Stupid drive axles
judebert
familEE
I'm finally getting close to getting the electric Wagon running again. I messed up the axle nut removing the passenger-side axle, and according to Nathan, the axle threads are mucked up, too. It wouldn't go back in the transmission, and the inner CV joint was pulled apart and wouldn't go back together again.
I bought another axle at the local Advance. I was astonished to find they had one on the shelves. This weekend Nathan tried to put it it, and was surprised that it went in so easily. Later, though, he found that it didn't actually go in all the way.
I thought the Civic axles were identical for all the '88-'91 series. Was I just mistaken, or is there some extra magic for installing this thing?
I bought another axle at the local Advance. I was astonished to find they had one on the shelves. This weekend Nathan tried to put it it, and was surprised that it went in so easily. Later, though, he found that it didn't actually go in all the way.
I thought the Civic axles were identical for all the '88-'91 series. Was I just mistaken, or is there some extra magic for installing this thing?
Comments
CAN NOT use the following right axle:
1)4WD
2)That base Civic HB(The HB's version of the CRX HF)
3)CRX HF
4)'90-'91 EX & CRX Si(May work 'cuz I think it was a heavier duty axle).
I'm assuming, of course, that "right" means "right when you're facing the same way as the car": the passenger side for the USDM.
4WD Wgn axles from '88-'91/96 will work too.
I'll be exchanging this axle for the proper one soon. We hope to be moving again next weekend.
We tried to reinstall the old one. It didn't bend sufficiently, and we wound up removing the whole strut to get it aligned.
Then it wouldn't go in. We could get it to work without the hammer. We banged it on the wheel end, with the nut attached to avoid messing up the threads.
Here's why you don't hit the axle with a hammer, even on the wheel end: you shatter the bearings. They're big donut style bearings on a flat plate, and the plate breaks easily. We shattered a second one by dropping it from 3 ft.
Luckily, the guys at AutoZone felt bad enough about messing it up the first time that they sold me the new axle (original price $112) for the same price as the old ($60). Still, that's a two-week penalty to getting up and running.
My second trip yielded an axle that fit correctly. Slid right in, with just a firm shove required to get the clip in its groove. Sweet.
In fact, the car is now fully wired and ready to go. I just need to replace the batteries that have been damaged by long-term neglect...
Jude any updates yet, electric may be in my future.
Maybe a smaller platform for me personally though :oops:
For the 2wd models, advance auto parts shows all the same part numbers for 89-91 cv axles for any civic/crx. Same for 1988, but the spline count for 1988 is 25, and the spline count for 1989-1991 is 26.
Axles (new or reman) from your local chain auto parts store are NOTORIOUS for going bad quickly/going bad in the box before you buy them!
My friend who is a tech at the local honda dealer told me that the best thing to use is honda stock axles or some upgraded ones from someplace like www.driveshaftshop.com , but if you have to go with the cheap ones, try to get EMPI or Cardone Select at least.