shadow247
New member
Those look a heck of a lot better. I wonder if those are actual pics, or a generic pic. The other ones have a tapered body at the DIff Connection and no place to use a Pry bar for removal...
Extended/High articulation CV Axle
- Thread starter Radwolv
- Start date
Those look a heck of a lot better. I wonder if those are actual pics, or a generic pic. The other ones have a tapered body at the DIff Connection and no place to use a Pry bar for removal...
Either the picture or the description is wrong. The description still states "Sliding spine center shaft technology allows for up to a full 40mm more travel than stock OE units for greater suspension travel for off-road and lifted applications." but doesn't show the splined center portion in the picture.
octanejunkie
Elite Member
Lol, the idea is not to have to remove them, but I've easily removed them myself
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Spiker Engineering
official vendor
Well I guess my time has come:
So I ordered the TRAKMOTIVE TO8043ET axles at Rockauto for $125 each, that seemed like a steal especially with the 5% discount.
I read this thread and have an idea of what is needed, sounds like 35mm and 40 mm sockets, and a big dead blow hammer? Any other special tools, other than a second set of hands?
Is there a good video of the process, or just follow FSM?
So I ordered the TRAKMOTIVE TO8043ET axles at Rockauto for $125 each, that seemed like a steal especially with the 5% discount.
I read this thread and have an idea of what is needed, sounds like 35mm and 40 mm sockets, and a big dead blow hammer? Any other special tools, other than a second set of hands?
Is there a good video of the process, or just follow FSM?
octanejunkie
Elite Member
Well I guess my time has come:
So I ordered the TRAKMOTIVE TO8043ET axles at Rockauto for $125 each, that seemed like a steal especially with the 5% discount.
I read this thread and have an idea of what is needed, sounds like 35mm and 40 mm sockets, and a big dead blow hammer? Any other special tools, other than a second set of hands?
Is there a good video of the process, or just follow FSM?
Congratulations, and I'm sorry
SICC price for those axles, man. Awesome!
No need for a 40mm, keep the factory axle nut and castle washer, all you need is a 35mm socket.
I use a 3# deadblow, works fine for me. A second set of hands the first time helps, otherwise it's pretty much the same as OEM.
Grease the clip, line up the splines, compress the axle (inner spring to overcome) and whack it home.
Spiker Engineering
official vendor
I know, $125 seems like a steal compared to Oreilly.
Any other items I should be replacing proactively while I'm doing this job? Differential drain/fill washers? I'm planning on popping the LBJ rather than removing the bolts, right? Must go look for Timmy's videos on this.
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octanejunkie
Elite Member
I remove the 4 bolts and just swing the spindle to the rear, that way the OTRE and steering rack aren't limiting access
You will lose some diff fluid so I put a little catch cup under the axle/diff and only jack and pull 1 side at a time. I do the passenger first so the fill plug is on the high side and I can fill after swapping the driver side axle.
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Spiker Engineering
official vendor
Got it, thanks for the tips!
JoeT4R
Senior Member
Well I guess my time has come:
So I ordered the TRAKMOTIVE TO8043ET axles at Rockauto for $125 each, that seemed like a steal especially with the 5% discount.
I read this thread and have an idea of what is needed, sounds like 35mm and 40 mm sockets, and a big dead blow hammer? Any other special tools, other than a second set of hands?
Is there a good video of the process, or just follow FSM?
So they look identical to the Napa 1258’s I have. I paid $220/axle in December of last year. Are they literally the same axle? Or are they actually made by different companies? It really hurts to see them for such an amazing price on RA vs what I paid for NAPA Online
Spiker Engineering
official vendor
Spiker Engineering
official vendor
Do folks typically replace the inner seals, if they are not leaking, when doing this job? I'm at about 205K miles.
JoeT4R
Senior Member
What a swift kick to the place it counts the most. So how is it that Napa is able to sell the same axle but label it as a Napa brand product with no mention anywhere of the name Trakmotive?
Trakmotive manufactures that axle for pretty much every aftermarket parts house. It’s the same as O’Reilly’s and autozone. Similar to how Cardone makes most aftermarket brake calipers and brackets under several different lines. The advantage of buying from a parts house is you have a physical location to deal with if you need to replace it under warranty.
If you think that is bad try buying high end auto tools like Matco or snap on or Mac. The only thing Matco makes themselves is their toolboxes. Every other Matco tool is rebranded for a lot more.
Romeo1
Member
You’re forgetting an important detail, you also purchased a lifetime warranty when you bought it from Napa. I don’t know if the rock auto one offers a warranty or not. You are clearly paying more for the NAPA product, but you’re getting a level of service and parts availability that most other organizations don’t have. Sometimes with NAPA, you just pay more. What’s nice about them though, is just purchase it under an account or keep the receipt with you, anytime our replacements needed they just give it to you.
If you really want to cross shop, on the NAPA website under more information on the products you can usually figure out who the manufacturers are when you click into the warranty data.
There are only about a half dozen or so parts makers in the world. A1 Cardone, Borg, Delphi, Delco, Dorman, gates, timken and the likes build practically everything.
Romeo1
Member
As a guy who has spent more money with snap on then he would care to admit, you are buying a level of quality in service mostly. The biggest benefit is anything with a snap on logo you break it, they just give you one. In fact that reminds me, I have some that are broken that I need to get replaced. I haven’t gotten any thing new snap on in almost 20 years, but assuming you take care of them, don’t lose them, and they don’t get stolen, you should be able to pass all that equipment down to your heirs.
I used to be a Matco guy, but haven’t bought any tools from the big 3 in a couple years. The shop I’m at the Snapon guy hasn’t come by in 5-6 months, the Mac guy comes every Friday but he’s rude, and the Matco guy comes every 2-4 weeks and never has the tools I would buy when he comes by. My new hobby is finding the original maker of the Matco/Mac/Snap On tool and buying it from the original manufacturer. I used to have a Matco 4S triple bay and was looking to get a new box and hutch but the Matco guy didn’t want to make a deal so I ended up buying a ToolVault XL with a hutch in white and I couldn’t be happier! Sorry to get off topic lol
octanejunkie
Elite Member
I know I "over paid" at O'Reilly, but it's aile from my house and can swap an axle for me in 1 day. That's worth the additional expense to me.
Had I known I could get the same product at Rock Auto for half price I would have bought two from them, and 1 from Napa/O'Reilly with the lifetime warranty. 1 truck spare and life time replacement of all 3.
Silly me
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Had I known I could get the same product at Rock Auto for half price I would have bought two from them, and 1 from Napa/O'Reilly with the lifetime warranty. 1 truck spare and life time replacement of all 3.
Silly me
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Spiker Engineering
official vendor
They still have the manufacturer's lifetime warranty when you buy from Rockauto. You would have to send them back to Rockauto for an exchange, so certainly a bigger hassle than NAPA. Then again, NAPA is out of stock on these, it's not as simple as just taking them back to NAPA.
Those were the good old days. Now, unless you are on first name basis with your Snap On guy, good luck. I had to fight them for weeks to get some broken sockets exchanged. Harbor Freight is much easier with their warranty service, they actually honor it no questions asked.
Romeo1
Member
Finally got it fully seated!
Update on my experience installing these Trakmotiv Xtended CV Axles along with the ECGS bushing mod:
I recruited a different friend, a burly guy from South Africa who can really swing a hammer. Basically, I had to lay on the ground and compress the living hell out of the telescopic part of the the CV axle, while my buddy whacked the end (I reversed the included axle nut to give more surface area to hit) with a 4# dead blow hammer. It then moved doubt 2-4 mm at a time, so it took about 8-10 rounds of this and we finally got it sent home. Exhausting but it's done. That ECGS bushing is clearly a boat load tighter than my passenger side now. I guess that's the whole point. There is now ZERO play on that driver side, inner CV joint.
Thank you for the suggestions from everyone.
To answer someone else's questions: I installed new diff oil seals at the same time. May as well while you're in there. I did accidentally seat the passenger side seal a wee bit too much and so had to pull it out and ended up slightly damaging it in the process. So I had to buy another new one. The passenger side doesn't have a lip to bottom out against so you have to tap it in very slowly/lightly and check carefully as you go.
I also dropped my suspension down about 1 inch while doing this job, so now I've discovered I have some rubbing at full lock with the front tires and pinch weld. Eventually, I'd like to install narrower pizza cutter 33's.
Update on my experience installing these Trakmotiv Xtended CV Axles along with the ECGS bushing mod:
I recruited a different friend, a burly guy from South Africa who can really swing a hammer. Basically, I had to lay on the ground and compress the living hell out of the telescopic part of the the CV axle, while my buddy whacked the end (I reversed the included axle nut to give more surface area to hit) with a 4# dead blow hammer. It then moved doubt 2-4 mm at a time, so it took about 8-10 rounds of this and we finally got it sent home. Exhausting but it's done. That ECGS bushing is clearly a boat load tighter than my passenger side now. I guess that's the whole point. There is now ZERO play on that driver side, inner CV joint.
Thank you for the suggestions from everyone.
To answer someone else's questions: I installed new diff oil seals at the same time. May as well while you're in there. I did accidentally seat the passenger side seal a wee bit too much and so had to pull it out and ended up slightly damaging it in the process. So I had to buy another new one. The passenger side doesn't have a lip to bottom out against so you have to tap it in very slowly/lightly and check carefully as you go.
I also dropped my suspension down about 1 inch while doing this job, so now I've discovered I have some rubbing at full lock with the front tires and pinch weld. Eventually, I'd like to install narrower pizza cutter 33's.
