Hey guys,

For a while I had an annoying rear brake squealing problem. After replacing the rotors and pads, I got it narrowed down to a bent DS axle or possibly a bad bearing. Well, I brought in my car to this shop today. After messing around with it on a lift, the tech came to the conclusion that it is probably a bent axle. I asked him how much it would run me to repair it, and he told me the cost of the parts (around 350 for axle and bearing) plus 8.5 hours of labor. Even though I have never taken my rear end apart, I cannot imagine how it would take a "professional" mechanic 8.5 hrs to do this relatively simple job.

As far as I know you take the differential cover off, take off the rotors, pull out the center gear (I forget the name), take out the C-clips and pull the axle out. How can this possibly take a trained mechanic a whole day? What is a reasonable amount of time a shop should take to do this job?

If it comes out too expensive, I figure it's worth a try to do it myself. If I were to get a used axle from a scrapyard, is there any website explaining in detail how to do this. I am especially concerned about the ABS hardware and changing the seals and bearings.

Thanks a lot guys,
-Max

 

Well, considering you can get 2 Strange axles for less than 300 bucks, I would assume that he is gouging you on the parts price. And I have never set up a rear before, but it didn't take any of my friends 8 hours to do. I would get a couple more quotes from other places first. And also consider supplying the parts yourself.

 

You can get a axle for cheap/free around here.. and then the labor will take you, a novice 2-3 hours, TOPS

 

Thanks for the help guys,

Where can I get an axle for cheap? Do junkyards carry them, or do I have to buy from people on the boards? If anybody has a driver side axle for a 96Z M6, E-mail me.

Also is there a website with instructions on how to do this job, or can somebody explain it to me (In Chiltons the instructions are pretty involved). Can I change the axle without touching the seals or the bearings? If not how can I replace those without specialized tools?

Finally, is there any way to check a used axle for strightness. I assume if it is bent, it wouldn't be readily visible to the human eye.

Thanks,
-Max