Napa cv axle bad after bad after 3 months. Best replacement?

olddesertrat · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:54 am **Posts:** 34

Hello People:

At beginning of Nov 2023 replaced my driver CV axle. Good on paved road, but clunked and clanked over rocks on trails.

Installed a rebuild Napa CV axle, as it has good reviews and is correct length.

Everything was good after install. Most of front end had been rebuild, including passenger side CV axle.

No clunking on trails, was very happy.

Put few hundred trail miles and around 1,000 highway miles over the holidays.
Had not been on trails since December, just street use.
Slowly noticed clunking noise coming back when going over pavement street ruts.
Today took Jeep on trail....the clunking on driver's side is back full force.
Less than 4 months and less than 2,500 miles and Napa driver's side is bad.
Napa passenger side still good.

Really bummed need to replace driver's side again.
Wondering if I just got a bad NAPA rebuild and should give NAPA another try...
or try to change to another higher quality brand...if one exists.
Please let me know if you think I should stick with NAPA or try something else, like Detroit axle, Cardone, or other brand
Do not want to be doing this again anytime soon.

03black · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2024 10:32 am

Thats strange, usually the Napa remanufactured ones are good. I've had a good luck with them for both on/off road. It could be that they remanufactured a cheap axle since the CRD axle and he 2.5L gasser axles are not that common compared to the 3.7L gasser axles when people turn in their cores.

With that said, I'm giving trakmotive heavy duty extended travel CV axles a try now. Not because i didn't like the Napa ones, just wanted to see how these hold up. Reports of the trakmotive ones are all over but they have a lifetime warranty and so far have been good for me after about 5K miles.

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:15 pm

03black wrote:

With that said, I'm giving track motive heavy duty extended travel CV axles a try now. Not because i didn't like the Napa ones, just wanted to see how these hold up. Reports of the track motive ones are all over but they have a lifetime warranty and so far have been good for me after about 5K miles.

How does their prices compare to others? Their web page does not list

Mountainman · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2024 1:26 pm

How even is your front to rear tire wear? I've beat on these cv's ridiculously hard and only ever had a problem when I moved to a mountainside where the gravel road ate the rear tires much faster than I expected. I discovered it with a loud pop in 4wd. Lost a set of BFG tko2's due to that, ouch! But, the cv still survived!

03black · **Posted:** Tue Feb 13, 2024 4:04 pm

WWDiesel wrote:

03black wrote:

With that said, I'm giving trakmotive heavy duty extended travel CV axles a try now. Not because i didn't like the Napa ones, just wanted to see how these hold up. Reports of the track motive ones are all over but they have a lifetime warranty and so far have been good for me after about 5K miles.

How does their prices compare to others? Their web page does not list

I thought the prices were not that bad. You can find them on rockauto and other online auto parts warehouses has them listed ~ $120 for both sides compared to ~$50 for the normal ones.

olddesertrat · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:54 am **Posts:** 34

Just checked NAPA website for my Jeep, 2006 CRD. No rebuilds listed, only new. Need driver's side. One listed for $118 standard and another listed for $322 for extended travel.
Also checked rockauto and partsgeek. Trakmotive regular are around $50 and extended range around $120.
Have factory lift. Tires are good with even wear, rotate per maintenance schedule. Have also checked lift, right and left are within 1/3rd inch of each other. So that is good.
Passenger side is also Napa rebuild, standard length, has few more months on it and no issues.
As passenger side is standard, have to stay with standard for driver's side replacement

Cheap as $50 per axle and high end most $165, except that one NAPA extended one for $322.

$118 or $165 does not bother me as long as cv axle lasts.

Have read about issues with axle being too short from some makers.
Was thinking along same lines as 03black. Many Napa rebuilt a cheap, out of spec core I was just unlucky enough to get it.
As rebuilds are no longer listed on Napa website, they may have had a problems and now only sell new.

Will wait maybe a week for any suggestions for better quality cv axle than Napa. If no suggestions, will buy the new Napa axle for $118
Thanks for all input and suggestions.

olddesertrat · **Joined:** Sat Jul 28, 2018 10:54 am **Posts:** 34

No suggestions better than Napa and could not find any better web surfing.

Ordered another NAPA NCV 940085 and installed it Sunday.

Test drove Monday after thread locker set.

Driver's side is nice and quiet again :BANANA:

Old axle seemed okay during rotation test, however when compressing, near full compression there is very clear grinding inside one boot.
NAPA is limited lifetime warranty. However original sales receipt is required. Did not have account with NAPA when ordered last time. Printed receipt, but now can not find it. Have bank record of charge to NAPA. Will see if they will accept that.
This time made NAPA account and being careful to print/save sales receipt.
If can not return old CV axle, will open it up, inspect and take pictures of damage.
Praying this CV lasts

Napa cv axle bad after bad after 3 months. Best replacement?

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