Quote:
Originally Posted by stackz
the one I got from autozone for the front right has been doing just fine.
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You are indeed lucky. I would never buy new chinese axles.
You shouldn't ever technically need to replace the axle unless you let the boot rip completely open and spew grease everywhere and grit gets inside the sealed joint.
If you catch the boots before they tear open for replacement, and just repack with fresh grease and a new outer boot (the inners never tear), your OE axles will outlast the X5's body, for what its worth.
If for some reason the OE axle boot rips and gets inside the joint, you can try a quality rebuilding shop, or I would honestly just get a new GKN axle only.
Preventative maintenance is key here, it doesn't take long to go under the X5 every 6 months and check the visual condition of the outer boots.