Sorry, don't mean to cloud the thread with 4G stuff. The same issue kind of applies and the drivetrain is nearly identical so I was hoping to get some insight. But yes, it appears prices are quite a bit higher for 3G axles than 4G. Presumably due to age.

I neglected to mention that I had a $60 credit, so the actual price was $180.

It looks like they've raised the price to $202. It's from Dublin Acura. Not sure where they're located exactly:





Came in the same standard Honda box that my passenger side came in. Pretty sure it's legit. Unfortunately it didn't eliminate the vibration at higher speeds though. It seems to have reduced it a bit but I think that's just placebo. I'm heading back in to Discount Tire today to have them take another look at my wheel balance.

 

losiglow, thanks for your detailed response above.

When I google the name 'AcuraDublinParts' on Amazon, I get Acura of Columbus; 4340 W Dublin Granville Rd, Dublin, OH 43017. You mention that the axle came in a 'standard Honda box', as one would expect when purchasing from a 'legit' Acura/Honda vendor online proving there are 'true blue' dealerships on Amazon contrary to what is alluded to below from another thread. There may not be such a thing as a 'Honda Store' on Amazon; however, there may be individual Honda / Acura dealerships that sell said OEM parts.

 

I actually used to work at the Acura Columbus in Dublin, here in Ohio. It's only a few mins from where I live now. Though it's located in Dublin, I couldn't see them using that as an Amazon marketplace username...which is strange. Either way, I can text my buddy that works parts there and ask if they're pushing stuff out on amazon. The only reason I can see it being in a Honda box is that the part came directly from the manufacturing plant up the highway in Marysville, and they didn't bother rebranding it. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

I misunderstood your box question but regardless, my buddy said that was indeed their amazon account, so all of those parts are true OEM from the dealership in Columbus.

 

^
Nice! Thanks for the validation.

 

Bummer is, I'm not convinced the axle was even bad. I mean, at 207K it certainly didn't hurt to replace it, but the vibration is still there. Luckily since I've done a bit of suspension work on the car, all the bolts were easy to remove. Other than the 36mm axle bolt (same size on both gen TL's). That took jumping up and down on a 6 foot breaker bar. And a little tip, stick a screwdriver in the brake rotor vents, which will then lodge itself against the caliper allowing the hub to stay stationary while you're trying to get the axle nut loose. And spray it with some PB Blaster when you first start the job so it has some time to soak in.

I took it to discount tire and they found that the hub centering rings on my OZ wheels were in pretty sad shape. One was even cracked. I never thought to check those. I ordered four more from Tirerack today, where I got the wheels. They were very helpful. Only $5 each which was shocking since aluminum hub-centric rings are usually a bit pricey. Either way, we'll see if that fixes it once they arrive.

Oh, I also learned that transmission fluid may spill out when replacing the drivers side axle. This will also be the case with a 3G. So have an oil pan ready I think it depends on how high the car is jacked up as well as the exact level of the fluid.

I changed the axle on my 3G as well but it was a manual which didn't leak any fluid when the axle was removed. And of course when I changed the passenger side last year it didn't leak because it's only connected to the intermediate shaft, not directly to the transmission. Made a bit of a mess in my garage Luckily it was only about a half quart.

Also, some of the tech manuals tell you that you have to detach the knuckle from the lower control arm ball joint. You don't have to do this. It's a bit tricky but it's definitely possible to disconnect only the upper control arm, which is much easier, then finagle the axle out by first pulling it from the hub (may need to tap the axle end with a mallet to get it to exit the hub), then bending the end of the axle forward while pulling on the knuckle to get as much clearance as possible. This is the way I've done three axles now and only recently did I read in the manual that they indicate to remove the knuckle from the lower control arm. I've literally never done that. It's really not necessary.

 

Your highest mileage TL is 122k miles?!?! Woah! I wanna be on that level!

 

6mt here. I had a half-axle snap on me while I was driving at around 115k miles... I probably should've inspected the CV boot since I heard noise coming from there when I turned my steering wheel and ignored it.

Had a local Acura dealer quote me nearly $2600 for both front axles with labor LOL. I had a local shop do it for around $500 (parts and labor, both sides).

Moral of the story: avoid stealerships but don't ignore weird noises

 

Mine went at 127k miles. 2008 TL Type S

 

So just as small update, I've been running for about a week on rockauto's APW ($50 each) axles. No initial problems, no weird vibrations (tested up to 110 mph).

So far so good. Oh and they don't come with dampener, so they won't break unless CV joint gives up.

 

APW for the win, I've put around 5k miles on mine, and they are perfect so far.

 

Agreed, I just put APWI axles on my 2006 6MT, they replaced 15 month old Duralast Axles, and the difference is astounding. Duralast axles suck, APWI axles rock!

 

link to APWI / APW axles?

Want to be able to show a local shop what I want.

 

The only place I typically see them is on RockAuto; I do not believe the manufacturer has a web presence, either that or it is under a different name.

 

APWI axles from rockauto

Almost 75K on mine so far and they're just fine!
.
.

 

Dewd I literally went with these because DMZ Raves about them. Also 860_TypeS said he heard of them & recommended that they were worth a try.

After I put my TL 6MT on Tien Coilovers. The "Vibration upon Acceleration" started.

Price? 110 shipped w/ tax 🤯
June 8th they will be here... keep ya updated 😁💯

 

My driver's side axle just snapped pulling into traffic. Wow.

How much should this cost? I will plan to replace both at same time. Currently being looked at in Shop. Anything to keep in mind when receiving quotes?

Thanks

Got quote:

$990.10 Remove and Replace CV Axle Assembly Both Sides - Premium OE Design 100% New
$335.85 Outer Tie Rods Replaced
$182.55 Four Wheel thrust angle alignment

 

Do not opt for remanufactured axles, new axles only (and no AutoZone axles. I think it cost me a tad under $400 the last time I had it done.

 

For all of this? Is this place a rip off?
Parts & Labor
$990.10 Remove and Replace CV Axle Assembly Both Sides - Premium OE Design 100% New
$335.85 Outer Tie Rods Replaced
$182.55 Four Wheel thrust angle alignment

 

It seems high to me, but I'm a big DIY guy so I might just be biased. Also, hate to add fuel to the fire here, but you should definitely replace both lower ball joints if the axles are coming out. The joints need to be partially removed during the axle job anyways, so this is the perfect time. There have been an influx of people with higher mileage TLs on the facebook groups documenting their ball joint failures, and you def do not want to be included in that statistic. I'd imagine if your axle was at the point of failure, your ball joints are probably pretty worn as well. Sankei 555 is a common replacement for the ball joints, if you don't want to pay OEM prices. Further, the APWI axles off rockauto are one of the few safe bets for aftermarket options, a bunch of guys around here including myself have been running them with no issues, if you don't want to pay the price for OEM ones. Hope that info helps

 

Offered $499 for parts/labor on the ball joint replacements, is that reasonable?

Then just heard it was an unknown lead time for the front left axle for OEM. They are proposing the DuraLast generics but I've read too much about them being a poor choice. Now I'm torn as to what to do....I might ask about the Rock Auto GSP NCV21024 and GSP NCV36136 axles, but I'm not sure if these larger shops would even support those type of parts. (Edit: This might not even be available, I'm seeing the NCV36136 is only for manual transmission. Crap. So maybe OEM is only front right available and GSP is only front left available. Unreal...)

Should I have it towed somewhere else that would allow me to install my own parts?

 

Too late to edit apparently, but I was off in the recommendations from RockAuto - apparently APWI was the correct manufacturer.

For 2008 Acura TL Type S Automatic, I'm looking at APWI HO8405 and APWI HO8398, is this correct? I'm going to ask this shop if they can secure these parts instead of the Duralast/OEM, considering the recommendations and delays on OEM. If they refuse, should I purchase and have installed at a neighborhood shop?

 

I made the mistake of putting Duralast axles on my 2006 6MT, and while they were better than the worn out OEM axles they replaced, they still sucked; I replaced them with APWI axles after six months. The APWI axles were vastly superior to the Duralast units.

 

Those part numbers indeed look correct. Further, the Sankei 555 ball joints are relatively common and you should have some options available for whatever's easiest/cheapest for you.

If they're already replacing the axles, there's no way (in my head, at least) they should be charging you an additional $400 in labor. They've played their hand with pricing, so I doubt you providing them cheaper parts is going to make much of a dent in their overall estimate.

If I were you, I'd call up another shop, tell them that you have the replacement axles, tie rod ends, and ball joints already purchased and on-hand, and you just need them to perform the labor to install. Compare that figure to what you've already been quoted, and make a choice from there. I would almost guarantee it'll be less than what the original shop is charging you. Obviously, you are subtracting the cost of the parts you're buying on your own. AC delco tie rod ends off rockauto won't put you back more than $40 for both sides, assuming the outer rod ends are what ought to be replaced. You can get the ball joints for say ~$100, then the axles for another ~$100. So you're at roughly 250 in parts, and at that point you need the labor + alignment. Use that info how you will. In my opinion, you should be able to come out of this easily under $1k, but it entirely depends on the shop.

 

They can procure and install those parts, but won't have any guarantee. He says the Duralast parts will be waranteed for 3 years 36k miles - is it worth just going for these given the warranty? Ugh

 

Is his labor also warrantied if the parts fail? How about if they only fail in such a way as to cause vibrations which can be felt through the steering wheel and the seat of your pants? In my case, the brand-spankin' new Duralast axles didn't "fail" per-se, they just caused vibrations from day-one and got worse from there. When I switched to the new APWI axles, problem solved.

 

Honestly, I would still go with the APWI axles over Dura-ass, just given the positive the reviews have been with APWI. There are no stories (on these forums, at least) of issues with the APWI axles, and I wouldn't worry about a warranty. The Sankei 555 are tried and true as well. As for the tie rod ends, there is less of a consensus here for the best brand to replace with...

Overall, the simple fact that your car is immobile, and is already at this shop (right?) maybe makes biting the bullet here the most practical solution. It sucks paying for labor. But at the same time, the hassle/cost/risk of moving your car to another shop may or may not outweigh the benefits of just getting your car fixed and back on the road. Wish I could provide more input here. But it's really just math at the end of the day. Taking what you're willing and able to spend, vs what they're asking....and what the difference would be plus transportation and quote to another shop.

 

Thanks to you both. Going with the APWI axles without the warranty, and basic ball joints/tie rods. I am overthinking it at this point.

Last question: Is it OK to get an alignment down the road at Firestone if I have the lifetime and refuse it at the shop to save $160?

 

Yeah, skip the alignment and take it to Firestone; a few miles out of alignment won't hurt.

 

Firestone lifetime alignments was the best $130 I ever spent!