CV Halfshaft Replacement Question

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:40 pm

Everyone I talk to loves their EMPI shafts. Let us know please.

Post by **ARCHINSTL** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:53 am

keith -
Excuse my ignorance - I have yet to pull an axle - but isn't the ring necessary to retain the axle? Or does the EMPI have another method?
Are the issues you mention simply the appearance of lower quality and the ring mention?
What is the warranty?
Thanks - and you have a rapt audience for followups.
Tom M.
PS - you do take great pix!

keith · Post by **keith** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:03 am

I believe I will be happy with the axle, I have to get past the strut issues before I can road test them. When I say the appearance of quality, there is more detail in the Toyota part, like a tapered shaft and a few other details. As far as I can tell, its visual only, not lower quality in function.

There is a retainer ring at the inner end of the shaft, the new shaft came with a new one and it is necessary to hold the shaft in place. The ring that had to be transferred is a dust shield at the outer joint. I've always had to transfer it because I haven't seen any shafts come with them. I didn't check the warrantee. If it lasts 5 years, I will be happy. If the car lasts five more years, I'll be happy, but I didn't expect it to last for another year, seven years ago.

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:47 am

who wouldn't like to have axles that don't cause a clunk each time you shift gears?

keith · Post by **keith** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 2:57 pm

I took the Tercel up into town this morning, what a joy to drive now. This is my son's work car, but I share the title with him, especially when it comes to maintenance and more so when it comes to buying parts. The transmission shifts smoother and no more loud clicking when accelerating around a corner. The passenger side axle still should be replaced, but it wasn't as bad as the drivers side.

The new struts are nice too, but it needs rear shocks even more than it needed front struts. I haven't decided whether to replace the rear upper strut blocks as well, each block costs about twice as much as the shock itself. I just hate doing a job twice, but I don't think the rear blocks are broken yet though. I hate buying something I don't need either.

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:31 pm

What rear blocks.... Unless you have 2wd, you have shocks in the back and the only thing resembling the "block" up front is the 2 little rubber bushing-spacers on either side of the frame where the shock mounts to. Its a part of the frame.

What block.... I'm confused now...
The jounce bumper perhaps?

keith · Post by **keith** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:58 pm

I don't know. I remember seeing blocks for the rear when I was looking for the front blocks. I didn't pay that close attention at the time. Maybe they were only for the fwd. At $45 to 62 per, I wouldn't mind if the 4wd didn't have them. The shocks are high enough.

neonsport · Post by **neonsport** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:44 pm

You must've got the price for the rear struts for a 2WD wagon. At my local AutoZone, Gabriel shocks for the rear of a 4WD Tercel are only $15 each.

keith · Post by **keith** » Fri May 25, 2007 6:28 am

Quick update. EMPI has the little rings on the end that hold the axle in place, the two other rings I mentioned are the one cut into the inner cv joint housing to aid in installing the axle, the EMPI doesn't have them, and the dust shield on the outer CV joint, no replacement axle came with them so I have always had to move them from the old to the new.

Both axles are in, I also replaced the rear shocks with KYB GR-2, same brand and model as for the front struts. Typrus was right, no block at the top, thats 2wd only.