07 Tahoe 4x4, previous owner leveled front and I plan to add a 4" lift in the near future. Passenger side outer CV boot split open, and I minimally need to replace. A GM outer boot costs $50. Truck has 160K miles on it so swapping the entire axle seems reasonable. A GM front axle is $280. Question I have is, are there less expensive options of similar quality that would allow me to swap both sides at this time?
Front axle recs?
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Dustin Jackson
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https://www.1aauto.com/chevy-gmc-ca...MI_YLe_o-i6QIVUR6tBh1RxQ3IEAQYASABEgJ6UPD_BwE
I cannot say from experience but I found this link that has 2 CV axles for less than the 1 you were quoted. I would read the reviews and decide if you want to try these.
Thanks. I saw Cardone units on RA and that's what prompted me to ask. The price difference is huge between those and a GM, which is to be expected. RA even has an "HD" unit from Cardone with a different boot. Part #661430HD. I'm most interested to hear about wear and tear on lifted applications since most reviews are only regarding a stock ride height vehicle. One reviewer on 1A did mention a lift but didn't go into detail.
Edit: Forgot to add: I'm not familiar with Cardone, their quality and longevity.
Edit: Forgot to add: I'm not familiar with Cardone, their quality and longevity.
When you lift you can put the axles at severe angles depending on the drop and travel of suspension. IMO, I would try the less expensive Cardone HD units to see what happens. You can go in to the 4x4 forums and see what they are running.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4714656&cc=1433255&jsn=2339&jsn=2339
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4714656&cc=1433255&jsn=2339&jsn=2339
That's what I thought as well. I could replace both axles twice and still be ahead. Still unsure of units from Cardone though, I'll probably just pick up Autozone since I'm not getting much traction with this thread. Plan is for a BDS 4" lift, so not quite as extreme as a 6" lift. Good idea about poking around 4x4 forums.
Good luck. Any axle you use with a lift will be under more extreme angles and pressure at times. Something/anything stock could hold up for a while, depending on how hard you drive it but if extreme, you need to get a purpose built axle for that.
STORMIN08
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i my experience, using rockauto in the past works fine...as long as you can wait for a replacement, and are able to purchase the new part awaiting the return funds.
basically put, i purchased 2 new hubs...30k miles or so later and one went to making noise. i was out of town working, and had a local shop repair...then sent the old part in for a refund.
i would pay slight more for a local part and warranty for the ease of swapping when needed.
basically put, i purchased 2 new hubs...30k miles or so later and one went to making noise. i was out of town working, and had a local shop repair...then sent the old part in for a refund.
i would pay slight more for a local part and warranty for the ease of swapping when needed.
Thanks. Ended up purchasing a couple units from rockauto, and they're arriving today. Had a friend who manages a dealership autoshop look into pricing for GM units and it was crazy high. For the price he recommended getting the cardone axles. If I have time today I'll try and at least swap passenger side which has a busted boot.
Purchased Cardone HD axles and was able to swap the passenger over the weekend. They are almost identical except for the profile of the outboard side bell and boot material. Packaging on one unit wasn't great and I could see part of the axle through the box. Rock Auto shipped both axles in one box. I looked it over and it didn't seem like anything was adversely affected.
Installation took about 4 hrs. I watched an A1 Auto video on how to do it, which matched what the shop manual said to do. Main issue I had was, my truck has Bilsteins on the front which I could not remove. I removed the nuts and bolts, but was unable to move the strut assembly completely out of the way. To make more clearance I removed the hub. It's been a couple months since the boot gave out so I had to spend a decent amount of time cleaning.
Pretty straight forward swap with the right tools, and even easier if the hub doesn't need to be removed. I had to borrow a socket for the retaining nut (video has size) and a heavy duty torque wrench (spec is 177 lb ft).
Installation took about 4 hrs. I watched an A1 Auto video on how to do it, which matched what the shop manual said to do. Main issue I had was, my truck has Bilsteins on the front which I could not remove. I removed the nuts and bolts, but was unable to move the strut assembly completely out of the way. To make more clearance I removed the hub. It's been a couple months since the boot gave out so I had to spend a decent amount of time cleaning.
Pretty straight forward swap with the right tools, and even easier if the hub doesn't need to be removed. I had to borrow a socket for the retaining nut (video has size) and a heavy duty torque wrench (spec is 177 lb ft).
rabbiporkchop
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1979 F250 high pinion Dana 44 seems like an economical choice.
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BoatsAndHoes
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I have an 11 Tahoe 4x4 with a 3.5” rough country lift. As part of the lift it drops the front diff to reduce the angles and comes with a skid plate to cover the diff. I replaced my front axles at the beginning of the summer with a pair from 1AAuto. They seem to be holding up just fine. My advice would be to get the kit they sell which comes with the front wheel hubs as well. Given their failure rate, if you’re going to have them off to replace the axels, may as well do the hubs too.
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