I wouldn't doubt marty...I've heard many great things about him...but that $350 price tag he quoted me for both drivers & pass axles is damn expensive...I don't even know if that includes shipping (i doubt it)...so i'm probably looking at $375 shipped...I dunno why it costs so much for a 2k2....IIRC, the 4th gen ones were like $120/side...i dunno why this one is $175/side

Anyway I think i'm going to give this tranny shop a call tomorrow...I took my old 96 maxima in about 2yrs ago and I remember I paid $250-$275 parts & labor....I know it was under $300 for sure...

 

tisuka: when you changed your suspension, you probably cut the cv boot when trying to take out the strut. the bottom of the strut is pretty sharp metal, and unless you wrapped the cv boot in a towel or some duck tape, it probably got cut by the strut. this is what happened to me the first tyme i put on springs. the second time i was smarter and wrapped the cv boot in a towel, but it's too late now.
seriydemon: mine clicks too when going straight. this may be because the cv joint is already damaged, and replacing the cv boot/grease does not fix the damaged axle. if you figure something else out, please post in this thread, so we all know.

 

1 more question:

When I go to the mechanic, what parts should i tell him to change??? Also how much is a fair price for them to charge??

Thanks

 

you should be looking at around $150 parts & labor...make sure you tell them to replace the whole CV AXLE...

 

mine arent clickin...but the outer boots are shot to sht....what should I do? replace whole axle since its probably got dirt into the joint/bearing?

 

yes replace whole CV axle....general rule of thumb is....

If it's clicking = replace whole CV axle
If just ripped and is fresh = replace CV boot
If it's ripped for an unknown time = replace whole CV axle

 

even if its freshly ripped, replace the whole axle. its usually about $70/side and is so much quicker and easier. if youre paying for labor, its more cost effective also

 

I had the same problem. I had my car on the lift at work changing the oil and was checkin out the suspension. I get over to the F/R and notice my wheel moves side to side about an inch. I get one of my techs to look at it and he instantly says wheel bearing. I took it over to nissan the next day, they said the axle nut was loose, caused excessive play. And said it "gawled" the hub and bearing. They replaced both under warranty.

 

I would definately replace the whole CV shaft. If one boot goes the other will probably follow soon.

 

whole axle is about $55-65, new cv boot from nissan is $38. It's more labor effective to replace the axle, and if the boot has been ripped more than a week, its pointless to replace. teh damage is already done. if you take it to a shop they will charge you about the same both ways because the cv boot replacement takes longer than axle replacement. most shops just replace your axle anyway because of this. i plan on doing this myself, so i would have just replaced the boots, if my **** was not clicking for a month already.

 

Did you hear noise then when you went straight? And a clicking sound when you were turning? Because i suspect (and my mechanic) that it is not the axle but the wheel bearing...

 

try jacking up the car and wiggling the wheel at the 12 and 6 o clock position...if there is play, it could be your wheel bearings....I tried this a few times on my car and the tire would not budge even with a good amount of force

 

I didnt really ever hear a click(loud stereo), but i could feel a little vibration at speeds. I also noticed so so handling when taking corners, with the wheel pivoting to the side with the force

 

a loose axle but wont cause that, it was indeed the bearing that had failed.

and thats 'galled'

 

Direct quote from my paperwork from nissan

 

just making it clear

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=gawling

 

oops my bad, I wasnt doubting you... Showing the intelligence of the techs at the dealership

 

i knew you werent doubting me, i was just pointing it out, thats all. and its true mechanics arent known for spelling skills... that particular tech has probably never seen the word in writing, only heard it spoken.

 

well heres a quick update...

ouch, I called my tranny shop and they quoted me $375 parts & labor....completely rebuilt axles with 15k warranty...they didn't have new ones in stock (guess they are too new ) ....anyway I called a few others in my area and they gave me the same price...they all mentioned they have to be rebuilt cuz new ones aren't available...I'm wondering why vq35 axles are much more expensive than vq30....cuz the same tranny shop I took my 96 max to, did it for me at $250-$275 for parts & labor

well it's all good...i'm taking my car in tomorrow and they will have it done by the end of the day....I honestly would have gone with marty @ raxles (brand new units)...but at $375 shipped...i'd rather pay that $375 to a shop to do the dirty job...

 

not bad. i just bought right/left axles from napa auto parts. they have 3 or one side in stock, and the other side is on back-order for about a week ( i hope). if they dont have both in stock in 2 weeks, i am going to a shop to do all this work.