replaced my axles today
January-25th-2003, 09:33 PM
#1
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replaced my axles today
A buddy of mine from work that drives a '91 DX agreed to help me replace my axles today. In return, I gave him my old MX-3 alloys and wasted tires, so a pretty good deal. Anyway, it took us like 3 hours to get the driver's side staked nut off the axle. We were using a breaker bar (the end-pipe from his floor jack) and broke my 1/2" drive, his 1/2" ratchet, and his dad's 3/4" drive socket split open. His impact wrench wouldn't budge it either. Finally we grabbed his dad's torch and cut the bitch off! The rest of the install went pretty smooth, although we had to pound out the left axle through the right side. While everything was all torn apart, I decided to go get a couple new ball-joints too. Refilled the tranny with Redline MTL. The car feels really, really solid in the front end now, almost like new! On the way home I stopped at AutoZone and picked up a couple of SilverStar bulbs. Haha! Pretty expensive day, but my Pro's worth it! 
Last edited by beachnut; January-25th-2003 at 09:40 PM.
January-31st-2003, 12:24 PM
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Funny you asked ... surprised you remember! No, it's not. I proved two different shops wrong and my friend that helped me with the job. All of them said it was the left axle. I wish they had been right 
.
On the plus side though, I've got smooth torque, I got rid of the 'clunk' noise (ball-joint), and I have better steering response. Another weird thing - on the first drive after the repair, I could hardly hear the 'creak'. In fact, it was so subdued that I thought it was gone. But after listening carefully, I started to hear it again. It has grown louder since the repair, eventually getting back to how it used to sound. So, I started to think "why?". Before when I made the 'creak' go away for a while, it was the engine wash-down that did it. What did it this time? The only thing I can think of was jacking the car up on the lift all day maybe shifted around or compressed something enough to quiet it down temporarily. We had the floor lift under the cross-member and the jack stands under each of the A-arms. I'm starting to suspect maybe the lower engine mounts. I was going to replace all four mounts, but somebody (you know who you are
) outbid me by $1 for them on eBay! Btw, it only happens when I let out the clutch in gear and torque is going down ... never when I turn and never when I go over a bump. My buddy told me it was my clutch pedal, but it will happen when my foot's off the pedal and I just goose it in 1st or 2nd.
You guys will all know the day I figure this problem out ... I'll probably crash the forum that day, oh wait .. that's not hard to do!
.On the plus side though, I've got smooth torque, I got rid of the 'clunk' noise (ball-joint), and I have better steering response. Another weird thing - on the first drive after the repair, I could hardly hear the 'creak'. In fact, it was so subdued that I thought it was gone. But after listening carefully, I started to hear it again. It has grown louder since the repair, eventually getting back to how it used to sound. So, I started to think "why?". Before when I made the 'creak' go away for a while, it was the engine wash-down that did it. What did it this time? The only thing I can think of was jacking the car up on the lift all day maybe shifted around or compressed something enough to quiet it down temporarily. We had the floor lift under the cross-member and the jack stands under each of the A-arms. I'm starting to suspect maybe the lower engine mounts. I was going to replace all four mounts, but somebody (you know who you are
) outbid me by $1 for them on eBay! Btw, it only happens when I let out the clutch in gear and torque is going down ... never when I turn and never when I go over a bump. My buddy told me it was my clutch pedal, but it will happen when my foot's off the pedal and I just goose it in 1st or 2nd. You guys will all know the day I figure this problem out ... I'll probably crash the forum that day, oh wait .. that's not hard to do!
Last edited by beachnut; January-31st-2003 at 12:35 PM.
January-31st-2003, 03:55 PM
#6
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They were from a local speed shop that my buddy uses. They were remans, so probably on par with an AZ type axle. I got them for $50 each since he knows the guy there, but I think AZ only charges about $65-$75.
January-31st-2003, 07:17 PM
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Originally posted by beachnut
I'm starting to suspect maybe the lower engine mounts. I was going to replace all four mounts, but somebody (you know who you are ) outbid me by $1 for them on eBay! Btw, it only happens when I let out the clutch in gear and torque is going down ... never when I turn and never when I go over a bump. My buddy told me it was my clutch pedal, but it will happen when my foot's off the pedal and I just goose it in 1st or 2nd.
I'm starting to suspect maybe the lower engine mounts. I was going to replace all four mounts, but somebody (you know who you are
) outbid me by $1 for them on eBay! Btw, it only happens when I let out the clutch in gear and torque is going down ... never when I turn and never when I go over a bump. My buddy told me it was my clutch pedal, but it will happen when my foot's off the pedal and I just goose it in 1st or 2nd. 
btw, i have the 'creeking' noise and i have an auto, so the clutch pedal can probably be taken off the suspicious parts list. i've had a few probs with my axles (specifically the CV boots), but i have a lifetime warranty of them, so whenever they break, i get 'em replaced for FREE. the funny thing is that i've only noticed the 'creeking' after my left axle was replaced a few months ago. 
January-31st-2003, 08:46 PM
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So Tito, do you plan on installing the mounts first before the tie-rod end? I'm really curious to see which one fixes the creak, or if it goes away at all. Were all four mounts the correct ones? That was one hell of a deal !
January-31st-2003, 09:32 PM
#9
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Originally posted by beachnut
So Tito, do you plan on installing the mounts first before the tie-rod end? I'm really curious to see which one fixes the creak, or if it goes away at all. Were all four mounts the correct ones? That was one hell of a deal !
So Tito, do you plan on installing the mounts first before the tie-rod end? I'm really curious to see which one fixes the creak, or if it goes away at all. Were all four mounts the correct ones? That was one hell of a deal !
i had a guy email me the next day asking if i would be willing to sell him the mounts. 
i'm going to have the shop check out my suspension when they install the engine mounts, so we'll see if they can find anything wrong. someone needs to solve the damn 'creeking' problem! i thought it might be the left axle, but if your car is still making the noise after installing new axles, then i have no clue what it is.
February-4th-2003, 09:47 PM
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I will have to be replacing my axles this summer again. the craptaculer axles i got where popping two months after i got them. since i had moved i havent had time to replace them yet. not to forget its a frozen bitch out there now.
February-4th-2003, 10:20 PM
#11
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my girl just went to the mazda dealer to replace her axles.94 DX pro. ya about 500.00 later she told me this... i wanted to puke.. from the sound of things on this thread, it sounds like she took it hard in the *** with no lube... hahaha sorry... just had to say that.,,, its true... thats a rip off 500.00
good thing it wasent me hahahaha,,....
good thing it wasent me hahahaha,,....
February-17th-2003, 03:46 AM
#12
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creaking noise?
thats strange, i have some stupid noise whenever i slow down or try turning around, they said my axle is broken, but could it also be the tie end rods that have gone bad? i really hate that ****** noise, gets on my nerves and attracts alot of attention.. btw, sounds more like a clunking noise, no creeks, any suggestions?
February-17th-2003, 09:22 AM
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Re: creaking noise?
Originally posted by demoninvictus
thats strange, i have some stupid noise whenever i slow down or try turning around, they said my axle is broken, but could it also be the tie end rods that have gone bad? i really hate that ****** noise, gets on my nerves and attracts alot of attention.. btw, sounds more like a clunking noise, no creeks, any suggestions?
thats strange, i have some stupid noise whenever i slow down or try turning around, they said my axle is broken, but could it also be the tie end rods that have gone bad? i really hate that ****** noise, gets on my nerves and attracts alot of attention.. btw, sounds more like a clunking noise, no creeks, any suggestions?
you can also do a search on the forum as this has been discussed a few times. There was even a video up a few months ago
February-17th-2003, 09:26 AM
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February-17th-2003, 02:09 PM
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It's been my experience that these noises are hard to diagnose on an internet forum. What is a "click" to some is a "clunk" to another and a "creak" to the next guy. You would think that all these different noises are easily definable (and they usually are), but there's still quite a bit of subjectivity when you're "listening" to someone else's noise on a message board. The best advice I can give is to take your car to a mechanic you trust, or if you're handy and can replace these things yourself, then do that. The classic "clicking" noise that a bad CV joint makes when turning would definitely lead you in that direction, but aside from that, it could be numerous other things like ball joints, tie-rod ends, motor/tranny mounts, etc. If you've never replaced your axles, then start there I suppose. That's what I did (and it needed to be done anyway). But don't be surprised if it doesn't fix the problem. Just my .02 ....