OK, so I replaced my right-side half-shaft last year when the joint went bad. I was checking out my oil leak this weekend (another matter all on its own) and noticed that my left-side outboard joint is throwing grease. It looked like the driveshaft clamp was missing. Upon further inspection, though, the clamp is still there (just covered by grease). The boot looks fine. I don't know how much grease has been lost. Can I replace the clamp and be done with this? I am noticing/hearing no problems with the joint at this time. I'm not even sure why the grease is coming out, because the clamp seems tight, but I guess not. Pics attached for reference - Bad side vs. good side.
(Attachments giving me problems today, so I'll try this)
Last edited by leftbrain99; 03-24-2010 at 10:04 AM.
Yeah, I'm not real excited about taking it off, cleaning, and repacking. I was hoping I could get away with cutting the old clamp and slapping a new one on. But if I do pull the boot, could I do most of it without dropping the lower arm? Just pull the boot up the shaft and work on it that way?
Well, the car is up on stands and I'm getting ready to get under there right now. I have both outboard clamps and a tub of joint grease. I was thinking of just removing the shaft band and slapping the new one on, but, if it seems simple enough, I may pop both bands off of that joint and pry the boot. Then inspect and repack it with grease (No telling how much has been thrown out), slide the boot back on and install the new band clamps. I have a KD-3191 for those double-banded clamps. I doubt I will go to the trouble of cleaning the entire joint, and I don't want to take everything apart just to do that. It's a 13 year old axle. When it fails, I'll replace it.
The replacement went fine. I clipped the bands, pulled the boot, scraped off a bunch of old grease from the joint and everything looked fine, including the boot. I repacked the joint with Mobil-branded grease, and strapped new bands on. But less than 6 months later, the very same boot is torn right where the axle band clamps, so that band seems to have cut through the boot. Then again, these are 13 years old, but it's frustrating to have to revisit this again so soon.
I have considered the $50 for a new left axle from Autozone, or $25 gets me a Honda OEM outboard boot kit (boot, bands, grease, set ring, and spindle nut), but I have to take apart the axle and reassemble it with the new boot.
It may have made more sense to simply replace the half-axle back in March and not had to work on this twice in 6 months.
sure thats axle grease? usually its like a bright pea vomit teal green unless its just really old dried up or whatever but it looks more like motor oil, probably just cause its so old?
^It's axle grease, you can see how its being slung all over suspension parts, mainly his front strut fork.
The only aftermarket axles I've had luck with was Napa ones, the rest started leaking past the band with no visible damage to the boot and it was a couple of weeks after installation. Came from Advance and my buddy who bought one around the same time it happened to him too. Now that I work at the dealer I think I'm gonna go OEM reman'd so I get a good warranty and reassurance that it will last.
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New Formula Red 93 BB2: JDM OBD1 H22a/T2W4 Accord Euro R transmission
Yes, I'm sure it's axle grease - like milano said. That pic was before I replaced the boot bands and I cleaned it all up. But now that the boot is ripped, grease is slung everywhere yet again. As for the color, that pic was the original grease from the original 1997 axle and that's not the cleanest area of the car, so who knows how quickly the contaminants discolor that stuff all over the suspension?
I agree with the NAPA recommendation. It's easier for me to find parts online through autozone and they are closer to my house as well, so I source them first, but I prefer NAPA and the cost is roughly the same. Thanks for bringing that up, though.
I like fixing things and I hate throwing things away prematurely, so I'm inclined to take the axle apart and replace the boot, but I acknowledge that it's probably much more convenient to replace the entire half axle. As for OEM, though, even remanufactured from Honda, that's a $130+ part at discount online dealership parts departments. I suppose your cost is less as a Honda dealer employee, but what warranty is provided by Honda on parts such as that?
Pretty sure it comes with a warranty but I myself haven't bought one yet, just thought that if the axles in my car failed sooner than they should that I'd probably just go the OEM reman route. Never rebuilt an axle, seems annoying from watching others do it, replacing the whole thing is so much easier.
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New Formula Red 93 BB2: JDM OBD1 H22a/T2W4 Accord Euro R transmission
I bought one of the made in china axles from Advance Auto and the spines that fit into the transmission were really badly machined. Beware of them. The were $69.95 here in Houston. I had a heck of a time getting them to go into the transmission.
I would go rebuilt OEM from Rockauto.com if i had to do it again. GL
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