departments want anywhere from $38-$60 damn theifs! I have heard factory axles are about $500 not confirmed yet, but rebuilts from autozone are 99 for left, 56 for right.
If anyone can give me a better suggestion of where to buy parts, or what to buy (boot, or whole axle) I would highly appreciate it. Also is it worth doing myself, or paying the 4 hours labor? I have heard this can be a nightmare, but not sure. I have done a lot of mechanical work so I thought I could handle it, but never done work to a FWD vehicle.

Thanks in advanced guys...

 

check out Raxles.com.
They sell new axles, unlike autozone and such which use rebuilt axles. I have heard nothing but good reviews about them.

 

I have replaced both of mine in the past year or so.
I would just recommend that you take it somewhere that you know does good work, and have them replace everything.

To replace the axle/boot/cv joint was only like $135 with labor.
You just can't beat that.
It is not worth all the trouble to try to do it yourself.....you would probably have to get some special tools anyway.

Trust me.

 

boot repair kit part # 39241-10E86

List $38.72 each

 

I've got a similar problem, but I remember reading in another thread that with labor, replacing the CV joint cost upwards of 1000 dollars???

Your message was pretty clear, but I gotta make sure...your entire axle was changed at the stealership for only 135?

 

ok, buy the cv boot repair kit, and repair the boots, there's a great tutorial on www.motorvate.ca

taking out an axle is not difficult at all, and if you want to save money, you can do it yourself, no special tools required, other than a rachet and a 36mm socket for the axle nut.

 

If you use the method on Motorvate you will need an alignment. I separated the ball joint and it works just as well and your alignment should be fine when you're done. Save yourself the cost of the alignment. The shafts aren't hard to do at all.

 

I don't know how you replaced everything for $135. Even used rebuilt axles are like $100 for the left side, $60 for the right, then plus at least 2 hours each side for labor... The cheapest quote I got was around $350 or so. I was considering just redoing the boots, but I don't know how long they have been ripped and how much stuff has gotten in there to wear on the axles. I just hit 150k so I am going to just replace everything once they start "Clicking".

 

If you're equipped to do them, they're not so bad. The write up on Motorvate is a little much. It's not a hard job. The hardest thing is breaking the axle nut loose. $350 is high. I guess it would be ok for both sides if that included parts. Mine too about 2 hours at the most.

 

most places will do axle job for around $150 that a pretty decent price or it, Honenstly save the money and do it yourself but if not $150 would be a good price. bring your own axle.

 

that you definitely want to while at the shop for any reason (check brakes is FREE for example)...have them with the air impact wrench ...loosen up (wd40 sprayed) and tie back up this 36mm nut. <-- will save you lots of headache while at home alone without air tools.

 

If the boots have already been opened, then the joints have been contaminated by dirt... You need new axles.

 

All you need is:

36mm socket (for axle nut)
breaker bar
hammer (for pounding axle out of hub)
12mm wrench (for the 3 bolts on the passenger side support bracket)
long screw driver (to pound out passenger side axle through the drivers side of the differential)
pliers (to bend in new cotter pin)

You do not need to remove the tie rod or lower ball joints.

 

Even at 230 ft/lbs. that nut can be easily removed with out air tools. All you need is a breaker bar and a really long piece of pipe, "cheater bar", to put on the end of it. The longer the pipe, the more leverage you have and thus the easier it is to break that nut loose.

 

This is funny. It seems like the CV boot gone bad or torn on every Maxima. My is torn for a year now and may need the entire shaft replaced. I called around and here is what I found.
I order the shaft from Advance Auto parts for $59 + core.
the mechanic charges $80 to put it in, so I think I will take it there for him to do the job. I would like to do it myself but I think this is a big job.

 

is that after core price because, ive been doing some investigating too, and i've been quoted 55 after you give 'em yours for the passenger side cv boot

 

Not at the stealership.
I didn't say that.
it was just a mechanic's shop/repair shop.
I try to never go to the stealership if I don't have to.

It does not cost upwards of $1000. I don't know if you got that from a stealership or what, but that is wrong. Maybe the whole axle...

 

That's what I did.
I waited until they started clicking, because I didn't know how long they had been ripped.
It is not as bad as you think....you just need to find the right shop.
Both of them look really good too....very professional.

 

See, someone else who has been on here for quite some time agrees with the price. He seems to think that you ought to do it yourself, when I personally thought my time was better spent doing something else.

 

the axles are 60$ from autozone and are simple to replace... besides replacing the boot is stupid because you will pay 35 dollars for parts and then you will fumble around with the cleaning and greasing... just get a new one from autozone and save urself some trouble... besides y would u want to repair just the boot on a 100k mile car anyways?

 

What makes raxles better? Are the ones made for the max higher performance than oe replacments? Stronger metal?

 

i had to replace my axle passenger side and a clutch all in all the toatal was 1100 i also remember that the axle was fairly cheap. i had it done at kennedy(big mistake)

 

Dude just come to Brooklyn i will hook you up with my shop that did my axels yesterday
BTW: its a 1 hour job in a shop to change both

 

I've got a '96 GLE with an automatic transmission that has a torn driver's side boot. I've ordered a new
right driveaxle from raxle's. According to the factory manual and the Haynes
manual you're supposed to change the transmission seal that surrounds
the shaft for the inner cv. I see no discussion of changing it
in this thread . Are you supposed to ??, and are there any
available tools to make easy to do, rather than the special tools shown in the factory manual.

Thanks,

Phil

 

You could since you are in there anyways, but I would not unless they are leaking.

 

do u have to change transmission seal? does any fluid come out?

 

I30ds and Randy,

I haven't pulled the cv joints -> driveaxle because the new driveaxle hasn't yet arrived. I'm not sure if you get any fluid loss unless the seal is worn
when you pull it out. The car has about 100k miles on it and the factory and Haynes manuals say you're supposed to change the seal. I just don't see any mention of it in the motivate.ca article or in this thread. If anyone who has personally done
the job reads this, could they comment please.
Phil

 

You dont have to replace the seal... Only if its leaking. The tranny must be drained prior to removing the axles or replacing the differential side oil seals.

 

I got my axles form Raxles and my car feels alot better. I went with them because I heard so much about them on the org and I figured if I'm going to have it replaced I might as well go with whats popular with other max owners. I paid around $300 for them and found a shop to put them on for $65. Alot of the shops I called told me $300-$400 for labor alone.

 

What job, pulling the axles or replacing the seals?? It does not matter if the seal is worn or not. If you pull that axle or remove a seal, oil will come out. The tranny must be drained prior to any work. Regardless of what the hanyes manual says, there is no regular interval for replacement of the differential side oil seals. Some have well over 100,000 on them with out any seepage... even the in the slightest. The reason why there is no mention of it on motervate, is probably because the guy did not replace his. He probably did not replace them because they did not need it.

You could go ahead and replace it while you are in there, so you dont have to do it later on down the road. However, if it does start leaking later on, its just pulling the axles to get access to it. So it really is no big deal. Replacing that seal is a pain in the @ss if you do not have the kent moore tool to pound a new one in. I would buy at least 2 per side in case you fucc up and you probably will.

 

Never replaced my seals when I did it, and I had well over 200k on them. In retrospect I should have done them while I was there anyway, but I've had no problems.

 

i know its not good ideal to remove tranny oil....the longer the better

 

I30ds, whatsa "kent moore tool??" I see from the shop diagram, they use some tool with the same diameter as the seal to push it in. As for the tool they show taking it out, I have no idea what it is , nor if it is easy to scratch the seal shaft taking the seal out.

 

WTF?? You gotta be joking... right? You're supposed to change it every 30K .

 

Thats the kent moore tool I was talking about.

 

This is the tool to protect the seal and align the shaft when putting the axle in : http://www.nissantechmate.com/detail.aspx?id=228

The seal puller tool is shown in the manual here:
http://users.rcn.com/charlestek/DiffSealPuller.gif
I would guess that this is expensive, and I don't see
anything like it in the SPX Nissan tools, or maybe it is there somewhere ??

Hmm, If you click on the "Click Here to download" of this link
you get an adobe pdf file of all the tools!!! I'll have to look:
http://www.nissantechmate.com/ToolOrg.aspx

The tool is tool # J34286 but it isn't listed. Probably is a generic seal
puller. I'll have to call Spx Nissan/Tech-Mate/Kent-Moore and ask them.
Probably/hopefully I can buy/rent the tool from my local clueless autozone.

 

No this is it... http://www.nissantechmate.com/detail.aspx?id=105

remember each side is a different drift if you have the LSD tranny.

 

I30ds, this looks like the tool to install the seal.
What about a tool to pull the old seal out??

 

That tool was right.

 

I justed replaced my left driver side and the one from Salvo auto parts remanufactured was $135 then i got $75 dollars back when i returned my old one, so the part came out to be about $60 dollars this is if you have ABS if not it should be cheaper, and i got quoated around 125 for labor it dosent take but about 40 mins to maybe and hour with the right tools.