Isn't that kind of like replacing the cylinder head, when all you need is new spark plugs? OK, maybe not the best analogy, but why would you want to replace something that's perfectly OK? There was nothing wrong with my joints (they were still well greased; luckily, I noticed the torn boots before the joints ran dry), just the rubber boots. And it's even more work to replace the axle, because you have to separate it from the hub, which requires dealing with that monster collar nut (which I pounded away at for a good half hour, breaking one of my punches in the process, without noticeably un-bending the locking lip), and then you have the press the joint out of the axle. Going through the inner boot does require "dealing with" the "special" grease, but from talking to several mechanics, it appears that nobody uses the stuff anyway. Plus, I'm not sure the quality of rebuilt axles is necessarily all that great, nor do I think they come with the special thinner factory grease on the inner tripod joint. And finally, it costs about ten times as much to replace the axles as it does the boots. Not seeing the logic here...
Edit: I just went back and read your post (this is a looong thread...). Wow, $69. That's a fraction of what I saw online. Maybe next time (and I pray there isn't a next time), I'll go that route, but not without an impact wrench... And a power chisel... And maybe a stick or two of dynamite
11-19-2011, 04:24 PM
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