Help picking the proper replacement axel

[MARKHONZ]

Forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong area.

A little while back my CV boot has ripped and I did not notice until now. Im looking for a new front driver side axel. I would really like to go with an Low mileage Used OEM axel but it seems like it is becoming a challenge to find one. If needed I will settle on an aftermarket axel but I hear so many mixed things about them. I would appreciate someone's help, helping me make the correct decision on this replacement part. I am new to this forum and I am hoping I can find some kind people to lend me a hand :) Thank you in advance.



2001 B5 S4 6speed manual.

[f4m0u5]

Is the bad axel an Oem one?

Raxels is the way to go if it is

[b5329]

Just have the boot replaced and regreased. No need for you to get a whole new axel.
nothing beats OEM when it comes to axels

[MARKHONZ]

Just have the boot replaced and regreased. No need for you to get a whole new axel.
nothing beats OEM when it comes to axels

I am hesitant to replace the boot and regrease it because I want to say I have driven almost 4-5k miles on it with the torn boot, I wish I had caught it sooner or this would have been my first choice.

[MARKHONZ]

Is the bad axel an Oem one?

Raxels is the way to go if it is

Yes my oem boot tore and I have been driving on it dry for a good amount of time now. I have herd of Raxels and it is on my list of aftermarket axels to consider. I am on kind of a budget but if I have to bite the bullet I will.

Edit: Also correct me if I am wrong but I faintly remember reading somewhere there was some sort of conversion you had to do when installing raxels. I am not sure on this.

[Mad Cow]

If you're on a budget just buy a quality cv joint, a whole axle is convenient but changing the joint doesn't take long at all.

[f4m0u5]

Raxels is not aftermarket! They only rebuild Oem axel with quality parts. U personally need an Oem axel core for them to even ship u a axel. They also have a lifetime warranty


And no conversion needed. They simply just rebuild the Oem axel Wich is why u need an Oem core or they won't sell you a rebuilt one

[MARKHONZ]

Raxels is not aftermarket! They only rebuild Oem axel with quality parts. U personally need an Oem axel core for them to even ship u a axel. They also have a lifetime warranty


And no conversion needed. They simply just rebuild the Oem axel Wich is why u need an Oem core or they won't sell you a rebuilt one

Thank you for clarifying, I am going to look into raxels more seriously. I appreciate your help!

Have you ever personally had your parts repaired by Raxels? I have looked into them a little more in depth and i am sort of confused. Do I have to remove the part and have it diagnosed and send it in for repairs and have the necessary parts replaced?

[a4kamila6]

Im running two A1 Cardone front axles, about 12k and they are fine. Some guys run Autozone axles. Those are the only two aftermarket axles I havent heard horror stories about. Although I must be honest, the cv boots on these aftermarket axles are not as good as OEM and will tear eventually. Mine havent, yet. You can always slip on an OEM boot if you like.

Other than that you are pretty much stuck with used OEM, raxles rebuilt OEM, or brand new if you can find one.

[audacity]

i use FEQ axles...the boots tear after so long anyway, and at like 80 bucks and axle its not worth the big cost of raxles up front and then having to send them to be rebuilt. unless of course your car is pushing a lot of power. and even still their rubber boots will tear eventually.

[2000s4_m]

I dont think your cv joint is damaged. I used my car for a long time with a torn inside boot and i took it apart, cleaned everything and regrease it, no inside damage and has been good for more than a year.
If you dont want to reuse your cv joint, look for a GKN one, they sell just the outer part (joint) and GKN is whats in there from factory (OEM) and its also what raxels use


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[redline380]

I dont think your cv joint is damaged. I used my car for a long time with a torn inside boot and i took it apart, cleaned everything and regrease it, no inside damage and has been good for more than a year.
If you dont want to reuse your cv joint, look for a GKN one, they sell just the outer part (joint) and GKN is whats in there from factory (OEM) and its also what raxels use

This is correct. Odds are the joint is fine. Regrease and boot, something you can do at home.

If the joint is bad, just get a GKN joint. It is OEM and much cheaper than an entire axle.

[MARKHONZ]

Well it seems raxels is out of the question because I was looking under the car and figured out i do not have oem axels on it now so i don't have a core to send back to them and that bumps up the price from 200 and change to over $450. I think now i am going to take off the axel and clean her up to see if the joint is still good, if so i might as well just reboot and go about my day, if not i will start looking into GKN joints to replace with. If anyone has a price on the GKN's off the top of their head let me know. If not don't worry about it i will just look into it. TY guys!

[MARKHONZ]

i use FEQ axles...the boots tear after so long anyway, and at like 80 bucks and axle its not worth the big cost of raxles up front and then having to send them to be rebuilt. unless of course your car is pushing a lot of power. and even still their rubber boots will tear eventually.

My Mechanic also drives a B5 S4 and he had just recommended me to these FEQ aftermarkets. Where do you get them? He said he was going to order them for me next week but im sure we will tax on a few bucks. I would like to see if i can get my hands on them first to maybe save me some money.

[RocksForsSale]

My car didn't come with front axles being converted to rwd. From my searching I went with duralast. Some say they got oem cores. I highly doubt that. For how easy they are to replace and the lifetime warranty... seemed like the way to go for me.


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[Wagonholic]

As many have said, OEM or OEM rebuilt is the way to go. I was in the same scenario as you a while back where I didn't notice the boot was torn until the joint was destroyed lol.

However, I have had great success with the SurTrack Axles. In fact, I ran them on my K04 car for a while and never had an issue with vibrations or even antilag launches. Several of my local friends have had no issues as well.

If you need one I have a driver's side SurTrack front axle brand new, never installed. Let me know.

[RocksForsSale]

Anyone ever have bad luck with AZ duralast gold? I'm hoping they do the trick for my stage 2. Where did you get SurTrack axles from?


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[wbrunner23]

audiS4parts.com

I've gotten a couple axles from there - OEM and with intact boots for like $75. If its just a boot, re-grease and replace it. Don't trash a perfectly good OEM axle when you don't need to. Otherwise, you'll find yourself waiting for a tow truck when your axle decides to let go!

...

I was planning to post a pic of my exploded rear outer joint (aftermarket Meyle, iirc) from a couple months ago, but I can't find it. If you launching on aftermarket axles, your gonna have a bad time.

[MARKHONZ]

Hey guys thank you for all your input and help. I made a decision and am getting my axel installed today or tomorrow. I appreciate it!

[Seerlah]

Search ebay with part number. Swap whole axle. $55 shipped for used oem axle with old one having a completely busted cv joint (left me stranded and had to get towed home). Couple years running it with zero issues.

[jturnbull]

audiS4parts.com

I've gotten a couple axles from there - OEM and with intact boots for like $75. If its just a boot, re-grease and replace it. Don't trash a perfectly good OEM axle when you don't need to. Otherwise, you'll find yourself waiting for a tow truck when your axle decides to let go!

...

I was planning to post a pic of my exploded rear outer joint (aftermarket Meyle, iirc) from a couple months ago, but I can't find it. If you launching on aftermarket axles, your gonna have a bad time.

Last time I spoke to them the will not sell them unless it's with a 6spd swap kit.