[T501]

I've used Cardone Select axles and currently have one on my passenger side, zero vibration! I'm not thinking its the one that you just replaced. Maybe it's your passenger side one going out?

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Yes that's a big possibility. I did do a few acceleration tests turning hard to the left to load up the right side and I did get quite a shake from that side. The passenger side is a Volvo axle that I installed in 2013. It seems Volvo's re-manufactured axles just don't last. They're still happy to charge $500+ a pop.

The one thing that makes me think the driver's side cardone might still be contributing to some of the vibration is that it does not have a balance on the shaft like the Volvo axle does.

 

[T501]

I just realized I installed the new axle seal backwards. The old one was a different design than the new one. I guess Volvo updated the part because everywhere I look include the dealer says the new part is correct:

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-axle-shaft-seal-6843112

The old seal had a rubber face but hollow inside. Notice in my above picture the rubber facing out. I put the new seal in with the rubber facing out as well. That may be why it gave me such a hard time getting in and eventually tore.

I will tear it back apart next Friday and replace the seal again and make sure to put the metal side out.

 

[cn90]

Google "seal garter spring" and click on google images to see it.

Basically the seal garter spring faces inside the transmission.

Make sure you use:
- Corteco or Volvo OEM.
- Install exactly as factory, i.e., if factory seal sits 2mm from the trans edge, do exactly that. Anything else, you are asking for an ATF leak.

 

[T501]

Thanks for the info. That's what I found out today too. Spring goes towards fluid. I'm using corteco seals. Pretty thats who makes them for Volvo. I actually have a spare genuine Volvo seal and you can't tell the difference between it and the corteco seal.

 

[T501]

Short story: I fixed the **** out of my car today!artywave:

Long story:
Today I revisited my car awaiting to get its axle seal leak remedied. I was a bit concerned about the newly replaced driver's side axle not coming out easily like seen earlier in this thread when I tried to get out the worn axle. I tired first with my axle popper tool, the one FCP sells, and in about 45 secs it popped right out! Man that was easy. Was it just because of the use of anti-sieze, or was it because of lack of use of the black sticky stuff my Volvo mechanic used the last time he re-booted the axle?

Now getting the seal out that I put in backwards was a different story. Impossible to simply pry out so I used some self tapping screws and pried it out with those.

Next I tried to very carefully put in the new seal very evenly and with the garter spring facing inward. Pretty quickly I noticed the seal was tearing again. I then realized all the beating on the trans to get the original axle out did a lot of damage to the seal seating surfaces. When I initially removed the axle I did use some emery cloth to smooth out some sharp edges but it wasn't near enough sanding. Now, I proceeded to continue sanding but was concerned I might take off too much so after about 30-45 min of sanding and feeling, sanding and feeling, ad nauseam I decided to test my work with the seal I had just tried to install but rotating it 180 degrees so that the un-damaged portion could be used to test the area where it had previously torn. I'm glad I did that as opposed to using a brand new seal because although it did not tear where it did before, it tore in a new area that was also pretty banged up. So out it came and more sanding commenced. Finally I was happy with how the seal mating surface felt after about a total of two hours of sanding and decided to try another new seal. Eureka! The seal went in aprox. 2 mm inside of the lip and no tears!

I put everything back together, but before the test drive I went ahead and replaced my passenger side axle as well since on my earlier test drive I still had some vibration after installing the new driver's side axle. After all of that was done, the test drive:

Smooth as silk now! No vibration at acceleration at any speed. I don't remember the last time my car felt this good!

Then when I got the car back in the garage I checked to make sure there were no leaks, and everything was dry as a bone. Success! Vindicated at last!!!

My volvo specialist had told me a few weeks ago (after not being able to remove the axle themselves) I would probably need to go to a trans specialist to have the trans removed and taken apart in order to free the circlip from the inside. I know they wouldn't have been willing to do all the work I did to finish this job but I sure as hell was willing to put in some more effort to bring my car back from the brink.

Also, turns out the Cardone select axles worked great! Super smooth and they seem as high quality (or higher) as the OEM axles. The only difference is that they are brand new and not re manufactured like you get from the Volvo dealer or Volvo parts suppliers.

This is the third time my passenger side axle has had to be replaced! The first two replacements were Volvo axles and only lasted about 30-40k miles. I'm now convinced that Volvo re-manufactured axles ( which is all you can get from the dealer and parts suppliers) are $600 worth of crap. I will now only buy new cv axles from Cardone select or GKN which are available through eEuroparts. Thanks for nothing Volvo parts (sharts)!

 

[Phixion]

That's great to hear that you got the front vibration all worked out and the drivers axle seal situation remedied. Axles can many of times be a huge PITA. I had to replace a passenger one on my old '01 S40 I used to have, and I've also replaced the passenger one on my S60. On my S40 when I had to motor in it replaced, I also had the drivers axle replaced at that time as well since it had sufficient play in it to be at a point of needing replacement. For all 3 axles I went with Cardone Select axles. They to me are excellent pieces, and have a limited lifetime warranty which is always a plus in my book. I have not yet had an issue with mine. I do honestly think however, that at least some of the parts used in the passenger side axle ARE recycled or remanufactured. On my S40 when I replaced the passenger side one, it's identical to our S60 passenger axle, but maybe different spline teeth count or axle length or something. Still uses a thick intermediate shaft, and the Cardone Select axle I got for it had a smaller diameter intermediate shaft. That didn't bother me too much... Onto when I replaced my S60 passenger side axle, it came with a thick intermediate shaft just like my factory axle has. If you look at most pictures from other axle brands, almost all show a smaller diameter intermediate shaft for new axles. Personally I'd rather have the thicker OEM intermediate shaft, and it's totally fine with me if that part of it were to be reused so long as all else is new. One thing to bear in mind with our Volvo axles, the inner boot is almost always rubber where as the outer is neoprene. The rubber will ALWAYS fail long before the neoprene gives way. That's why almost any axle you have to replace or anytime you get a boot tear, it'll be the inside one. Why neoprene isn't used at both sides is beyond me. But I've always had a theory about this as it's a money maker for them. If you inherently design something to fail after sometime instead of remain durable, then you sell more product. An axle or axle boot should not fail consistently after 30-40k miles. Just my $0.02 on it though.

 

[T501]

I agree about the inner boots. They do always tear. In fact I can't remember every tearing an outer boot.

The cardone select axles seem well made to me. The only thing I didn't like was the circlip on the driver's side had a square profile where the Volvo circlip has a slightly rounded profile so I did source a new Volvo circlip and replaced the cardone clip with it.

The best thing about the cardone select axles are the price. At about $80-$120 each, I will just replace the axles whenever the boots tear.

The last "new" Volvo axle I installed on the passenger side tore its inner boot only after being on the car for a year!

Permitting that the axles actually come out, replacing them only takes me about 45 minutes per side. So not much of a PITA unless it's a stuck driver's side!

My policy from now on with axle seals will be to leave them alone if they are not leaking because it's so easy to get back in there if they end up leaking and they usually don't. My driver's side axle seal was still dry at 177k miles and when I replaced my passenger side seal at 135k, it was also so dry and so is the replacement.

 

[T501]

Checked things over after driving the car a bit the past two days. Everything looks good on the driver's side but the passenger side outer c/v boot is spitting some grease. Best I can tell is that it is coming from between the end of the boot and the joint. I will call JC Whitney this week and see if they will send me a replacement. It's always something!:facepalm:

 

[metalbender]

Subscribed. I need to be able to find this again since the vibration under load issue just started in my S60.

Hoping that 9/10 it's the passenger side causing the issue, because the driver's side is such a bear. Maybe I can get away with the just the one this time.

 

[Bihmook]

Subscribed. I need to be able to find this again since the vibration under load issue just started in my S60.

Hoping that 9/10 it's the passenger side causing the issue, because the driver's side is such a bear. Maybe I can get away with the just the one this time.

I did all of the prep for a nightmare. It appears the previous owner had some work done on the transmission because it came out easily.

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[metalbender]

I did all of the prep for a nightmare. It appears the previous owner had some work done on the transmission because it came out easily.

Just went through the CarFax sheet that the seller printed out for me when I bought this car. No such joy.

Right now struggling to find a seller with right and left Cardone A1 remanufactured halfshafts for my submodel. Had good success with them on the V70, still plugging along at 35,000 miles on 'em when the car got totaled.

 

[Bihmook]

Just went through the CarFax sheet that the seller printed out for me when I bought this car. No such joy.

Right now struggling to find a seller with right and left Cardone A1 remanufactured halfshafts for my submodel. Had good success with them on the V70, still plugging along at 35,000 miles on 'em when the car got totaled.

Try AutoZone or Amazon.

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[metalbender]

Try AutoZone or Amazon.

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AutoZone is sourcing their halfshafts from Cardone?

 

[Bihmook]

AutoZone is sourcing their halfshafts from Cardone?

I do not . I can not remember what brand, they we're in stock at the time and it was urgent. I since have gotten volvo ones and am just waiting. The problem is they perform great.

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[Phixion]

Just went through the CarFax sheet that the seller printed out for me when I bought this car. No such joy.

Right now struggling to find a seller with right and left Cardone A1 remanufactured halfshafts for my submodel. Had good success with them on the V70, still plugging along at 35,000 miles on 'em when the car got totaled.

Why remanus? I've gotten their Cardone Select "new" axles and the same price minus the core cost. They are just as good, and I'm sure just remanus anyways, lol! I've gotten mine before from either Rock Auto, or Amazon. You can find them on Ebay also.

 

[metalbender]

Greaaaat, Now throwing a CEL for the catalytic converter. Argh. OK, one thing at a time...

Need a little help on the Cardone part numbers (both Select and A1. Yes I looked at their website. Seems cryptic. No wonder Rock Auto's site is also cryptic). Apparently the 2.5T AWD cv axles are different than the 2.5T FWD? Totally baffled from searching.

Edit: Ordered 'em. Bought the in-stock passenger side from Rock Auto, the in-stock driver side from Summit Racing (which including core charge was $30 more.)

 

[Phixion]

You'll like them, they are great axles.

 

[T501]

Subscribed. I need to be able to find this again since the vibration under load issue just started in my S60.

Hoping that 9/10 it's the passenger side causing the issue, because the driver's side is such a bear. Maybe I can get away with the just the one this time.

The vibration issue is almost always the passenger side cv axle. I'm on my 4th passenger side axle and only my 2nd driver's side.

 

[metalbender]

One halfshaft is supposed to be here tomorrow, the other Monday.

When I put these replacements in, is it acceptable to coat the splines going into the transmission with anti-seize or grease? Or is that bad?

 

[T501]

One halfshaft is supposed to be here tomorrow, the other Monday.

When I put these replacements in, is it acceptable to coat the splines going into the transmission with anti-seize or grease? Or is that bad?

I would recommend that. Personally I use axle grease on both ends but I think anti-sieze is fine too. The axles are held in place by the circlip on the driver's side and the carrier bearing on the passenger side so no need to worry about them sliding out.

My driver's side axle had some really sticky goop on the splines that go into the transmission. It had been out at least once before when the trans was replaced by a Volvo tech. He must have stuck it on there. He probably thought he was doing me a favor but it that might be why it was so hard to get out since mine wasn't rusty and corroded like some of the other stuck axles I've seen.

Funny thing is the tech that did my trans swap many years ago and added the sticky goop, was the same guy I took it to after I couldn't get the axle out. Then he couldn't either!:facepalm: Luckily I was able to get it out after beating the **** out of it with my franken-tool.