TLDR at the bottom!

Long-time lurker but I've owned an 08 TL Type-S 6MT for the last two years or so. The car was neglected and in terrible mechanical shape so I got it for really cheap. The two biggest issues were a massive oil leak from the oil pump o-ring and the 1st & 3rd gear synchronizers were worn down. Other issues included struts, control arm bushings, axles, motor mounts, calipers, wheel bearings, and damn near every other consumable on it. After about a month on the lift of cracking open the motor/transmission and redoing the entire suspension, she was good to go! Or so I thought. There was a subtle, intermittent vibration at anywhere from 55-90 mph that would come and go that I spent MONTHS shooting parts at. Multiple road force wheel balances, different sets of wheels, alignments, a halfshaft bearing, etcetera and nothing fixed it. A worthy thing to note is that both the axles I bought were from A1 Cardone, part numbers 664221 and 664223. Earlier this year, I bit the bullet and replaced the passenger side axle with OE (44305-SEP-A02) and let me tell you, I was pretty bummed when that didn't fix it. I lived with the vibration thinking it couldn't possibly be the other axle until last week I decided to try an OE driver side axle (44306-SEP-A02). Finally, the car finally rides smooth on the highway. The compressed length on both axles is slightly different and there's also a dampener of some sort on the OE axles that is missing on aftermarket ones. I'm sure there are tons of people running non-OE axles with zero issues but this experience soured me so bad that I'll just stick with OE from now on. Anywho, I'll do my best to stay active on the forums and help people out with their mechanical woes. Thanks for listening to my success story.

TLDR: aftermarket axles junk, OE great

 

https://www.acuraoemparts.com/v-2007...aft-half-shaft
#17 - 44351-SEP-A11 - Damper, Dynamic - $12.62

 

I’m glad to read that it’s all fixed and running smooth. Also I like the story about you bringing the 6mt back to life

 

NOT! Those of us with New aftermarket APWI axles from rockauto have no problems, you just happened to get crap. Were they rebuilt axles? If so, that was your problem right there!
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That was a fun process in and of itself. Very similar to the K20/K24 manual transmissions, just a little beefier.

 

I bought my axles from RockAuto. At the time and to this day, I don't see APWI axles listed on there. The Cardone axles I got were new, not rebuilt. Like I said in the post, I'm sure 99% of people have no problem with aftermarket axles, I just happened to get a crappy one. Good advice on the rebuilt axles. They tend to throw a cheaply made joint back into a worn housing.

 

I been telling people about aftermarket axles, when my KBP need axles i went with OEM after that all smooth along with brand new front suspension and mounts refresh also in OEM.

 

Problem with the OEM damper is that it traps moisture and causes rusting!

 

Reading this makes me think my DS axle on my MDX is the cause of my vibration. My axle is still original, PS was already replaced because of clicking from inner CV.

 

I just snooped on your post about your MDX's vibration and it's very similar to what I went through. If it's the original axle at >100k miles and you have the money to spare, I'd gamble on it. The part number you're looking for is 44306-STX-A02. It's available online at acurapartswarehouse.com and/or oemacuraparts.com for around $240 including shipping. I charge people an hour of labor for axle replacements so it'll probly be between $80 and $200 for labor depending on book time and the shop's hourly rate. My only other suggestion is to check your motor mounts, especially the rear one. The ONLY decent aftermarket mounts I've found for these cars are made by Beck/Arnley. Everything else has failed in less than a year in my experience. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

What's the point in having a forum if all we're going to do is say "only use oem" ?

 

I typically recommend OEM whenever possible but if not, there are plenty of great aftermarket parts available for our cars. With motor mounts and axles specifically and how crucial they are to maintaining ride quality and comfort, I'd heavily lean towards OEM. That being said, my TL has many of its various parts replaced with ones made by Dorman, Dayco, LUK, ACDelco, Beck/Arnley, Duralast, National, Gates, Power Stop, Akebono, and I'm sure I'm missing quite a few more. Many times I cannot justify the cost of OEM parts, as is clearly evident in my own vehicles. I hope that answers your question. If I rubbed you the wrong way somewhere on this thread, I apologize.

 

well if its the best why wouldn't we say that?

 

Will be trying another set of tires...(please balance and no vibrations). I've mentioned my reading of all these threads and the axle...my SA doesn't even want to go there...yet. Everything in their minds say tires.

OP-did your vibration vary in intensity while at highway speeds? Mine has a mind of it's own. It could be subtle, to nonexistent, to full on massage mode for the same given speed at any time, same roads, obviously worse over 70+. I've tried to feel out any vibrations on acceleration...nothing really. Dropped the car in neutral at 70, and the vibration is still there.

I know how much the axle will be to replace at the dealer since the PS was done earlier this year. My SA does his best to try and give me discounts when he can. I just can't drive the car like this.

 

Mine was inconsistent in its intensity and at which speeds it vibrated which was why it was so hard to figure out. Sometimes, 55 mph would vibrate and 70 would be dead smooth. Other times, it would be fine until I hit 70 and it wouldn't stop shimmying until the road surface changed or I came to a complete stop. 80+ always vibrated and it only got worse from there. At 90, it was unbearable and I didn't dare take it past that. Sticking it in neutral seemed to help moderately at certain times but it didn't completely eliminate it. Accelerating seemed to make it slightly worse if it was already shaking but not all the time. I couldn't 100% pinpoint if the vibration was in the steering wheel or body. I had 3 sets of wheels/tires I swapped around that all changed the way the vibration felt but it always seemed like the lightweight Enkeis exacerbated it. Now, it's smooth even with the RPF1s. I really hope your new tires fix the issue. I have Nitto N555s on one set of wheels and Hankook all seasons on the other two.

 

Not to hijack your thread…seems the now 4th set of new tires in however many weeks has improved the vibration by over 90% for my MDX. Doubtful most people would feel the super subtle something that I feel in the steering wheel. However, I do feel a vague something. The road force numbers are in the acceptable range, not single digits, but mid teens. The thing we definitely know, mine is a tire problem short of something else deciding to do something wonky. So fingers crossed…

The guys at my dealer who have worked on this issue all this time, weren’t as concerned with the numbers but more of what was felt in the car. I’m giving them crap now for scratching and gouging the inner rim when pulling the old wheel weights off. These wheels are only a few weeks old!

 

I am about to put right front apwi axle n and was wondering if people have had a lot of problems with those. Some say nothing but oem but for once I went cheaper

 

NIce! I'm glad it mostly fixed your issue. Not having to spend a couple hundred on an axle replacement sounds like good news to me. I've found the level of care varies wildly between tire techs. The proper method for stick-on weights is to use a plastic pry tool to peel them off and then use a pinstripe eraser to remove the residue. But more often than not, I'll see these guys go at it with a screwdriver and not bother cleaning the residue. Hopefully I can buy my own tire changer and balancer in the future. They're just so dang expensive for a brand name one.

 

Seems like most people have no issues with them. Give it a shot. You're not losing out on much if you're doing it yourself. Hopefully the lower ball joint comes out easily for you.

 

That’s pretty much what it looks like…a screwdriver. They left the adhesive on the inside of the rim. The inner part of the rim happens to be black so the white residual adhesive . I peeled off the most offensive of the adhesive residue and discovered the gouges and scratches. The further in the adhesive was in the wheel…I couldn’t quite get to without taking the wheel off. I’m sure at some point the DS axle will start to act up…knock on wood. These guys KNOW those wheels are new and they just go into automatic mode without thinking. I’ve given them crap for leaving greasy paw prints all over my TL before because I ask them NOT to wash it. At least the paws prints tell me they didn’t wash the car.

My TL has had both axles replaced with OEM at 40k miles due to vibrations at low speed accelerations. My 05 6MT only at 59k mi now. Not sure why they went bad so early. Dealer was a little puzzled, but guessed it was the torque steer the car experiences if you really stomp on it.

 

I would also look at the intermediate shaft bearing...too much play and failure can lead to a vibration. Working through this and lower balljoints