DSS Drive Axles ? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

vwnate1 · #1 04-21-2018, 09:54 AM

I just noticed this brand of drive axles are $100 each and come with the flange to up grade your final drive to the improved annular typ .

? Anyone here ever use these ? .

I'm up for all new Homeokinetic (early typ) boots and this looks a whole lot easier....

TIA,

Graham · #2 05-18-2018, 12:28 PM

No responses

It would be nice to have some sort of realistic review of the various cheap Chinese axles.

PP and AA sell the DSS axles for ~$100. Parts geek had same thing for~$90.

No idea about relative quality, but other axles at Parts Geek are quite a bit less (Heri $53, Cardone new $59, Cardone rebuilt $79)

Tried to find reviews of Heri. Only one or two found, and they were not good. Yet they are a big manufacturer. See video here:

Checked Rok auto (good for shipping to Canada). Just US$44.89 (C$57.57) for the Heri.

Sooner or later I need to order a pair, but hard to know which way to go.

Mxfrank · #3 05-18-2018, 01:39 PM

If you think about the various steps that go into making these, the cost of the high strength steel, ball bearings, rubber boots, the cost of engineering, testing, QA...you have to wonder how any of them could be selling for less than $300-$500. And just think of what it would cost to ship a 15 lb axle assembly from China to the US. Even accounting for lower labor costs, it's astonishing that they can be this cheap.

Squiggle Dog · #4 05-18-2018, 02:19 PM

Typically on low-cost axle shafts, the steel is not heat-treated and they are often out of balance. The rubber boots can also be of inferior quality. But, I can't say if one bargain brand is better than the next.

okyoureabeast · #5 05-18-2018, 02:36 PM

I have a pair on my 380sl.

Purchased from AH AZ and installed them back in September of last year.

Boots have held up fine so far. No weird driveline noises (about 6k miles since then) and installation was very easy.

They'll probably not last 30 years like the old style, but that doesn't matter to me since I can replace these in half an afternoon.

Here's a set of Axles for $55!
https://bit.ly/2Iw3EN0
Link is to Car ID.

Squiggle Dog · #6 05-18-2018, 02:58 PM

$55 per axle is cheap if they'll last at least 10 years. It's hard to tell though--one axle from this manufacturer might last 20 years, another might last a week. Here's hoping they hold up for people. My boots are cracked but not leaking yet. I'll probably try filling the cracks with liquid electrical tape. I'd prefer to reboot them if needed over buying new, but that mostly depends on the longevity of new parts that don't cost hundreds of dollars each.

Graham · #7 05-18-2018, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okyoureabeast

Here's a set of Axles for $55!
https://bit.ly/2Iw3EN0
Link is to Car ID.

$10.00 more than Rok otto! http://tinyurl.com/y8cghrtm

Reviews that I could find on-line were not so good. Yet the Heri plant is ISO-certified and they are OEM for several major auto companies (Honda/Ford/Cummins)

Hard to know what to do, but at $45 each, may be worth buying as spares? I would rather reboot my existing homokinetic axles, but not that easy or inexpensive once tools are purchased. The reman Cardones might be an option.

Mxfrank · #8 05-18-2018, 03:37 PM

ISO certified simply means they have a defined quality process, which isn't the same as saying that the final product is high quality. The end product can be cr_p, and it can still be ISO certified as long as it was cr_p by design. Guaranteed that OEM's have a much different protocol in place than would be followed for an after market part.

I guess for $45 and an afternoon's labor, it's worth a shot.

Diseasel300 · #9 05-18-2018, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mxfrank

ISO certified simply means they have a defined quality process, which isn't the same as saying that the final product is high quality. The end product can be cr_p, and it can still be ISO certified as long as it was cr_p by design.

I had an Industrial Engineer explain the ISO process to me once (keep in mind, and IE's job is to define ISO processes and the like...).

He said that ISO only cares about the process. If the book and processes they use for the ISO production line contain errors so that the final product is flawed or doesn't perform as intended, the product is still ISO certified because it followed the ISO process.

ISO means the square root of zilch. Absolutely meaningless.

Graham · #10 05-18-2018, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mxfrank

ISO certified simply means they have a defined quality process, which isn't the same as saying that the final product is high quality. The end product can be cr_p, and it can still be ISO certified as long as it was cr_p by design. Guaranteed that OEM's have a much different protocol in place than would be followed for an after market part.
.

The specific ISO certification, is ISO/TS 1649. The rules were set by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), not the company. Without that certification, suppliers have little chance of supplying products to major car manufacturers.

There are several types of ISO standards. Each one is quite different and only some require certification. There is apparently no such thing as ISO certified (my mistake for using that term) because only some ISO standards require certification.

Interestingly, the ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard that Heri claim to have, has been withdrawn/superseded. https://www.iso.org/standard/36155.html

Regardless of how well ISO standards work, it surely must be better to buy from a company that has them than one that has not!

Back to Subject - Who makes DSS axles? Some bad reviews about them too. For example: http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?18801-stay-away-from-DSS-axles-like-the-plague

vwnate1 · #11 05-19-2018, 12:22 AM

THANX fellas ! .

As it turned out, I bought two later model annular typ OEM M-B drive axles from a junkyard then bought the OEM boot kits from the Classic Center and re booted both axles .

I'm sure they'll out last me as I'm old now .

I still need to find three more annular typ drive axles for my other W123's.....

Graham · #12 05-19-2018, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwnate1

THANX fellas ! .

As it turned out, I bought two later model annular typ OEM M-B drive axles from a junkyard then bought the OEM boot kits from the Classic Center and re booted both axles .

I'm sure they'll out last me as I'm old now .

I still need to find three more annular typ drive axles for my other W123's.....

Is it easier to re-boot annular axles than homokinetic? Presume the OE boots don't stretch over the cans. You have to dismantle/remove the inner CV joint?Stretch's writeup on his 201 annular reboot still seems like quite a bit of work!

Mxfrank · #13 05-19-2018, 11:35 AM

It's pretty easy, and requires no special tools. The inner CV is held in with a snap ring. remove it, and both boots can slide right onto the shaft. No expander needed. As Stretch admits in his writeup, you don't HAVE to remove every bloody part from the car to do this.

vwnate1 · #14 05-20-2018, 12:10 AM

Yep ;

It's time consuming but not difficult at all .

You remove _one_ joint to install both boots, a special typ of pliers is helpful to crimp the new clamps but back in my Dealer days I did plenty with a pair of Dykes, just be careful and pay attention .

I was working on my Wagon to - day and see the original Homeokinetic boots are cracking, time to go find some more Annular axles in the junk yard and order in some factory boot kits .

ROLLGUY · #15 05-20-2018, 11:17 AM

By the way Nate, I have a boot gun if you are interested in re-booting your OEM Homo-kinetic axles. The only thing is, it requires the specific Astoria boots. I am not sure a generic boot will stretch without breaking.