How do you know when to replace a front axle?
Excessive or unusual vibrations can cause other issues with vehicle handling, comfort, and safety. If the axle is damaged enough to cause vibrations, it generally needs to be replaced.
When do you know your car’s axles need replacement?
Over time, wear and tear can weaken them and perhaps lead to the need for axle replacement. There are a few telltale signs that your axles are in need of some work: If you put your car into gear and hear a sudden clunking sound, that’s a dead giveaway that there is a problem with the axle.
Can a front wheel drive axle be replaced?
Balls and grooves will show wear before the joint fails completely. Replacing a front-wheel-drive axle is straightforward, although physically demanding. Get the replacement axle before you start, as well as a new spindle nut and a cotter pin or two.
When does a CV axle need to be replaced?
A CV axle is needed when a vehicle has an independent suspension on drive wheels. In an independent suspension, the left and right wheels move up and down following the road surface independently of each other.
How many CV axles does a front wheel drive car have?
A typical front-wheel drive car has two CV axles (CV shafts), one at each front wheel. Front CV axle. See also: CV axles in AWD vehicle. Almost all cars, crossovers and SUVs (including electric) and even some pickup trucks have CV axles, see the illustration .
When do car axles need to be replaced?
Excessive or unusual vibrations can cause other issues with vehicle handling, comfort, and safety. If the axle is damaged enough to cause vibrations, it generally needs to be replaced.
When does an axle / cv shaft assembly need to be replaced?
However, having said that, keep in mind that whenever your car is in motion, your axle / CV shaft assembly is working. And, like all moving metal parts, the axle / CV shaft can be subject to wear. It needs to be properly greased in order to prevent wear, and leaking grease is the most common reason for the assembly to fail and need to be replaced.
Can a remanufactured front drive axle be replaced?
You can save some money by buying a remanufactured axle, which will be virtually as good as new. The refurbishing process involves regrinding all the grooves in the inner and outer halves of the joint to a standard oversize, and replacing the cage and ball bearings with new oversize ones.
Which is the right side of the axle to replace?
And it’s usually the right side that goes first because here in the lefthand-drive US of A, we turn sharper around righthand corners than lefthand ones. Sometimes the rubber boots covering the joints fail from age or are torn by road debris, letting the grease out and dirt and water in.