CV Axles with 214k Miles?? Replace, or?

[Boston Mangler]

Hey All

Getting closer to my full front end rebuild, with 214k on the clock.

My CVs make no noise, leak no grease, but in the piles and piles of service records i got with the truck, cant see that theyve ever been replaced or repacked. So i am guessing theyre the originals

$500-600 for new OEM set isnt THAT bad, and i am very much a "while im in there" type of guy. Ounce of prevention, saves pound of headache, etc...

BUT i am not seeing any mentions of actual failures of them on here from rigs that see mild offroad stuff.

Currently stock height but will be lifting about 2" via Bilsteins when i do the rebuild

Replace or run whats in there and currently trouble free?

NOTE: I have zero interest in repacking/rebooting them.

Opinions? Thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Artie]

I have no idea what those wiser than I are going to say about this but here is my uneducated opinion. I too and a “while I’m in there” type of guy. On top of that, my wife is the 20/20 hindsight type of woman who would remind me that I should have just done them while we were in there with the rebuild.

If you have the money and the OEM parts I really don’t see why you wouldn’t given them image and the upcoming lift. These things can break so you’ll have 2 OEM spares that you can have rehabilitated while off the vehicle.

Again, this opinion is based on nothing other than the fact that I don’t like to get side eye from my wife.

 

[Boston Mangler]

I have no idea what those wiser than I are going to say about this but here is my uneducated opinion. I too and a “while I’m in there” type of guy. On top of that, my wife is the 20/20 hindsight type of woman who would remind me that I should have just done them while we were in there with the rebuild.

If you have the money and the OEM parts I really don’t see why you wouldn’t given them image and the upcoming lift. These things can break so you’ll have 2 OEM spares that you can have rehabilitated while off the vehicle.

Again, this opinion is based on nothing other than the fact that I don’t like to get side eye from my wife.

Thanks. That’s how I’m leaning

 

[nwfl4runner]

Personally I wouldn't. If you're feeling fancy, buy them and diff/knuckle seals and just save them for if/when they give up the ghost, but I don't see a benefit to refreshing them unlike shocks/coils/bushings, if they're working.

 

[ryanCA]

285k miles here
17k miles with 2 inch bilsteins

stock axles. stock cv. offroad quire a bit.

replace them when they are needed - waste doing it preventative

 

[05ls430518]

They are really beefy axles as long as the boots are not dry rotten and leaking grease you are golden.

 

[linuxgod]

Not worth replacing pre-emptively. They're not that hard to get to if they do eventually start to go, I think book rate is 2 or 3 hours per side. You'll have lots of warning that you need to do it via grease leaking from a tear in a boot or the CV clicking when turning... it's not like the starter which can fail instantly and leave you stranded. Also TBH if a boot did go I've be inclined to just clean everything and re-boot... if when the CVs are eventually torn down the balls are smooth then they might well go another 200k+ miles and the CV boot kits are like $50.

 

[bloc]

Agreed, with no clicking I’d drive on.

FWIW mine are at 200k also with no evidence that they won’t do another 100 or 200.

 

[grinchy]

I replaced mine around 215k when the diff was out for gears, so it was parts only cost.
It was still a waste of money.
Only replace when they fail, probably when you drop a spinning front wheel onto good traction.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Thanks All

 

[urinalcake]

What do the CV boots look like? Any signs of the rubber cracking / splitting?

Consider the climate or conditions your truck has lived its life? Hot and dry deteriorates rubber quicker.

 

[Boston Mangler]

What do the CV boots look like? Any signs of the rubber cracking / splitting?

Consider the climate or conditions your truck has lived its life? Hot and dry deteriorates rubber quicker.

Boots “look”fine, no visible cracks or seepage

SoCal truck its whole life. Which is half the reason I was concerned

 

[LX4x4]

Maybe you can reboot them?