CV Axle Replacement

CoMarc

New member
Hey, great forum peoples!

I just did a camping trip this last weekend and on the way there my passenger side inner boot of the CV Axle decided to break and threw grease all over the inner fender wall (and area). I know it just tore as I had checked everything (as I always do) before the trip. So I drove it back home as is, went to work today and will be driving it home, but won't be driving it again for awhile.

I've read a lot of debates on whether to just replace the boot or the whole CV axle. I figure it might be just worth it to replace the axle itself and not have to worry about all that grease (unless someone thinks it better to just do the boot).

My question is, is there any good write-ups around about replacing the CV axle at all? I tried doing some searches but came up empty handed. I'm sure it's a realitively easy process, but I never mind a good reference guide for my first time!

Thanks in advance!
 
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I'll be doing mine this week as my outer boots clamp let loose. The consensus is to probably reboot your current axle since it just started to lose grease. The Toyota axle is better than anything you can buy aftermarket since it is factory hardened. A boot kit is about 40 bucks at the dealer.
 
I dont know about 3rd gen but I was on the fence with replacing my axle on my 4th gen. I made the decision to do it and I am glad I did.

I bought a new axle from Autozone for $70. Sorry folks but I dont agree with the logic of staying with the original Toyota axle. I have 160,000 miles on the original axle so it has to be worn. Also, I am pretty sure that Toyota buys the axle from a shop at Toyota specs. So I dont buy that they are made better than aftermarket. Maybe but I doubt it. at least not after being used 160,000 miles.

Regardless the work was easy.
 
What I've learned:

O'Reilly new are Chinese JUNK. I knew that and took my chances because they don't require your old cvs as cores. In my case the boots disintegrated in just over a year. Cracked to pieces as if they were dry-rotted. I traded them in for A1 Cardone remans, a crap-shoot as too what axle you get but oh well. You also give up your old cvs as cores, pay the core charge or find some in the junkyard for cores. Given lack of funds and junkyard cvs I gave up my oe cvs.
A1 Cardone boots look more like oe, with more lobes than the Chinese ones. With my SS 1.2 lift and diff drop the boots' lobes rub holes into each other. Mostly the inners.
Be mindful of the seal in the dif when you put the axles in.

What I've done to make the A1's work for me:
Stretched the boots. I did it cheesy, with wire and clamps off a Land Rover (they're skinny). So far so good.

What I'd do different:
Keep my 200,000 mile oe cv shafts and reboot since that was all that was wrong with them. I figured with that sort of mileage and the mess to do it I'd go ahead and replace. I regret that decision.


CV replacement in a 96 3rd gen:
So easy a girl can do it. :D
 
Thanks everyone for the replies! I've been out of town at a business conference... on the beaches of California.

However, I'm back home now and almost ready to take care of this. I'm going to go ahead and just replace the whole CV axle. I think it'll be way easier for me and quicker as I don't have a ton of time to work on this in the coming days.
 
Mine from Oreilys have been doing well for close to three years; that said you have to closely inspect the boots for one they were going to sell to me looked as if the banding had been performed by a blind man.

If I had had more $$$ at the time of CV replacement, I may have given Napa my $$$ for some instead.
 
Its more work but when my boots ripped I just replaced the rubber. I drove for a half of month on ripped boots(pavement only) and had a shop look at the axle that ended up having no damage. Unless you're getting some off road super strong axles I wouldn't change oem
 
Hi 4runner folks! First off, love the site and the people that are a part of it. Just replaced both of my CV axles by following the link above. It took me about 50 minutes for the drivers side last weekend and about 40 minutes on the passenger side a couple of days ago. What Im running into: When I have 4 high engaged, and turn the wheel slightly right, I have a popping sound (like a bad knuckle or joint). Turning left there isnt a noise. Both are brand new (not a re-furb) and from NAPA. Could the axle have been bad when I bought it? Install went flawless, snap rings in place, and no leaks. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
 
hey guys bumping this thread cause i have a couple questions, does anyone have the part numbers for the dust covers for inner and outer ones for both driver side and passenger side?

and are both passenger and driver side cv axels interchangable?
 
I put 1 inch front leveling spacers on my 2000 4runner SR5, within 40 miles both CV axles went bad. Grease was coming from the inside boots and my drivetrain was vibrating really bad. Could the downward angle and force from the strut cause enough pressure to break the old shafts?
 
Here's a video [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I did rebooting his OEM CV axles with an extended boot mod for the inner boots and the process to remove and replace the axles.

Here's the video. Enjoy the show!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vcCT4UgFUTw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

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