I have a 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan LE V6 - 3.3L front-wheel-drive with ABS. I have 153,000 miles on the vehicle. On the left CV axle it has a large counterweight attached to it. Some of the new replacement axles that I have seen at the local car parts stores have this counterweight on them, and some of them don't. How important is that counterweight if I buy a new axle that does not have that counterweight?

 

Does the counter weight come off the old axle? If it does, move it and install the new axle. If you have a lot of vibrations when driving add the counter weight.

 

I installed some new CV axles that I bought at Napa Auto Parts. The left axle did not have a counterweight. I asked the clerk if he knew anything about counterweights. He said he used to work for a Mazda dealer, and some of their vehicles would come in with a counterweight on the axle or an identical model would come in that did not have a counterweight. He told me that the counterweight was just to balance that particular axle. Sort of like the lead weights on your tires when you get them balanced. A few days before I talked to him I had called tech support for Cardone axles. He basically told me the same thing. I got a wheel alignment the other day. I've probably only driven about 30 or 40 miles but I'm not noticing any abnormal vibration.