CV joints on 97 Civic

I just got a call from a Goodyear shop who is doing my daughter's
Civic's oil change. They said both front CV joints, i.e. axle boots,
are bad and need replacing and want $289 each. I declined since I don't
have $600.

The car has 76k on it and drives perfect with no noise or vibration. Is
their any way to test these yourself?

Thanks guys.

RonT

Ron Truitt wrote:

> I just got a call from a Goodyear shop who is doing my daughter's
> Civic's oil change. They said both front CV joints, i.e. axle boots,
> are bad and need replacing and want $289 each. I declined since I don't
> have $600.
>
> The car has 76k on it and drives perfect with no noise or vibration. Is
> their any way to test these yourself?

listen for clicking during tight left/right turns.

chances are, theyre snowing you. but since goodyear has had the car,
maybe they did something to the joints? who knows. id take it to a
dealer or a trusted independant mechanic for a second opinion.

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 21:39:29 -0600, (Ron Truitt)
wrote:

>I just got a call from a Goodyear shop who is doing my daughter's
>Civic's oil change. They said both front CV joints, i.e. axle boots,
>are bad and need replacing and want $289 each. I declined since I don't
>have $600.
>
>The car has 76k on it and drives perfect with no noise or vibration. Is
>their any way to test these yourself?

If the boots have been torn for any length of time the CV joints are
toast. You can just replace the boots but it's better to replace the
driveshafts. See also:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/faq.html#CVjoints

Call theses guys for price. http://www.raxles.com and have your local mech
installed. Heard they have good quality axles.
Estimate labor at $75-100 per side.

On 6 Jan 2005 13:24:16 GMT, "TeGGer®" > wrote:

>CV joint boots fail for one reason only: NEGLECT.

I've never heard about maintaining a CV boot. How do you do it?

Dean

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 08:18:12 -0700, Dean > wrote:
>On 6 Jan 2005 13:24:16 GMT, "TeGGer®" > wrote:

>>CV joint boots fail for one reason only: NEGLECT.

>I've never heard about maintaining a CV boot. How do you do it?

You don't. There's no maintenance other than checking for rips. The trick
is to replace the boot in before the CV joint loses lubrication. Usually
inspecting them twice a year is enough.

On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 21:39:29 -0600, (Ron Truitt) wrote:

I had the axles replaced on my Accord a couple of years ago at an independent
Honda repair place for about $400. They offered to replace the boots, but I
choose the more expensive route because I plan on keeping the car for a very
long time. If money is an issue just do the boots and save for joints when they
fail. It might be a long time, if ever.

The LAST time I went to Goodyear, for a state safety inspection, the guy was
quoting me prices on brake jobs. BEFORE he had even seen the car. Being the
handy sort of guy I declined their generous offer to fix my brakes after,
surprise!, they failed inspection. You can imagine how PO'ed I was when I
started the job and quickly realized that there was absolutely nothing wrong
with the brakes.

I don't know what this Goodyear shop, but from my point of view you already have
two strikes against you, 1st you went to a Goodyear shop, 2nd you let them do
work. <lol> My favorite kind of place is a small independent place that relies
on word of mouth advertising. My Honda repair guy only works on Hondas and is
usually backed up a day or two. Its worth the wait because he is dead honest.

So my advise is to ask the Honda owners you know where they get their cars
fixed.

Dean

>I just got a call from a Goodyear shop who is doing my daughter's
>Civic's oil change. They said both front CV joints, i.e. axle boots,
>are bad and need replacing and want $289 each. I declined since I don't
>have $600.
>
>The car has 76k on it and drives perfect with no noise or vibration. Is
>their any way to test these yourself?
>
>Thanks guys.
>
>RonT

On Thu, 06 Jan 2005 08:45:26 -0700, Dean <no.email @ papernapkin.net>
wrote:

>The LAST time I went to Goodyear, for a state safety inspection, the guy was
>quoting me prices on brake jobs. BEFORE he had even seen the car. Being the
>handy sort of guy I declined their generous offer to fix my brakes after,
>surprise!, they failed inspection. You can imagine how PO'ed I was when I
>started the job and quickly realized that there was absolutely nothing wrong
>with the brakes.

My favorite moment was when one such shyster told me I needed new
shocks. I told him that if he could replace the shocks, I'd give him
the car.

The car was an Austin 1300 which uses a hydraulic suspension and
doesn't HAVE shocks!

>I don't know what this Goodyear shop, but from my point of view you already have
>two strikes against you, 1st you went to a Goodyear shop, 2nd you let them do
>work. <lol> My favorite kind of place is a small independent place that relies
>on word of mouth advertising.

I second the motion! Look for an owner operated place that's in as
obscure a location as possible. Such outfits cannot depend on walk-in
business and must trust to satisfied customers to advertise their
presence.

> My Honda repair guy only works on Hondas and is
>usually backed up a day or two. Its worth the wait because he is dead honest.
>
>So my advise is to ask the Honda owners you know where they get their cars
>fixed.

Or check with a local car club.

In article >,
says...
>
>
>I just got a call from a Goodyear shop who is doing my daughter's
>Civic's oil change. They said both front CV joints, i.e. axle boots,
>are bad and need replacing and want $289 each. I declined since I don't
>have $600.
>
>The car has 76k on it and drives perfect with no noise or vibration. Is
>their any way to test these yourself?

You can get under the car and check the boots yourself. Very easy to do.
It sounds to me as if the price you are being quoted is for them to replace
the entire axle, nust just the boot.
------------
Alex

On 6 Jan 2005 20:20:11 GMT, TeGGer® > wrote:
>Dean <no.email @ papernapkin.net> floridly penned in
>news

>> On Wed, 5 Jan 2005 21:39:29 -0600, (Ron Truitt)
>> wrote:
>>
>> I had the axles replaced on my Accord a couple of years ago at an
>> independent Honda repair place for about $400. They offered to
>> replace the boots, but I choose the more expensive route because I
>> plan on keeping the car for a very long time.



>If the CV joints are original (OEM) then best thing you can do is keep them
>and replace the boots only, provided the previous boots had not ever been
>allowed to split and leak.

that's easier said than done. The labor of replacing just the boots is
the same as a complete CV job.

It's cheaper to just let the boots last as long as they're going to and
replace the boots and the CV joints together.

>Those OEM CV joints will literally last forever, so well are they made.