Axles

When to replace a CV Joint

CV joints endure a great amount of stress and hold up remarkably well, but eventually, they give in to wear. You can tell if you CV joint is worn to the point of needing replacement by it's sound, and this is the reason that 90% of all axles get replaced. When turning to the right or left, and moving, you'll hear a clicking sound. It won't be noticable when going straight ahead, and may be noticeable only when turning to one side or another.

The other reason that cv joints get replaced is if the boot gets split or broken in some way. The boot keeps the lubricant in the joint where it can protect the high wear surfaces in the joint. When the boot gets broken, abrasive contaminants such as dust get into the lubricant, eventually causing joint failure. While it is possible to continue to drive with a broken boot, failure is inevitable and fairly rapid. If you have it apart, it's most convenient to replace it at that time. It is not feasible to just replace the broken boot.

How is a CV Joint remanufactured?

The axle joints consists of a race, cage, and balls. The joint gets dis-assembled and the parts are cleaned. The emptied race and cage are then regrooved and polished on a CNC machine, which is a computerized piece of equipment costing about $250,000.

The newly polished parts are then reassembled with new, oversize balls. Fresh specialized lubricant is applied, and the joint is fitted with new boots.

Which should I get, new or remanufactured?

Our remanufactured axles are precision crafted, and will give you many years and many miles of trouble free service. We're confident that they stand up to new axles in performance and durability. And you get the savings of a remanufactured part.

We also carry new axles, so if your looking for a new part, just for your own peace of mind, we have those too.