Need some insight on this soon before any damage gets worse!

I had both front axles replaced a few months ago on my 06' 1500 5.7 account of the boots being torn on the factory axles by the mechanic who installed new front struts.

Everything seemed fine. But now i have a slight banging noise when making turns or when the truck goes down a ramp at an angle. I put the truck on a lift and noticed both front axles have noticable play in them in an up and down motion. The drivers side axle seal is leaking as well. The mechanic (who is the same one who did the axle job) is saying the play in the axles is normal and that the axle seal can be replaced for $90.00. I find it odd that the axle seal went within months of putting new axles in. But the seal is the least of my concerns right now. My issue is the banging noise and play in the axles.

If this play is not normal, then what is causing it? How can it be corrected? i don't want to make a big stink at the shop about making them fix it without knowing what is involved to fix it.

 

go to a different shop and get a second opinion. i would guess the play in the axels is what you could be hearing but also i would check your ball joints and see if all your bolts are tight.

 

I've got a good (or bad lol) amount of play in both of my CV axles. But I've also got over 200,000 miles on them. I'm not sure how much play should be on them but my shop said they were okay.
I read that an improper install of the rear axles will damage the axle seals and cause leaks, and I imagine that it would be the same cause for a sloppy install in the front.

 

I have 10kmi on my truck. I can NOT budge my cv's up/down/sideways not even the slightest bit. This is with the truck sitting on the ground.
If you have movement, you have wear. Are you sure he didn't just replace the boots and keep the same axles you already had?
The seal is leaking because the axle shouldn't be moving that much!

The clunk could be snap steer allowing the spindle to contact the lower control arm stop. You would see contact wear if that be the case. Also, you could have coil to a-arm contact when the suspension torques and bottoms out on those wierd steep incline/declines. The snap could be caused from a level kit or from worn u-joints binding and then freeing up.

 

I absolutley agree the seal leak is due to the axle install. That is why i am already annoyed he is trying to tell me he will charge me for that repair. Remember, this is the same mechanic who ripped BOTH SIDES of the front axle boots when putting my struts in a few months ago. I am obviously never going to use him again, but i am not going to pay to fix this issue when i should not have to.

They did install new axles both sides. I checked the day they installed them. They looked like new and the boots were one piece. I do not know the quality of them though.

Here is a question hopefully someone can answer, how do you tighten the axles? You say yours are rock solid and mine are not, so clearly their is something loose, but what? Is it something in the differential? Or is on the outside near the spindle?

I thought about something connected to the steering. But the reason i think it's connected to the new axles is the fact it NEVER happened untill the new axles went in. The banging noise sounds like it's on the drivers side and that is the looser of the two axles.

I plan on going back in there and telling them to fix it, i just want to make sure i have all the info i need to tell him. I don't want to get lied to because i don't understand how the axles should be installed.