I contacted GSP about their PR axles, as I read that they are a new line of premium axles for some German cars and also Subaru. After asking a few questions, GSP actually offered to send me a set of axles to try out and review!
So I spent the weekend replacing both front axles. First, let’s start with how they look and their listed features…
The finish looks really good.
Let’s take a closer look at the hardware…
The boots are made of TPE and feel like really supple but dense rubber. The clamps are very heavy. The joint articulation feels like every other CV joint I’ve used, which is to be expected, as they are OEM style.
Take a closer look at the edges…
The machine work looks good, but of course it’s hard to gauge the quality unless it’s just terrible. However, they almost seem to have a better finish than my previous AutoZone axles (Duralast Gold).
After removing my old axles (ie Duralast) I put them side by side to compare….
Besides the nicer finish, the first thing I noticed were the changes to the boots and cleats. PR GSP axles have LOT the nicest boots and cleats look ORDER more substantial than the AutoZone brand.
Installation: Compared to my AutoZone axles, the installation on the GSP was much better. Both axles snapped instantly without any noise! While the AutoZone axles fought me every step of the way… (I even had to return one of the AutoZone axles because I couldn’t get it to fit, the replacement again struggled but I finally got it in).
The ends that go into the bearing/hub assembly are a tight fit, but I’ve never had a problem with this end anyway.
Driving Impression: Now, I’ve only had them in for a day, but I’ve already noticed a significant difference. My old axles would vibrate under hard acceleration and at almost any speed over 40 mph. On the highway they were impatient. The new GSP axles do not vibrate at all during acceleration, nor do they vibrate or vibrate at medium speeds. Even on the highway they feel comfortable; but, occasionally i get some vibration at higher speeds (eg 80mph) but so far it seems to depend on the road surface. This leads me to think it may have more to do with my alignment, my old beat up center ring adapters (most likely) or maybe even my drive rod end links (I have found that my links of aftermarket have damaged the boots and they have been dry for a long time). Who knows.
Either way, I’d say these axles are a SUBSTANTIAL improvement over the local parts store offerings. I don’t know if they are as good as new OEM Subaru axles, as I’m not going to pay a ridiculous $350 for those things.
I’ll try to post occasional updates to this thread over time, otherwise I’m hoping others who have used these axles can chime in with their experience. We hope these end up being a worthy OEM replacement for our community. And if I haven’t posted in a while, please leave a comment to ask how they’re holding up!
Thanks for reading.
