The broken aftermarket CV-axle issue

[Ed Lijewski]

One of those axles had maybe 125-150 miles (the one that broke at Carlisle). The other possibly 3, maybe 4K at most miles. I should have marked them re miles but forgot; the Carlisle faikure one would have looked new.

YMMV

[brokencase]

"Chinesium" as opposed to what? USAnium? or GERManium? I'm afraid the latter two do not exist anymore. Unless you know of some secret steel mill in Pittsburg that they never shut down.

Now it's Australian iron ore shipped to China. For just about everything. Has been for years.

Anyhow, you say the end the "let go" looks OK, but the other end shows issue? Perhaps the other end was damaged when the opposite let go?
Just to be clear it was the outside end that let go?

[my8950]

"Chinesium" as opposed to what? USAnium? or GERManium? I'm afraid the latter two do not exist anymore. Unless you know of some secret steel mill in Pittsburg that they never shut down.

Now it's Australian iron ore shipped to China. For just about everything. Has been for years.

Anyhow, you say the end the "let go" looks OK, but the other end shows issue? Perhaps the other end was damaged when the opposite let go?
Just to be clear it was the outside end that let go?

My understanding was the wheel side let go on Ed's car each time.
This would be that end for the one axle.
It did look new, but I haven't opened the box yet on the second axle so I'm not sure if it might be newer.

Ed, maybe you'll know by the box? Which axle is what?

[Ed Lijewski]

Wish I had thought to mark them but I did not.

Yes, every failure (mine and John Brennan's if not others' as well) was outboard/wheel end joint.

I'm puzzled that the end that let go, disassembled, looks okay.

Can a new axle with the inner cage race secured by a spring clip be extended this far (the failure mode)? I haven't tried to do that on a new axle but it doesn't seem likely. What keeps the outer race and that part plus balls from over extending; I assumed it was a spring clip, but Noah's dissection didn't find the inner spring clip out of place. ??

20210607_105606_copy_652x582.jpg (82.86 KiB) Viewed 4273 times

Noah: On my other axle's un-failed end, could you try to extend the axle with inner race as in the photos above? If it doesn't extend that far, could you identify how it is held from doing that?

YMMV

[Ed Lijewski]

"Chinesium" as opposed to what? USAnium? or GERmanium?

As opposed to Koreanium, e.g. Hyundaianium. Or Taiwanium. Or Japaneseium. Or Australianium. You know you'd trust any CV axle product from any of those sources. Might cost more, but knowledgeable shoppers would move to those given what's being documented here and elsewhere.

YMMV

[brokencase]

Ed please tell me where we can get USAnium made cv axles...

[Ed Lijewski]

So after the broken CV axle halfshaft fiasco at Carlisle in my '89 Scorpio, I was leery of driving my '88 Scorpio also with aftermarket halfshafts. Matt Welch had a set of used OEM XR halfshafts (he bought a rebuilt set of OEM XR halfshafts from Jeff Herson at MPM) and we arranged to meet halfway between our homes at Annapolis and I bought them intending to install them on my '88 Scorpio.

The boots on those OEM halfshafts were still in okay shape (one has a hairline surface crack), the CV joints seemed okay with no loose play, and I just repacked them with new grease (Rotella CV axle grease) by injecting the grease via a needle attached to my grease gun. Used two tubes, so both ends of the joints and the boots were full of new grease.

The driver's side rear of the '88 had a Rock Auto CV halfshaft with maybe 2/300 miles, the proximate reason for my leeryness. The passenger side was an aftermarket halfshaft also but I couldn't remember when it was installed. That unit looked to likely have some few thousands of miles, on it without complaint/issue; so after much consideration I opted to not replace it with the OEM halfshaft and just hold that in reserve. (It's clear that not every Rock Auto halfshaft has broken..).

Today I drove the '88 about 50 miles with everything in the rear drivetrain feeling fine. I hope that continues to be the case.

YMMV

[thesameguy]

CV joint should have about 3oz/80g of grease.... one 12oz tube should do 4 joints.

[brokencase]

The Vanagon 86-91 with automatic cv axle that I ordered from Amazon on Prime day $24 never showed up.
So all I got was a refund. My intent was to just use this for the spare CV joints.

[Ed Lijewski]

CV joint should have about 3oz/80g of grease.... one 12oz tube should do 4 joints.

I fugged up on loading the first tube into the grease gun so Iost a lot of it at first. The two-tubes-figure was rounding up for narrative ease.

YMMV

[Ed Lijewski]

From FB yesterday:

Screenshot_20210809-140504_Lite.jpg (332.48 KiB) Viewed 4224 times

YMMV

[my8950]

From FB yesterday:

Screenshot_20210809-140504_Lite.jpg

YMMV

It's funny because he is just putting the same POS back into the car.
As mentioned also, the previous owner was grilling me last October before he sold the car about axles and what to do/how to do.
Then ended up putting junk in it only to fail soon after, but I guess not his problem now since he sold the car.

[john keefe]

Yeah, love those kind of people... My son's friend was trying to sell an '89 Mustang w/o disclosing that it had been in a wreck (not salvaged titled) and he had DIY welded on most of a replacement front end. The buyer just wanted a fun weekend car he could play around with, and take the kids on fun rides. I finally convinced the guy to disclose it by asking him how he would feel if a crappy weld resulted in them getting into an accident, or worse. I told him if he didn't, I would. The buyer bought it anyway, but I don't get people sometimes. Maybe there's just a slimy used car gene.

[brokencase]

Then ended up putting junk in it only to fail soon after, but I guess not his problem now since he sold the car.

Ed sold the Black Scorpio?

[my8950]

Then ended up putting junk in it only to fail soon after, but I guess not his problem now since he sold the car.

Ed sold the Black Scorpio?

No, not that I'm aware of anyway.
Different guy, mentioned in the photo which Ed posted.