new cv axle vibration

Check your tires. Ive never heard of axles vibrating, they only spin as fast as the transmission lets em.

Check your tires for any weird spots, if you cant find anything, have them balanced. They do this by adding weights at certain spots to the rims, its possible you had one fall off the rim. Also realize bad balljoints or worn tierod ends can acuse vibration.

If driving to work on Friday = no vibration
Driving after installing new axles = vibration

I can't see that it just so happens that my tires pulled something weird at the exact moment I put new axles on. Anyway, my tires are pretty new and they get balanced every time Sam's rotates them.

BD said:

If driving to work on Friday = no vibration
Driving after installing new axles = vibration

I can't see that it just so happens that my tires pulled something weird at the exact moment I put new axles on. Anyway, my tires are pretty new and they get balanced every time Sam's rotates them.

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Well, you gotta pop the ball joints and tie rods off to install axles, and itsa easy to damage something since Honda ball joints and tie rod ends are such a PITA.

I had vibration when I had both my cv shafts replaced, so I had my tires balanced. removed most of the vibration. They then put the car on a lift and separated the ball joints and looked at everything, couldn't find it, put everything back together, i came back 2 days later, asked what they did because the vibration was gone. They couldn't figure it out. So I assume something just a bit loose and they got it tightened correctly upon re-assembly

mattliston said:

Well, you gotta pop the ball joints and tie rods off to install axles, and itsa easy to damage something since Honda ball joints and tie rod ends are such a PITA.

I had vibration when I had both my cv shafts replaced, so I had my tires balanced. removed most of the vibration. They then put the car on a lift and separated the ball joints and looked at everything, couldn't find it, put everything back together, i came back 2 days later, asked what they did because the vibration was gone. They should they couldn't figure it out.

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Hmm interesting. Might do that next weekend and get two new axles anyway (lifetime warranty, bring them in and get new remanufactured ones).

What kind of axles did you use?

I actually figured out such an amazingly easy way to pop the ball joints. Bring the castle nut down maybe 2mm. get a small square of plywood and jack the rotor upward (not by the dust shield, just the rotor with the wood between the jack and rotor). Get it up by say 6-8 inches and take the factory lugnut wrench and take the flattish part of the wrench in the middle and jam it between the hub part of the knuckle and the LCA (avoid pinching the ball joint boot). Then slowly drop the jack. It pops apart like a shot gun firing, but works every time. I make sure to jack the LCA up to the ball joint bolt so the castle nut is not fighting the tension in the LCA.

EDIT: you don't have to touch the tie rods to do axles.

i just went a picked up a ball joint seperator tool, its great. and i would not re-use ball joints, i mean they arent terribly cheap, but hell if you are replacing axles just go for the ball joints too, preventative matnience

Guy I know who is a Honda tech in charlotte told me he has never had to replace a single ball joint any Honda he's ever worked on....he said he's worked on a couple dozen quarter million mile Civics and Accords with original ball joints and never felt the need to replace them.

Have you ever had a bad one? What constitutes a bad one other than a torn boot that is leaking grease....I had the guy at the parts store grab one for me to make sure I got the right size cotter pin and it didn't even feel smooth and it was brand new.

BD said:

Guy I know who is a Honda tech in charlotte told me he has never had to replace a single ball joint any Honda he's ever worked on....he said he's worked on a couple dozen quarter million mile Civics and Accords with original ball joints and never felt the need to replace them.

Have you ever had a bad one? What constitutes a bad one other than a torn boot that is leaking grease....I had the guy at the parts store grab one for me to make sure I got the right size cotter pin and it didn't even feel smooth and it was brand new.

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A bad one is flexable. Very flexable. They are supposed to be very stiff, and somewhat hard to move by hand. A worn one moves easily and can sometimes click when youtr going over large bumps. They never break unless you hit your tire with something, like a curb to avoid a person in teh road or someshit. Mine snapped going 30mph then turning and hitting the curb to avoid a drunken idiot who was running around in the road

Maybe your mechanic dude was talking about the upper balljoints, people almost never have to replace them, unless they are clicking alot while turning, similar to the sound of worn cv shafts.

The point of a balljoint is to allow your wheel to turn, yet keep it connected to your suspension that moves up and down with bumps and whatnot. Theya re durable, and a bad one thats still installed simply allows more movement then usuall. Its very true that you dont have to replace them unless they break. They do cause extra tire wear, but usually not eough to be concerned. My mom's civic has both lower and uppers bad, but since its not effecting her driving style or causing lots of tire wear, its not worth it to her. Now if she ever needs to replace a cv shaft, then I know she would have them replaced, since the procedure to replace them follows the procedure to replace shafts.

also a broken one is a bitch to replace, had to do it twice. and year, upper ball joints are solid. just lower suck

crvchris said:

also a broken one is a bitch to replace, had to do it twice. and year, upper ball joints are solid. just lower suck

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When mine brokle, I had to remove the lower arm and beat the fuck outta the broken shaft til it came loose. No amount of PB Blaster helped. Im honestly surprised my arm kept its shape and didnt bend at all.

So I convinced Advanced Auto to give me new GSP axles for the hassle of removing them a second time. I put them and in and still a nudge of vibration....right at 3k rpms.

Anyway, I assume its because aftermarket axles don't have those dampers. Can you get dampers that clamp on so you don't have to remove one of the joints?

My 2 new cv shafts dont have one on either side, no vibration. Have you taken it to Honda ans ask them what they think? Its free to ask them, or at least ask another person if you already did.

My Raxles are on the way...f*** Advance Auto....I swapped out both sides twice.

The Honda specialist said my mounts and suspension bushings are perfect and my alignment is dead on. Tires are balanced. He said he'd never put discount auto axles on his car but he sees nothing else that it could be.

Yep, the Raxles were works of art...clean, fully painted, no rust, great boots. They sure were a ton easier to get into the differential. Anyway the vibration is all gone and the car drives like butter.