Drivers side axle boot failure - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

JS1 · 06-07-2019, 01:04 PM

Anyone have any recent experience with axle replacement on the drivers side after some hot laps at a road course, VIR or similar? I've done maybe 8 track days over the past couple years with my 2013 1LE. First time it's happened to mine but have seen others with similar problems. My goal is to fix it once and do it right the first time. I have 1.25 inch lowering springs and koni yellow adjustable shocks. It's a little lower than normal so maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe 96k miles and 6 years is the problem? Trying to figure out if I should go back with OEM axle or have the driveshaft shop custom make one for me. I want to avoid losing track days because it fails again. Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions.

Virus · 06-09-2019, 03:16 AM

When I used to use stock axles the driver side would barely last a 20 min track session. The short side would last a little longer but it’s the driver side rear tire that takes the most abuse. Driveshaft shop axles will def last a full season. Depending how many track days you do a year , should send them back to be built every season or every 2.

JS1 · 06-10-2019, 11:42 AM

What do you use now?

JS1 · 06-10-2019, 11:43 AM

I still have the street tires. I bet slicks would make it more likely to fail.

Nick S · 06-11-2019, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JS1

Anyone have any recent experience with axle replacement on the drivers side after some hot laps at a road course, VIR or similar? I've done maybe 8 track days over the past couple years with my 2013 1LE. First time it's happened to mine but have seen others with similar problems. My goal is to fix it once and do it right the first time. I have 1.25 inch lowering springs and koni yellow adjustable shocks. It's a little lower than normal so maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe 96k miles and 6 years is the problem? Trying to figure out if I should go back with OEM axle or have the driveshaft shop custom make one for me. I want to avoid losing track days because it fails again. Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions.

It's been somewhat of a long time known issue that lowering more than an inch on stock suspension geometry will cause the half shafts to have too much of an angle in them and cause leaking seal boots and even bad axle joints. You say you are lowered 1.25" over stock. This may not sound like much more than the 1" but there is a reason why the Camaro team did not lower the Z/28 more with the shock/spring heights. They knew the half shaft angles would be more than they could reliably operate at.

As an alternate solution I believe there is a company that makes eccentric bushings to install into your rear diff mounting holes that helps to raise the rear diff up closer to the body so when you lower the car the half shaft angles are maintained closer to stock.

olblue75 · 06-12-2019, 09:47 PM

Try Hendricks Engineering they make both Poly and Delerin OffSet Diff bushings.

06-07-2019, 01:04 PM	#1
JS1 Drives: Black 2013 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 30 View My Garage	Drivers side axle boot failure Anyone have any recent experience with axle replacement on the drivers side after some hot laps at a road course, VIR or similar? I've done maybe 8 track days over the past couple years with my 2013 1LE. First time it's happened to mine but have seen others with similar problems. My goal is to fix it once and do it right the first time. I have 1.25 inch lowering springs and koni yellow adjustable shocks. It's a little lower than normal so maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe 96k miles and 6 years is the problem? Trying to figure out if I should go back with OEM axle or have the driveshaft shop custom make one for me. I want to avoid losing track days because it fails again. Thanks in advance for your advice and opinions.

06-09-2019, 03:16 AM	#2
Virus #551 Drives: 2011 Camaro SS Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Long Island, Ny Posts: 259	When I used to use stock axles the driver side would barely last a 20 min track session. The short side would last a little longer but it’s the driver side rear tire that takes the most abuse. Driveshaft shop axles will def last a full season. Depending how many track days you do a year , should send them back to be built every season or every 2. __________________

06-12-2019, 09:47 PM	#6
olblue75 Drives: 2010 2SS/RS Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Clarksville Tennesse. Posts: 6,064	Try Hendricks Engineering they make both Poly and Delerin OffSet Diff bushings. __________________ Orange Krush II 1LE Front sway bar, Splitter, shocks and struts, Z28 dual mode mufflers, Intake, UCA Bushings, and Toresen 3.91 Diff. 1 piece DSS Drive Shaft, ZL1/C7 Calipers, and 32mm JPSS Rear Bar. ASC race spec splitter and wicker. 6th Gen M017 Wheels. Stainless Works 1 7/8 LTs. DSE and PAFDT Suspension components.

06-10-2019, 11:42 AM	#3
JS1 Drives: Black 2013 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 30 View My Garage	What do you use now?

06-10-2019, 11:43 AM	#4
JS1 Drives: Black 2013 2SS RS 1LE Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Wilmington NC Posts: 30 View My Garage	I still have the street tires. I bet slicks would make it more likely to fail.