Car problems? Car freak? Some good reading...

[caddmannq]

Part Trackers Repair Library

Good advice from some real experts. Note that auto repair (like auto design/manufacturing) is not an exact science, and there are some differing opinions on almost every subject.

[nunyadam]

good link cadd thank's!

[Gomer]

Thanks... excellent reading there.

[chelseagirl]

Ok Im new here and I'm not sure how to go about asking my question so I'll just put it out there.
A couple months ago I noticed that when I hit about 45mph there was a noticable vibration up front. well it's been getting worse and when I recently took it in to the shop to have a tune up they told me the right front axle needs to be replaced.

any idea how much that will cost with parts and labor. Is it something I could do myself?
What will happen if it goes out while I'm driving?

[no1_vern]

HI Chelseagirl!! Welcome to techIMO ! Having your right front axle replaced can cost many hundreds of dollars, depending on your car model/year/parts. Please tell us the maker/model/year. Did the shop give you an estimate?

While, technically it isnt that hard to replace the axle, I would pay to have them do it. Normally tools are needed that are used for nothing else, and those tools are very expensive just to replace one axle.

[nunyadam]

Hard telling what actually needs replaced without knowing more. Doing it yourself will really depend on what the job is, and your skill level.

Either way its not something to put off getting done.

[nunyadam]

Welcome to Techimo.
You may want to start a new thread in order to get more/better responses.

[RedFury]

Having done axles in the past, I'd leave it up to a shop unless you know someone with the tools to deal with it. I can assume it's a front wheel drive car, and that alone requires a spring compressor or someone willing to risk a finger trying to manipulate the strut with a jack to get the ball joint back in place.

A quick run down on the process is supporting the car on jack stands, removing the retaining bolt for the ball joint ( most cars ) removing the large axle nut, dropping the lower control arm out of the way, pulling the strut off the axle ( possible need to disconnect sway bar and steering linkage ) and then you pull the old axle out. However, the axle doesn't always like to come out or may have a trick to it. You may have to pry the axle free from the transmission which involves getting under the car with a prybar. Installation is the reverse, with the added fun of compressing the strut enough to get the ball joint back into place.

It's not difficult for the experienced, but it is fraught with nuances for the novice ( that axle nut can be a real bear to get off! ).

A decent shop won't charge you more than an hour labor...maybe 1.5hrs plus the cost of the part.

If cost is an issue, sometimes you can find someone through your local craigslist that can do it for cheaper than a certified shop if you are comfortable handing your car over to someone who won't warrantee his work.

[RedFury]

BTW, I get a page load error....Firefox problem?

[Toadman]

Link dead. Chelsea's inquiry could be just a wheel-balancing or a bearing issue. Or tire inflation. Axle/transaxle UV-joints usually fail with fanfare, from a initial clicking noise in corners to nasty towing surprises.