gooroo

Recently on the passenger side of my 2000 nissan maxima gle, the boot on the axle busted and its starting to get grease everywhere.

I am thinking about getting a whole new axle and just replace the whole thing.

#1 how hard is that to do?

#2 when I call the parts store, what do I ask for?

bwinter7

Yeah, you better do that quick....

#1, it's not hard if you know what you are doing, you need a huge socket,long breaker bar, and a 5-ft metal pole to slide over the breaker bar to give you the leverage needed to get the hub nut off. You have to disconnect the ball-joint, and buy some more tranny fluid, you're going to need it. Be very careful about not damaging the internal teeth, and I would mark a line on the trans and axle to make sure you put it back exactly from the position you took it out of.

#2 From my experience with these CV shafts, it's better to have it rebuilt by a shop, because I never got the same CV shaft twice when I got a "new" one. Also, you could just get a boot repair kit if you dont think that any dirt or sand got inside the boot. If it did, then your CV shaft will break at some point. It'll probably only cost you aroun $80 to have it rebuilt, and a day of not driving. Oh yeah, and buy a lot of mechanics soap, you're going to need it

Bufflomike

Get Raxles...the only way to go.

gooroo

Advanced Auto parts has one for $85 total and they say its OEM.

Should I get it?

bwinter7

It is an OEM replacement, but trust me, I have had the worst luck with CV's from that place. Maybe it was just my luck, but I kept getting the wrong one. (Not a non-maxima piece, but the wrong model, options, etc.) You could go get it, and then do it, but that is up to you. With my experience with them, I'd get the old one rebuilt. My idea of the thing is that specific piece has been on your car for a while, it has worn with the car, and fits perfectly. I may be superstitious, but that's how I feel. GL with it though

gooroo

I think its too late for rebuild now, I mean I hear some noise from it now.
It might have 800 miles on it since the boot busted.

SilverGLE

iTrader: (21)

^ Only 800? Heh, I've been driving around for 1.5k with busted outer CV boots... I've got no noise from either axle, and labor on new boots is just as much as labor for new axles! Auto Zone has the cheapest axles ($60/each), but Advance Auto has the cheapest outer and inner boots. Raxles are $150/each, good price for a quality product, but can't really afford that much right now.

Bufflomike

Again, Get Raxles

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=482615