Changing out the axle is something a lot of backyard mechanics can do.
What catches my attention is the fact you said when going from park to reverse you get a pop, or a noise. Well I get the same sound, and the first thing my dad said when i picked up the car was it sounds like I have play in the CV's. Now i read this thread, i'm guessing he was right perhaps? I always thought that CV's are bad when your turning hard and you hear clicking/clunking from the cv joint, and my car turns smooth with no noise in both directions.
But that clunk i have going from P to R bothers me a bit.. WOuld this be the CV? And if so, should that have passed safety because i pointed out that noise to the guy who sold me the car and he said he had no clue what it was. And after the safety was done, nothing was mentioned about it.
