so i was changing my oil and looking up under the car. i noticed some grease (sludge) near the passenger axle and then looked closer and decided to feel the boot thinking it was loose. (cv boot) well, the joint on the axle at the wheel is okay, i think, but the boot is in two pieces. one right and one left piece. i can only thank the guy that changed the clutch, as he was the wonderful person who fudged up the starter bolts too. when i was turning i was hearing a knocking, and i have been paying attention more now. when i am turning at a slow speed (below 20mp, corners in neighborhoods) i head a knocking, but ONLY when turning. driving straight there is no sound. for the past few months i have felt a vibration in the pedals and almost like i can hear it. something that seems to be rotating and rubbing, almost like a warped brake rotor, but goes away after 45mph. I have diagnosed this problem myself and think its the passenger joint on the axle.
I think when i got mine from Autozone it was $70 after core and it came with a lifetime warranty. If its clicking then the joint is shot and replacing the boot wont help.
__________________
-Klayton
AIM: USA A OK 1
1992 Prelude 4WS Si VTEC
Definitley sounds like time for a new axle. The installation is straightforward once you get the axle nut off, and the parts are inexpensive. Just go to your favorite pepboys/autozone and tell the guy at the counter what you need. Go for the remanufactured units, not NEW ones . . . as others have said, they are built to manufacturers specs and carry a lifetime warranty.
That is for the 93 VTEC model. I don't know if they differ at all but I'm just tellin ya. BTW, if the outer CV boot is the problem, you will also need to replace the inner boot as well. You will find this out as you make the repair...
Rebuilding CV joints is just about one of the biggest pain in the ass repairs for a driveway mechanic. It's messy, sticky, nasty work, and chances are you wont get the boot bands as tight as a remanufactuerd unit. If you are REALLY in a budget crunch, I might suggest that route as it would be slightly cheaper. However, the reman'ed unit is not that much more expensive and carries a lifetime warranty.
The axle nut can be removed with an impact gun. Most people dont have access to air tools, so they use a 1/2" or 3/4" drive breaking bar with cheater pole (~3' long metal pipe over bar handle). DON'T use a cheater pole on a rachet or torque wrench . . . the high torque levels are bad news for the internal mechanisims.
Haha, you got that right. My friend shattered his 1/2" rachet! This was on my other car (white lude) though. We still haven't figured out how to get the axle nut off my white prelude. We used an impact wrench, breaker bar, we heated up the damn nut. I think I might have to take the car to NAPA or something and have them get it off.
I didn't think rebuilding the CV joint was all that hard. It was just messy for the most part. By reading that WRITE-UP, anyone could do it.
Oh, remember to use a hammer and a punch to undo the indentation in the axle nut before you try and break it free.
Also, you could go to a brake shop or similar establishment and have them break the nut free with their hardcore airtools, then tighten it with a ratchet and drive carefully home to complete the install
i am going to use a breaker bar and a 4' pole we use to launch bottle rockets, im afraid of the breaker bar breaking and messing up something
one concern i have is taking apart all 3 ball joints because i do not want to pay for an alignment. before when i did the clutch, i just took apart the bottom one and didnt worry about the others just so i could swing the things back and get the axle out. because i just disconnected the axle from the tranny, not the hub part. do you have to take all 3 joints apart, or can you just cheat?
Just as red92s said you have to knock the tab on the axle nut up before you remove it. As for the breaker bar over a socket wrench you can do it just make sure you have a lifetime warranty on the tool i.e. craftsman. I actually had to have my brother stand on the brakes because the tire would spin on the ground, even with the e-brake on. I used a 3 foot bar with a 1/2 driver. Ideally you would want a 3/4 on a solid bar. Also as i said before if your axle is clicking that means the joint is worn and its not a good idea to just replace the boot.
__________________
-Klayton
AIM: USA A OK 1
1992 Prelude 4WS Si VTEC
If its on there good all your going to do is break the 1/2 drive Craftsman breaker bar, i can break one without a cheater bar, they spin the part that goes into the socket right off, I work on a lot of cars, and have always had a tough time with axle nuts, so i bought a 3/4 drive socket set off line, impact grade deep well, I have a Craftsman rachet and breaker bar, and no longer need a cheater bar, the 3/4 drive stuff makes it a cake walk. BTW any tire place will loosen it, but have them run it back on also, not as tight as it was but zip it back on dont just tighten it half ass, your hub/bearing assy requires that press to stop the hub unit from coming apart, BTDT. REbuild CV's isnt that bad, just messy, only take one apart at a time so you can look at the other for guidence in reassembly.
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