Bad Axle

Over the weekend i was working on the car and discovered a thick poop colored sludge all over the passenger side wheel well. Low and behold i have a torn OUTER CV boot throwing grease everywhere.
I wasnt getting any of the typical clicking noise while turning so i wasnt too concerned until i felt around for play...

The INNER joint where it goes into the diff has a ton of play. Up, down, in out, and rotational. It explains the vibration i have had under acceleration since the trans rebuild.
I just ordered a new pair of axles from Ed Morad and will get them installed asap.

Just thought id share since this is the first ive hear of a riv's axle going bad.
Im sure the lowering springs +15psi torque+ pulling the axles for trans rebuild+ 207k miles was too much to ask of the passenger axle. The driver side has almost no play btw. I may change it just to be safe though.

Sure will be nice to get rid of the vibration ive been chasing for so long. (kept thinking it was the rear trans mount or front semi-poly mount or rebuild job)

Matthew

Thanks for posting. I think for HD trans, the driver side is a beefier design common only to HD set-ups, while the passenger side is a more common part, used for non-HD versions. You may want to check up on this; I can't remember for sure.

Point being the two axles are completely different, so you could just replace the one if the other feels tight. Nice catch, btw.

Same thing happened to me in my old SSEi, Matt. Inner joint boot tore at some point and spewed grease everywhere in a nice neat line 360 degrees around the boot lol. Made it all the way to the hood insulator! Mine didn't have a lot of play, but it was still odd that it just tore like that. It was bad enough that it made it hard to drive when I finally realized it was bad.

Does anyone know if i need to get a bearing for the diff or an axle seal for when i install this?

Shouldn't be any reason for either unless the get damaged during removal. I've had the axles out of a few of my cars with no issues upon reinstallation.

Curious, when did you experience the vibration? All the time or only at certain times?

AA wrote:

Curious, when did you experience the vibration? All the time or only at certain times?

I noticed it only during acceleration and it seemed to get worse around 2300 and fade off anything above 3500rpm. Sometimes it wouldnt be bad, other times everything in my center console and door pockets shook. Didnt matter cold or hot or what gear i was in(cant say i did much accelerating in 3rd gear at those rpms tho).

I'm impressed that you have 207k on the oem axles. The ones on my Lesabre only lasted 135k. Started noticing going around right hand curves at speed that the left one was going bad.

I will suggest buying new ones, and don't buy cheapies made in China. They'll work just great until the boot gets 20 or 30 k on them, and then the boot goes bad. Try and have that large socket (27mm ?)on hand to work the nut lose on the end of the axle. Have something to put the wheel studs like PVC or pex plastic piping to protect the threads from damage.

Good luck with the replacement and mention how the new ones are on you Riv!

Well damn this is interesting why does every problem sound like mines wth now im veering off in to to different topics

I need your knowledge in this cause im here experiencing some of those same type problems I but not leaking of the boots just when im going around 65-70 it feels jumpy n loose around higher acceleration speed limits in texas are 75 and I cant do 70

Vibration like that is symptomatic of failing inner cv joints, bad motor mounts, out of round wheels, and poor tire/wheel balancing. There are a few other causes but they are more rare IMO.
It would be pretty easy to rule out the axle if you have access to a lift or ramps.

Mr.Riviera wrote:

Vibration like that is symptomatic of failing inner cv joints, bad motor mounts, out of round wheels, and poor tire/wheel balancing. There are a few other causes but they are more rare IMO.
It would be pretty easy to rule out the axle if you have access to a lift or ramps.

And I do have those access...I balanced the wheels my self brand new falkens ... but another thing im noticed is that my wheel is always cocked out never aligned with the other wheel ill have to take pictures but driver side lines up with the steering wheel but the passenger side pivots to the right

Those new tires are going to wear quick if they haven't already. Need to have an alignment done.

AA wrote:

Those new tires are going to wear quick if they haven't already. Need to have an alignment done.

AA I did sir I have spent countless dollars sir I haven't changed my hub assembly struts & mounts every thing has been changed the problem came later its just like the passenger side is the problem the guy aligned the car said it was fine it showed on papers to be good ... how ever it only happens with my rims not the factorys

Are your rims bent? I don't see how your alignment could be fine with factory wheels, but "one wheel pivots right" with your aftermarkets. Seems like there's something wrong here. Are the tie rod ends and ball joints in good shape?

AA wrote:

Are your rims bent? I don't see how your alignment could be fine with factory wheels, but "one wheel pivots right" with your aftermarkets. Seems like there's something wrong here. Are the tie rod ends and ball joints in good shape?

If I could find all of the receipts I would i have been changing parts. Im just not understanding why everything is happening so sudden. The wheels are not bent because i changed the wheels in different postions im still getting the same results im going to take his advice to rule out a problem as being that as im checking these others out i have work to do Mr. AA