I went into the shop today now my guy thinks i have a bad axel. My question isn't how do i fix it, it's HOW THE HELL DID I MESS UP MY AXEL

 

Maybe he means just torn boot on the axel? Mechanics will do that just to replace entire parts for more money. If it is the torn boot, I probably would replace the whole axel yourself. Btw, why did you go to the shop? What symptoms did you feel?

 

Replacing an axle is pretty straightforward, with the right tools you should be able to do it yourself in an afternoon at your house

 

sounds like the boot is torn

 

That's what I was thinking. I gotta replace mine (been torn for about a year now) and didn't find a DIY so I'll try to take some pics and post one up.

 

lol yea mine are clicking like crazy. I just dont feel like payin 100 to have them swapped and i dont feel like doing it myself ha

 

i never even gave symptoms i'ma dumbass
just left it at the shop today, this is "my guy" he always hooks me and the rest of my family up he's one of 6 people i trust to do work on my car, the other 5 i gotta be standing next to to let them touch my car.
ok so symptoms are once again strange as is everything about my CL.
when i'm coasting off the accelerator or light pressure just holding speed. I get a terrible thumping sound that changes pace with car speed (not engine speed)
hard on the accelerator it goes away
hard on brakes it goes away
making a left turn makes it less severe
right turns make it worse
didn't used too but on the way to the shop it did it at all speeds forward and reverse
thats about as descriptive as can be... help me out before tommorow cuz if its not the axle i gotta call the shop and tell them not to change it cuz i left on the note "possibly axle needs diagnosis"

 

also the "thumping" can be felt throughout the car and in the steering wheel.
didn't want to leave anything out

 

...Loose wheels...

 

The problem was a loose wheel? Are you serious?

 

Wow! that could have been a disaster waiting to happen. i remember when I was 16 i had a 69 Dodge Super Bee and it had 50's on the rear with crager SS rims and a buddy told me I needed to keep a check on the lugs because these rims were notorious for loosening up while driving especially the real wide rims on the rear. Well I was cruising the blvd one night and while parked i decided i would check the tightness of the lugs all went well until I went to the left side and the more I tightened the looser the lugs got. Two of the 5 actually came all the way off before I stopped. Well I left and it started sounding like the wheel was flopping as I drove so pulled in to a pay phone (no cell phones then, this was 86) and called my uncle (who raised me) and told him my what was going on and to come help me. When he got there he started laughing and looking at me strange and I was like "what?" He then proceeded to tell me on the older Mopars the left side had left hand threads and when I was trying to tighten the lugs I was actually loosening them. Anyhow seeing a loose wheel thing brought back this memory and thought I would share. It was a lesson I learned that day and never forgot. My uncle is now gone and it still brings a smile to my face everytime I think about little things like this with him involved in the memories

 

yup loose wheel, i felt like such a dumbass. but like i said the guy at the garage is my dude, he didn't even charge me to tighten it. Thats why he gets my business

 

omg I did that too, with my 91' accord, forgot to tighten the lugs after lowering the car off the jack, ended up realizing after I only had two lugs left on and one of them was hanging by a thread(literally). definitely a moment

 

This happened to my gf, her wheel fell off cuz her bro-in-law didn't tighten her lug nuts and sent her out driving her car with his daughter in the car freakin wheel fell off while driving with his daughter and my dog in the car, needless to say I was NOT happy. Glad it was an easy enough fix for you

 

yeah sounds like his was on the verge of falling off as well and good thing he took it in as soon as he did. The progression of the noise at the end probably means the wheel was just about to come off. I have to say you got real lucky and avoided what could have been a horrible accident especially if you were on the interstate when it finally decided to fly off. I have seen one car that their front wheel flew off on the interstate and it wasn't pretty