Hey guys,

Am new to the site, just bought a tj vrx about 6 months ago :woot:

Just the past week or two I have noticed that when turning left from a stopped start and accelerating, there is a creaking sort of sound coming from the front end, just wondering if this was the cv? and if so, approximately how much to fix ?

Could be CV.. However it could be other things as well. Best bet is to post a video either by using YouTube or Dropbox showing the noise.
How much to fix is like asking all the ways to skin a cat.l. Too many variables.

Aprox cost to replace CV of the top of my head I'd say about $150 per recon CV plus labour say 3 hours at $80ph. However that's a very rough guess.

I think 3rd gen cv shafts are only about $100... I could be wrong though. Best bet is to go to your mechanic or a mech/suspension shop and get them to have a drive and a looky under the car.

There's a Victorian fella doing rebuilt units for stupid cheap at the moment.. $150 for a pair..

Take a look on eBay.. He's got a store and he says they're completely rebuilt/refurbished..

SuFz

I've visited said seller. It's Action driveshafts in Dandenong. I bought a driveshaft with brand new CV's on both ends for $80. Not bad! Good enough service although he didn't fully understand what I was saying lol Place is massive and has plenty of driveshafts. I do believe its properly rebuilt - looked like he knew what he was doing. Brand of the driveshaft was "AIDA." It fitted straight in with no hassle. I've only had it for about 2 weeks so can't comment on its build quality just yet, however that being said, torque steer seem to have increased slightly as is my car's tendency to axle tramp as well.

Anouther good place is A & F driveshafts in Hawthorn East. They gave me very good service - very honest and down to earth owner. He was asking $99 for a driveshaft, and has a full 2 year unlimited km warranty over the usual 1 year warranty that everyone else provides. Only reason I went to action driveshafts was because I didn't want to drive my car too far with very shot driveshaft, otherwise I would've bought from A & F in Hawthorn.

However I'm not sold on whether your problem is a driveshaft. Generally broken driveshafts give ticking, crunching or harsh vibrating noises. The driveshafts are essentially bearings on the end of a shaft, with some rubber boots around the bearings to keep the grease & heat concealed. A stuffed CV is usually visually noticeable (e.g. leaked grease being all over CV joint and/or sprayed around area where driveshaft is) or very audible. Creaking is not something I'd associate with a stuffed driveshaft.

I'd be looking into the lower control arms - especially the bushes. I'd take off the front wheels and look for any grease/oil/serious rust. Check out the steering assembly bushes, the power steering fluid level & lines, the steering rack - esp. around the joint where it joins the rack from the steering column for any signs of oil/grease and split rubber boots. Check the lower control arm bearing that connect the hub to the control arm to see if the boot is split. May be even worth checking the engine mounts - esp. the drivers one.

At the very basic level check the wheel arch plastic liner to see if your wheels are scrubbing or something. Swap tyres around and see if the noise still exists.

Creaking is most likely bushes and no there are not aftermarket shaft avail for pass side if auto

I can also show you plenty of cheapo shafts about 2years old that are stuffed, replaced another set yesterday, again you pay crap you get crap. Main issue are the boots, these cheap ones seem to start falling apart after 18 or so months