axle jt=cv? motor mounts? kill me?

[femmefatale]

Hi folks,

I have a 95 Toyota Corolla Wagon.

I am almost clueless when it comes to cars. I am almost broke, too, so I take care of the things that could strand or kill me, and other things hafta slide...and please don't suggest a new/er car cuz I can't afford, plus all my cars get totalled (hurricane, Halloween fires, etc; and we won't discuss the moose incident) and besides, it's ONLY 189k...

It was starting to make a metal-metal sound, coming from rear, that sounded a lot like the metal-metal sound that came from the front in the summer before I got front brakes replaced...So I went in to get a quote on back brakes.

The shop said I do need brake shoes but the noise I was hearing was coming from
"right rear axle joint which is coming apart" and noticed that my drive belt
was also split, and that the transmission axle seals are leaking, and that the car
was unsafe to drive.

Well I can see the drive belt is split, and know that's bad, so I'm grounded.
GROUNDED! An off-season, prone-to-wandering national park ranger grounded! The devastation!

Anyway, as I ask questions and get quotes, I am qetting different stories, and that's
getting confusing and could use some clarification/advice

Some say the axle joint is really not that big a deal; then someone said but if it's the cv joint (which sounds the same) it is. So I need info about this.

I also have also been told--after first saying alignment, tires, wheels--and
me spending hundreds--that I need a rear lower motor mount. I was told that it wasn't
going to do any more damage so while annoying, not a safety hazard, but then someone
told me if one goes, the others will quickly deteriorate and the engine could fall out or something. (and you guys say we women are inconsistent?)

Also if anyone can give me an idea of parts costs, labor hours/costs, so I can know how much to sell the kids for, that would be good too.

I DO have a mechanic I trust--the one I used when working while working on the Blue Ridge Mts in Floyd VA, but that's three hours away from here in Raleigh. (He's
obsessive-compulsive, a good trait to have in a mechanic, and also less-tall
and cute, more good traits...) I'll call him tomorrow but knowing Leo, he
won't tell me much on the phone. And of course I know I have to at least get
the drive belt done before going there.

So docs, what are your opinions?

Thanks.

Carol in Raleigh

[tashirosgt]

I suppose we can assume that you have a four-wheel-drive wagon and that it does have a rear axle. I don't think the rear axel would need "CV joints" but I've never looked at such a wagon. So would the "axle joint" be the joint at the differential ?

I don't think the broken motor mount will cause your engine to fall out without warning. I think the car will run as long as the side mounts hold and you can look in the engine compartment and inspect them.

[DoubleEdgedWomb]

Axle joint could cause you to loose a wheel. That's bad, by the way.

[94_Rolla_Guy]

I question your mechanic calling it a "right rear axle joint which is coming apart" to me that means the bearings in the hub are worn out and the wheel is loose. this would make sense if the brakes were worn out prematurely.

The Hub or rear axle joint thing is a hazard and needs to be changed as a wheel could come off!

the drive belts could leave you stranded but not really dangerous..

the transmission axle seals unless there leaking a massive amount of fluid are safe provided you keep the transmission topped up with fluid

With the engine mount, yes its true that if one goes the others will follow behind, no the engine can't fall out thats a white lie, nor will they leave you stranded. but don't bother changing just one do them all or the new one will wear out very quick!

[femmefatale]

Axle joint, wheel fall off, bad--got it.

drive belt--stranded. Not good, but not as bad as wheel falling off--got it.

motor mounts--not as bad but do them all--got it.

transmission fluid--not as bad either but top off--got it.

Now, about how much in parts and labor (hrs) should it cost me to fix/replace:
--rear axle joint
--drive belt
--all 4 motor mounts
--whatever it takes to fix the leaky transmission seal things
--rear brake shoes
--front brakes and turned rotors (already had this done, was charged 189 which seemed high?)

(BTW I know it would be better to have a few mechanics look at it and give opinion rather than doing online like this, but I was in fact afraid to drive it after being told about the belt and axle joint.)

And now that I'm into the major repair stuff, what else should I expect to go maybe next?
(I've already done the transmission--manual, btw and not 4 wheel drive either--and front wheel bearings and brakes but otherwise I thinks it's all the original stuff.)

It leaks and burns a bit of oil and it never looks 'clean' but I was told that's to be expected.

Someone suggested water pump, especially since it's almost never had a coolant flush (I know NOW that that's bad--why my mechanic didn't insist I dunno), although it doesn't run hot or anything like that.

While I'm in the south, the car is from Mass. originally and has salt-corroded screws and things of that nature so was told that could cause issues at some point.

Thanks for everyone's input--I feel more confident in calling/talking to shops now.

Carol in Carolina

[tashirosgt]

Amateur mechanics aren't a good source for what things should cost at a professional shop. My only comment is that if the car spent much of its life up north, the pros will earn their money. It is certainly hard to work on rusty cars. Before you spend so much fixing the car up, look in the wheel wells and see if the body is rusting through.
And have a compression test done on the engine. This is a simple diagnostic. My '89 and '90 Corollas are still going at 230 and 260 thousand miles, but you should still check that the engine in fundamentally sound before worrying about replacing parts of it.

[diver9000]

Mechanics are going to vary greatly in price. If they are independent it will usually be cheaper than at a large shop. Most large shops start at about $75-$85 per hour. I tend to wonder if your mechanic meant axle bearing instead of axle joint. If money is an issue then you need to consider what would be more devastating. Problem is you have several that could be potentially just that. Fix one this month and one next month and drive it as little as possible. Good Luck