Ok so 2 weeks ago I blew out my driver side rear axle. I replaced it with one that supposedly only had 30,000 miles on it but who knows. drove it around until yesterday, and the first launch i try to do with the car it pops.. i am well aware of what our car is made for so please dont flame me for launching the car. i am lowered on stock ap1 wheels my question is do you think my cv is binding because im too low? and its causing my axle to snap? or maybe i bought one that was crap? i did all the work myself but im not a newbie to mechanics either i have 5 years of honda-pact and 3 out of 8 ASE's under my belt. But two axles in two weeks?

 

probably too low or something isn't aligned correctly. Try running axle spacers

 

probably aren't preloading the axles before you launch

 

How do you pre-load the axles?

 

What broke on the two axles?

 

Lowering has nothing to do with it, its driving style. Axle spacers are are a waste and wont help anything.

I have a customer that comes to me once every two months looking for an axle. He launches the car.

Lemme guess, you are splitting the spider on the left side inner joint.

 

Good to know. I would never launch an s2000.

 

Yea the inner CV is what broke. This one just happen to break while launching the car. The other one broke while shifting into 2nd gear. From time to time when I first get in my car and I either go reverse or forward I will hear something that sounds like two marbles hitting each other, but you have to have the a/c off, and the radio all the way down to hear it. Its very quick and hard to make the car duplicate the noise, but I usually hear it right when I get in the car, It doesn't matter if its warmed up or cold. Any ideas what it might be? it seems to always come from the left axle, before they broke that is.. But I had many many launches on my OEM left axle the right one is still going strong and is still the original axle. are you sure its driving habit? not trying to say your wrong Billman I know you are one of the most intelligent persons on here and its always a pleasure to read your post because of all the knowledge you usually put into them. but my last axle lasted much longer then 2 weeks.

 

The marble knock sound is the axle shifting in the hub. Axle nut torque is critical. I guess in theory if the axle is allow to shift then stop, it could have an effect on it breaking. But I doubt it.

The left axle is always the one to break. I must have seen a dozen. It has been the left 100% of the time.

What type of clutch do you have?

 

Just a side comment, but since your tire is tucked - any chance your tire is binding somewhere during launch?