Per my earlier post, I maybe making some progress on finding replacement axles for my wife's 1996 2.4L 4-speed automatic Cavalier LS convertible. (I'm making a new post with "axle" spelled correctly in the subject line for anybody to help anybody who might search on "axle" not "axel".)
For my 4-speed automatic, RockAuto.com’s pictures show 2 different lengths of axles, from 5 different manufacturers, which is crazy. When I compared RockAuto’s photos of those axles to the photos that my mechanic sent me of my broken axle, the 2 brands of longer-length replacements are clearly too long. (The rod between the boots has a too-long length-ratio.) But the 3 brands of shorter-length axles (with shorter rods between the boots) have exactly the right length-ratio when I measure them on-screen.
On RockAuto.com:
The longer axles are the Trakmotive GM8049 (which is one of the parts you ordered), and the FVP GM8049.
The shorter axles are the Cardone 661323, the AWPI GM202A, and the GSP NCV10585 for ~$70 each. The Cardone & GSP also available on Amazon.
I’m pretty confident that the shorter axles are correct, but one issue is that they have a female end (at the transmission side) whereas the photo the shop sent me of my broken axle, shows a male-end because the male-male “stub shaft” remained in female end. On RockAuto for the Cardone 661323, it says, “Transfer Inner Stub Shaft From Original Axle to Replacement CV Axle”. When I investigated this issue online, I found the following videos that are helpful.
This gal explains the male vs female stub-shaft issue. Apparently, there’s a 50-50 chance of the stub-shaft remaining in the axle or remaining in the transmission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7K8Hzws0p4
This guy shows how to remove the stub-shaft from a similar (perhaps same) 2003 Cavalier axle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBWDLW40lwE
I also found AC Delco axle stub-shafts (#24200734) on RockAuto (and Amazon) for ~$100 each. (There are no C-clips.)
Has anybody transferred the stub-shaft from an old axle to a new one? Any tips on how to do it? Do I need to buy new C-clips?
I just race Cavaliers so idk if there is a more proper way to do it, but yes, we put our axles in a vise and just hit the stub off, and put it on the new one
Andrew Caporuscio wrote:I just race Cavaliers so idk if there is a more proper way to do it, but yes, we put our axles in a vise and just hit the stub off, and put it on the new one
Thank you!
I'll tell my mechanic.
Do you know if I'll need new C-clips?
Just to follow-up...
I ordered two Cardone 661323 axles, which my mechanic installed. They fit. And my mechanic was able to reuse the axle stub-shafts, which saved me $200 because those stub-shafts are $100 each (AC Delco) on Amazon.
Unfortunately, after my mechanic installed the axles, I realized that both my wheel bearings were ALSO bad, so I replaced the bearings with Moog wheel bearings (made in South Korea). I had replaced the front driver's side with a Timken wheel bearing at 103k miles (in 2012) but it failed within 60k miles. Apparently the once-reputable Timken bearings are now made in China and are not high quality.
