My car is a 2000 with automatic trans. I've been leaking auto trans oil from the differential, so I finally crawled under to take a look. It looks like the left side axle seal is leaking. As I was wiping the oil off, I realized I had play in the CV joint. I can move the CV joint up and down vertically at least an eighth of an inch, possibly more.

The right side axle also has play, but not as much. So my question is, how much play should there be?

 

Very small amount of play..You can try to put a seal in it but if it has too much up and down play once you start driving and the axle starts turning it goes oblong and knocks the seal out of place..Sounds to me like you need diff bearings. Try the seal first if it doesn't hold gear oil try to source a lower mileage used tranny. This all happened to me last year. Good luck !!

 

I don't think you understood where I was shaking. I was not able to detect movement where the axle comes out of the differential. The movement is in the CV joint itself that is in the middle of the axle. I suspect that I need to replace the axle, it seems like too much play, but I don't have enough experience with these things.

 

It is normal for an axle to have some play. You should only replace it if there is vibration or noise when driving.

 

I thought you meant where it goes into the trans. I would replace the axle with play and do the axle seal. Have you checked play where it goes into the diff ?? Any vibration or clicking around corners ?

 

The car drives fine, no pinging noises, no pulling, no vibrations at 80. It just seems like an awful lot of play. I just might talk myself into replacing it for my own piece of mind.

 

I had to replace my cv joints on my 6th Gen.I can't remember if I was getting vibration at 80,but every time I was taking off I had a huge vibration on steering wheel.I knew I had to replace them since there was no boot at one..but once that shaking came I didn't wait any longer.Ordered 2 and did em myself.Its fairly easy,especially if u have a mechanic friend to let you use his bay.Lift it up,take off tire,outer tie rod,(I think sway bar link too,idk I can't remember) ,take off the big nut from the center of disc/rotor (32mm socket).Driver's side comes right out by pulling it from diff.,passenger side has 3 bolts right on the middle of CV joint that holds it as a support ...As far as play it should have a tiny little play...but not a lot..Yours seems to have gone bad.But no shaking or "cracking" noise on turns,maybe grease can help...Good luck