[albanian335]

So my boot ripped on my axle and i went to a couple shops and they wont touch it , they only want to replace the whole axle . One place told me theyd do it for 320 plus tax so that means the axle is 200 dollars but its aftermarket and its called short track i looked it up and there was nothing .. Bmw wants 1200 and another shop wants 700 and there using a remanufactured part .. What should i do guys should i go aftermarket or not ? It does come with a one year warranty but i dont care about that i dont want to lose handling and not feel like im driving a bmw but i dont have that money at the moment .. What do you guys think?

[bhmax16]

The axle has zero effect on your handling and in no way will an aftermarket one make your BMW feel less BMW-like. However, be forewarned that I've seen some aftermarket axles cause issues on some European cars (primarily Audi/VW) where they are manufactured a bit too short which resulted in the CV joint separating. I have not seen this issue on any aftermarket axles for BMWs, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

However, I suggest biting the bullet and just replacing the axle. I replaced a boot separately once, and it was so much more of a pain in the ass than simply replacing the axle altogether. Also, it's an easy job where you can easily replace yourself if you don't want to pay a shop (you'll just have to pay for an alignment after).

[wdeerfield]

any indy shop should be able to replace the boot only for like $150. happened to my lowered e46xi all the time. main issue is making sure there is no dirt and grime in there as it will cause the axle to fail. that may be why most want to replace with a new or reman'd axle.

[hassmaschine]

I would replace the boot. most of the aftermarket axles are going to be of lesser quality than stock. if you can DIY the boot only costs about $50.. but it's not a very fun job.

[bruce28]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I was just told by the dealer that both my front axle boots are ripped. It is in for HPFP warranty and I know they will kill me with their price to do it. After some reading, it appears easier to just change out the axle instead of changing the boot.

Is this the correct part? The price seems to good to be true (other axles are ~$700)

https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E92-33...les/ES2834642/

[xthejuicex]

That is the passenger side axle. I would be wary about some of the cheaper aftermarket axles. I bought one from NAPA, it was a Cardone axle, and the boot tore before 1k miles, check my thread.

I would suggest finding a low mileage used one off ebay as I did. Another option is to use raxles.com, others have had good luck with that.

[Evans131]

Hi all - I know this is an old post, but recently have needed to scour the interwebs for DIY help to replace my driver's side axle. I have the brake light, 4x4 and dsc light come on while on the highway happily doing 70mph. No noises, no clunks, nothing. Apparently the reluctor ring on the end if the axle had rusted so bad that it was out of shape and chipping away at the wheel speed sensor. Axle replacement at my indy shop wad 1100 bucks, and found a lifetime replacement part online for 90 and decided to give it a go. Whether you have bad sensor issues or ripped boot, it isnt a horrible job. AND with the threads about crappy replacements which tend to rip or break soon after install, mine from 1aauto with a lifetime replacement has 2k miles and has been great. Give the replacement a go, it's not that bad.

[Brian86]

I have about 14k on a set of GSP front half-shafts. They seem fine. I was superficially pleased with the thickness and softness of the boots. Perhaps I'll regret it, who knows.