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I put some remanufactured axles on my Civic on Friday. On my originals, there was the dynamic damper only on the long axle (engine side). On the 'new' ones there wasn't a damper on either axle which is very common from what I've experienced/heard. Anyway, at about 3200-3300rpms it vibrates ever so slightly and stops at say 3500 rpms. It's obviously the axle and I think I'm ok with it because taking the joint off to slip a damper on is more work than it is worth.

Has anyone else had vibration with Advanced Auto remanufactured axles (Powerline)?

The thing is I put these same axles on my wifes Civic before we sold it (no damper) and it didn't vibrate.

Are there clamp on dampers out there?

 

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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 should they couldn't figure it out.

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.

 

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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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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?

 

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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.

 

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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.