Aftermarket Axles: Show your interest!

[Maverickman74]

You will notice your CV axle failing by your truck shaking/vibrating under hard acceleration, and it will smooth out when you let off the accelerator pedal. (very noticeable getting up to highway speeds)

Hmm interesting, had plenty of them fail over the years but never like that. They would always just click until they snap one day. Must be a new cheaper design than the CVs of the 90s.

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[jerrisn]

I'm not sure where the failure point of these axles is, but I wonder if cryo treatment could make a difference. I read an article a while ago about a Prius engine that was disassembled, cryogenically treated, and then reassembled. Supposedly, the engine ran more efficiently afterward. You can still find articles and forums discussing cryogenically treated items, especially regarding Toyota. Cryogenically treating something is relatively inexpensive, so I'm curious if this could improve the lifespan of the OEM axles. I'm wondering if cryo treatment would enhance their durability.

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/what-is-cryotreating-brake-rotors
https://www.nitrofreeze.com/cryogenic-treatment-for-engines/
https://www.nitrofreeze.com/service...nic-treatment/motorsports-racing-auto-parts//

 

[FloodingdowninTX]

I have already ordered a pair of axles for my FX4 that will be sent to them for their r&d. There are several other axles for the Maverick that will need to be sent to them as well. I can't afford to purchase every single axle made for the Maverick to send to them, so as people are willing to do as I did, they will have their solutions for every variation. From what I understand, the problem between the axles is the same regardless of which axle it is. However, they said they are very thorough and will be completely disassembling it and reassembling and testing to find all weak points and come up with solutions for all of them..

Well count me interested in CVJ.
Next I have to work on Mrs. Flooding.
Would CVJ be willing to use my VIN and bill it to me so the set ships directly to them I wonder? Plain FWD hybrid, btw.
And thank you also for the initiative.

 

[Bwicka]

And people that modify a vehicle are more likely to be on a forum for said vehicle. I am sure there are many more people with stock Mavericks that have replaced axles/CVs then those that are lifted. It is a design problem that may be exacerbated by lifting. Are more people with Tremors having issues? They have a factory lift and the same axles to my knowledge.

Different axles , no problem on my tremor , additional 4 1/2” lift ( 3” drop lift ) 1 1/2” over tremor added on shaft angle , tuned and exhaust with 32” bfg mud terrains and roughly 11k miles on it beating it daily . Front wheel drift pulls around corners ( kind of neat how rear takes so long to activate , I can get a rear slide happen first!)regular dirt road beatings , and no issues yet .
Bought a spare set of tremor front axles to mod for my next an arms, these will be 3 1/2” wider , my cost they are 180 and 220 so $400 for front pair . They are larger looking joints and shafts are almost 1/8” thicker . I’ll try to post pics next to a broken hybrid shaft I have laying around here.
I think the tremor axles are the best for the standard ecoboost guys , the hybrid has a different output setup and length I believe so a no go on the hybrids .
I’ll take some pics in a few .

 

[Bwicka]

By now, we all know that the Ford Maverick has a weak point in the OEM Axles. While many of us have had our axles replaced under warranty, there are still even more that have had to pay out of pocket. As more and more of us drive past our OEM powertrain warranty, this is becoming more of a concern to many owners. Ford has not updated the design which leads to the high possibility that the replacement axles will fail again. With no aftermarket options, all we can do as owners is fork out the cash to replace the axles every time they break.

The main issue seems to be the outer boots popping off and flinging out all of the grease, which in-turn roasts the axel. Please reply if you have personally experienced any other issues with your axles outside of that. Please do not reply with "I read somewhere" or "I heard from a friend". We all know that information can get mixed up when it's being recommunicated, so please only respond with personal experience.

Mt 2022 XLT FX4 is once again at the dealership for a toasted axel, and I'm over it, so I'd like to take on the responsibility of soliciting owners and manufactures about aftermarket options. I have more than a decade's experience with working with aftermarket performance manufactures so I'm confident I can get some actual answers to the right questions. I've reached out to three different companies in an effort to create good/better/best options and here is what my work has yielded thus far.

(Images are just examples from the corresponding company)


GOOD
CVJ Axles

What they would offer

Purchase a set of new OEM Ford Axles and dropship them directly to CVJ Axles in Denver, CO. They would take those OEM Axles and modify them to correct the failure points once those points were identified in their R&D. Machining a deeper groove for the outer boots, replacing the boots with a longer one, ect. It would all depend on what they deem to be necessary for the Maverick.

What they would need to start

CVJ would just require one pair of new OEM axles to use for R&D. This testing phase would take about a month to complete and once they have finalized their solution, this axel service would be available to everyone with a reasonable 1-week turnaround time from the time they receive the new OEM axles.

Benefits of this option

• Most likely the most cost-effective solution. After the initial purchase of the axels, this service/upgrade/modification would be projected to cost somewhere in the range of $300-$800 for the pair including shipping.
• The quality of the remainder of the axle would be OEM quality, and not cheap chinese replacements from an auto parts store.
• Lowest cost and effort for production

Price
~$300 - $800 on top of the cost of new OEM Axles which can be found at Ford Parts sellers online for about $120 per side. All in, the cost for this option would range between $540 to $1040. I might just go ahead and order a pair and send them a set to get started with.


Better

Gator Racing Axles

What they would offer

Replacement performance built axles. They do not have a listed phone number to speak with anyone so communication via email has been slow.

What they would need to start

TBD

Benefits of this option

TBD

Price
~$800 - $1000


BEST
RCV Axles

What they would offer

100% custom built high-performance CV Axles specifically designed for the Ford Maverick made from 4340 Chromoly Steel.

What they would need to start

In order for them to move forward with creating axles for the Maverick, RCV would need to see some interest in the form of 30 pre-orders. Once that benchmark was met, RCV would need a Maverick in their area that they could use for a portion of their R&D which is located in San Luis Obispo, California. R&D would take approximately 6 months from beginning to production ready.

Benefits of this option

• LIFETIME WARRANTY*. This does not include boots that have been neglected for an extended period.
• Boots are replaceable
• The entire axle is serviceable
• Years of tested designs with their Bronco and Ranger applications as well as many others
• Stronger than OEM
• Custom applications available for those that may want to run extended arms, or have extreme off-road or racing needs.
• The orange boots just look cool are are very fitting for the Maverick lol.

Price
~$2,300 - This is very much on the high-end of pricing for any axle, but it seems to be worth it after reading several reviews from RCV Axle owners. This price could also come down substantially if there is high interest. This ballpark price was given with the idea that it would be approximately the same number of buyers as their toyota applications. The lowest price axles they have run around $800 for the pair, but those are for high-demand Jeep applications. I don't think Mavericks will ever get close to Jeep numbers for sales, but perhaps we could get enough to get the price down in the future.

Please reply if you are interested, and which option you are interested in. Please also include if you are a Hybrid or EB, FWD or AWD. I will create lists under each option to gauge which option has the most support, and from that point, I can move forward with coordinating with that particular manufacturer.

Hopefully, we can all have an option that works for us that won't leave us stranded 327 miles away from home with a sick dog in the truck with us in the middle of nowhere while on a road trip to see family.... (I promise I'm not bitter at all... fet up is more like it).



Expressed Interest:

1. RadMav - 22 FX4 - Any
2. CaptainCoffee - 23 Tremor - Any
3. Strikingracerx - Any
4. Jamie O'Neil - CVJ
5. Dale Lewis - CVJ
6. Tyler Cohen - Any
7. Dignam - CVJ

Oh , I’d be down for the RCV they are close here and I’ve seen them at sand sports super show or Sema , I haven’t had much time to research , so thank you . I’m going to need 31/2” wider per side and have a set of tremor axles new in box right now .
Will post some comparison pics in a few.

 

[Bwicka]

Oh , I’d be down for the RCV they are close here and I’ve seen them at sand sports super show or Sema , I haven’t had much time to research , so thank you . I’m going to need 31/2” wider per side and have a set of tremor axles new in box right now .
Will post some comparison pics in a few.

Here are some pics of a broken hybrid and a spare set of tremors , as you see cvt of hybrid necessitates a carrier bearing and longer inboard shaft.
From my previous measures with the 2 hybrid builds I put axles in the actual shaft is about an 1/8” difference and a quick measure today shows the inboard and outboard joint housings are at least that in diameter and length is bigger too . Just the fact the inboard side or plunger side doesn’t have the 3 indents on the joint , tells me the overall inside is substantially thicker .
I will be de booting these soon when I have to mock up for the wider an arms .ill post more pics and measurements then .the other chromoly arms are going on this week along with the full bottom skid plates that just came in !

 

[Hot Runr Guy]

I think the tremor axles are the best for the standard ecoboost guys

Brian, if I add a 3/4"-1" leveling kit to my (standard) AWD, do you think the Tremor CVT's are the way to go? I thought people have said that there's no part # difference in the front axle ones (EB-AWD vs Tremor)?

HRG

 

[WNYEscapee]

Great job reaching out to vendors to address these issues.

For those with lifts, larger tires, and actually take their Mavericks off road, where these components are taxed beyond daily driver usage, these options could be a potential saver in the way of downtime and repeated expense.

 

[WNYEscapee]

Just go on the NHTSA website and make I complaint, you'll need your VIN number and that's all....I did, I don't think they will do much about it but maybe they will once enough people complain and especially if the OP had them fail to the point where they were stranded on the side of the road, should be doing the same.

Both sides of mine are being replaced as I speak, mine is a 23 hybrid with only 20,000 miles and I have been fighting to get the dealership/Ford to speed up the process as it has been over 2 months since I started to notice the signs of failure...I had to stop driving mine after a month when I noticed it and the dealerships didn't have loaners, so was without transportation for about 3 or 4 weeks, which definitely angered me and Ford Corporate basically said I'm the one who has to try and beg Ford Credit to give me any kind of credit of my lease payments.

Though I don't think it's a wide spread issue, I did read another owner who I think was near 33,000 miles and their valve cover gasket was leaking. From my experience with the cv axels, all the recalls on the Maverick (and on my 2021 F150), I think after this, I'm just done with Ford. Maybe they will take notice and start to improve on parts in the future but until then, I just don't trust them for long term reliability and we as owners shouldn't have to crowed fund the R&D to make their products better. At the end of the day, spending that kind of money, upwards to $2000 or more, that is near 10% of the value of the vehicle, at least for the people who bought it at $20,000, and just for the CV axel, which generally aren't an expensive part to begin with.

I constantly say, for all the "real world" testing they claim to have done to products prior to release it seems there's more than a few things which tend to fail that one reasonably expects to have been caught during the "testing" period.

A great example of this being the cold climate issues with freezing door latches on the F150s. Recalls on F150/Super Duty wiper arms.

They built vehicles for over 100 years, don't you think they should know most of the testing that needs to be done prior to releasing a vehicle for public sale? Additionally, by now shouldn't they know what works and what doesn't when they decide to change things?

You can only cheapen and lighten the construction of things so much before you've gone too far, but they keep pushing the envelope. ....certainly, much of this done for two reasons, production costs and to meet governmental mandates.

 

[Bwicka]

I constantly say, for all the "real world" testing they claim to have done to products prior to release it seems there's more than a few things which tend to fail that one reasonably expects to have been caught during the "testing" period.

A great example of this being the cold climate issues with freezing door latches on the F150s. Recalls on F150/Super Duty wiper arms.

They built vehicles for over 100 years, don't you think they should know most of the testing that needs to be done prior to releasing a vehicle for public sale? Additionally, by now shouldn't they know what works and what doesn't when they decide to change things?

You can only cheapen and lighten the construction of things so much before you've gone too far, but they keep pushing the envelope. ....certainly, much of this done for two reasons, production costs and to meet governmental mandates.

The funny thing is we all expect so much from a manufacturer , when you stand back and realize a 1931 model a town car ( 4 seater) sold for $1400 and adjusted for inflation is approximately $26,000 . We now have airbags , comfortable, quiet interiors , a car that comfortably goes more than 65mph top speed,gets better than 12 mpg , safely stops and has a. Lot of amenities, comes in a variety of colors and options , doesn’t rattle your teeth out or your ears off, don’t forget the conveniences of electric windows , locks,electric steering ,air conditioning,climate control , all important Apple CarPlay and android auto!!!!!
It’s amazing they can cheapen production enough to keep this much safety, technology and options to keep it in this price point !
I wonder how many complaints and dealer returns they had on model a’s over rattles on the dash , or stuck door handles in the cold climates , or even driveline issues after 30,000 miles were put on your model a?
In fact I wonder what the warranty covered back in 1931? If there were loaner cars, a waiting room at the service department or even a service department ?
I think our level of expectations nowadays is a little high for the level of profit or “corporate greed” everyone thinks is being made off our little pinto or escort trucks .
I bet with all costs involved actual profit per unit on the maverick line is in the area of 10-12% per unit , especially because the majority are xl or low option xlt’s , I bet after shipping and warranty losses and such it’s closer to 10% .
I don’t know many industries or companies that strictly operate a production or sales model off a %10 profit margin , most want to see the area of % 20-25 to cover their ass and make some real money .
I gotta thank ford for giving us a cheap option , I don’t see a similar truck option on any dealer lots from Generic Motors , or Dodge!Or any of the imports !
I’m pretty happy with mine and the level of build quality for the money.
I ll have to look up the warranty, service issues taken care of by the factory and service departments available back in 1931.

 

[Tom 71 Maverick 24]

On the other hand, the auto industry has been making CV joints for decades. They're an essential piece of the drive train. They ought to be up to the task for which they are used. Is this an issue on the Escape? How about the Bronco Sport? Both of those vehicles share a similar chassis.

 

[AlsMaverick]

Does anyone have real data to show how many failures there have been?

 

[Bwicka]

The funny thing is we all expect so much from a manufacturer , when you stand back and realize a 1931 model a town car ( 4 seater) sold for $1400 and adjusted for inflation is approximately $26,000 . We now have airbags , comfortable, quiet interiors , a car that comfortably goes more than 65mph top speed,gets better than 12 mpg , safely stops and has a. Lot of amenities, comes in a variety of colors and options , doesn’t rattle your teeth out or your ears off, don’t forget the conveniences of electric windows , locks,electric steering ,air conditioning,climate control , all important Apple CarPlay and android auto!!!!!
It’s amazing they can cheapen production enough to keep this much safety, technology and options to keep it in this price point !
I wonder how many complaints and dealer returns they had on model a’s over rattles on the dash , or stuck door handles in the cold climates , or even driveline issues after 30,000 miles were put on your model a?
In fact I wonder what the warranty covered back in 1931? If there were loaner cars, a waiting room at the service department or even a service department ?
I think our level of expectations nowadays is a little high for the level of profit or “corporate greed” everyone thinks is being made off our little pinto or escort trucks .
I bet with all costs involved actual profit per unit on the maverick line is in the area of 10-12% per unit , especially because the majority are xl or low option xlt’s , I bet after shipping and warranty losses and such it’s closer to 10% .
I don’t know many industries or companies that strictly operate a production or sales model off a %10 profit margin , most want to see the area of % 20-25 to cover their ass and make some real money .
I gotta thank ford for giving us a cheap option , I don’t see a similar truck option on any dealer lots from Generic Motors , or Dodge!Or any of the imports !
I’m pretty happy with mine and the level of build quality for the money.
I ll have to look up the warranty, service issues taken care of by the factory and service departments available back in 1931.

Looks like warranty consisted of 90 days on parts or 1500 miles , but didn’t cover glass, tires or bulbs( lamps).
Here is some info on dealerships and the “new” showrooms .

https://www.thehenryford.org/artifact/102173/

in the immortal words of Kurt Russell from “used cars”
Warranties and contracts are for suckers!
Haha good movie !
Haven’t watched that in like 35 years , today’s goal!

 

[zach57x]

Just go on the NHTSA website and make I complaint, you'll need your VIN number and that's all....I did, I don't think they will do much about it but maybe they will once enough people complain and especially if the OP had them fail to the point where they were stranded on the side of the road, should be doing the same.

Both sides of mine are being replaced as I speak, mine is a 23 hybrid with only 20,000 miles and I have been fighting to get the dealership/Ford to speed up the process as it has been over 2 months since I started to notice the signs of failure...I had to stop driving mine after a month when I noticed it and the dealerships didn't have loaners, so was without transportation for about 3 or 4 weeks, which definitely angered me and Ford Corporate basically said I'm the one who has to try and beg Ford Credit to give me any kind of credit of my lease payments.

Though I don't think it's a wide spread issue, I did read another owner who I think was near 33,000 miles and their valve cover gasket was leaking. From my experience with the cv axels, all the recalls on the Maverick (and on my 2021 F150), I think after this, I'm just done with Ford. Maybe they will take notice and start to improve on parts in the future but until then, I just don't trust them for long term reliability and we as owners shouldn't have to crowed fund the R&D to make their products better. At the end of the day, spending that kind of money, upwards to $2000 or more, that is near 10% of the value of the vehicle, at least for the people who bought it at $20,000, and just for the CV axel, which generally aren't an expensive part to begin with.

Mine haven't failed yet so I don't want to make a complaint but if they do I will. In the meantime I URGE everyone who has had a failure to make a complaint

 

[Tom 71 Maverick 24]

Does anyone have real data to show how many failures there have been?

Good point. I know from other online forums that bad news tends to get amplified.

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