Well, right now I am having two issues with the front axle. When turning, I hear a soft clicking sound coming from the right side of my front axle. It is a pretty consistent clicking. The second issue is a recent one where I am driving and I randomly hear a pretty loud click coming from the right side of the front axle. Also, when it makes the clicking sound, it somewhat jerks the steering wheel to the right, although it isn't enough to cause me to swerve. I am really hoping that it is a rebuild, but could anyone please advise? Thanks.

 

Possibly... First thing to do is check the condition of the CV joint boots. The joint can be bad even if the boot hasn't failed, but usually the boot will fail and cause dirt to get inside the joint, which can make the joint itself fail over time. Check the boots first and report back. Check your tie rods as well.

 

The first symptom you mentioned is a classic sign of outer CV joint failure. Friend of mine currently has a bad inner CV joint on a front axle and it is behaving much the same as your second symptom - it is like the joint is binding up and causing the wheel to kick. He found a finger-sized puncture on the inner boot and the grease was gone. Check it out as suggested, and if you have bad joints, replace the joints with rebuild kits rather than buy a replacement aftermarket axle - there have been problems with Empi brand axles being manufactured too short, causing them to fail in a few miles.

 

Thanks for the help. As soon as I can get it to stop raining outside, I will lift my car up and see what the deal is and see if there is a tear in the boot. As it happens, I noticed it happening after I hit something in the road that looked like a chunk of plastic. At first I thought there was something stuck in the wheel or brake caliper, but how could it have made a tear in the boot and start making the noise so quickly?

Also, where is the best place to get a rebuild kit? I checked out the Germanautoparts website and that Empi axle is really tempting considering the price and the fact that I have to do the inner and outer parts of the cv joint.

 

Actually, I just found an axle from a different manufacturer for less and has a warranty on it. Tell me what you think.

http://www.car-stuff.com/carparts/vo...241387767.html

 

www.autohausaz.com go to parts by part grouping, select your car, and do a keyword search by cv. Get the joint & boot kit. (If that's the problem, that is.)

Get the set of 3-jaw pullers that Harbor Freight has and get their hex bit socket set that has 12mm, 14mm and 17mm. You'll need a torque wrench so borrow one if you don't have one. Snap ring (circlip) pliers are good as well. You'll still need the sockets (and a triple square socket, size of which I forget) and the torque wrench if you change the axle.

 

If I recall right it's an 8mm triple square. Stay away from the Empi axle. We went through 6 of them and each was mismanufactured. Www.blauparts.com has the rebuild kits. They're more expensive than the axles but you're taking your chances with the axles.

If you did rip a boot, it can fail quickly if it's a good size tear. Once the grease is flung out by the axle's rotation, that's it - it's done for.

 

@ImTheDevil: From what you were saying earlier, I need both the outer and the inner, correct?

I'm a complete noob when it comes to the axles and driveshaft. Why would a rebuild kit for one of the joints cost more than the whole half of the axle?

 

That's what it sounds like, based on your description and on what I've seen in the past. You will need to verify it first of course but you have the symptoms of failure in both joints. Straightline instability (constantly correcting with the wheel) is another sign of inner joint failure. But you definitely need the outer rebuild. It may be causing both problems so do it first but if not, or if you see a rip in the boot, you'll probably need the inner also.

 

Well I appreciate it. There is so much I need to do to this car. ****, I need to become best friends with a mechanic.