Mechanic says axle shaft needs fixed?

[HeXen]

My stepson's 94 Lebaron, which runs and drives fine overall, took it to Mineke to have one of those checkups where they look over everything and print you out a list on labor and parts. Belts, tires..etc definitely needed attention and everything on the list looked legit and priced accordingly except for one I'm curious about.

My confusion is the simple "front axle shaft" needs repaired for just over $200 But isn't an axle shaft just a steel rod inside the front end housing where each side is connected to the ring and pinion in the center? If so that would mean it's either broke or bent which would seriously hinder driving right?

Just trying to make sure this is a legit repair. Since I didn't go to ask such questions I'm just curious wth could go wrong with an axle shaft that doesn't immobilize a car from driving fine.

 

[Jimzz]

Its a FWD car so its a CV Axle. You can get one for around $60-70 at most major parts stores.

Look under the car; chances are the boot, most likely the outer, is busted.

 

[HeXen]

Its a FWD car so its a CV Axle. You can get one for around $60-70 at most major parts stores.

Look under the car; chances are the boot, most likely the outer, is busted.

So the axle isn't inside a housing? Without looking it up I don't know what a CV axle is...what exactly can go wrong with it that doesn't hinder mobility?

 

[Meghan54]

Example of a CV axle....fits '94 Dodge V6

http://www.amazon.com/SurTrack-CH-80...eywords=CH8048


Notice the splines on both ends. One end mates with the transmission, the other end mates with the hub which has the lugs on it, which mounts the wheel.


Page that explains it pretty well:

http://www.samarins.com/glossary/cv_joint.html

 

[weadjust]

I don't know if I would trust the Mineke guy. I took my truck to Firestone to get a free tire rotation and balance since I bought the tires there at last years Black Fri. sale. They presented me with a check up report that included about $1,500 in needed repairs. The report said I needed spark plugs, coolant flush, new belt, new battery. I had done all these things recently and the battery was less than 2 years old and has a 6 year warranty from Advance Auto. I asked the guy how he determined that all these repairs needed to be done. He said you got over a 100,000 miles so you need to do the 100,000 maintenance.

 

[HeXen]

Well I normally don't trust most any mechanic lol but I just wanted to make sure there was more to an axle shaft on this car than I initially thought, so perhaps something was wrong with it. The car is 20 yrs old so a few hundred in getting it up to speed really isn't that bad considering he can't afford to replace the car right now and overall it's actually in pretty good shape. As long as it gets him to work, it's his money.

 

[styrafoam]

National muffler/tire/brake/service chain shops usually operate on a quota. If you go to one you can almost count on being told you need repairs that you in fact do not.

It is believable that a 94 could need a cv axle, but if it were in need of immediate repair the problem would probably have made itself apparent. It makes me uneasy when people have work done at these places, considering all of the other parts the shop can mishandle while performing the work that they said you needed done.

 

[nerp]

I'd love a decent shape LeBaron for a beater car. Something about the design I like.