Front Axle leaking grease

[karyins]

Hi guys, I got a new set of tires installed this morning. The mechanic showed me that 1 of the 2 rubber cups (boot?) on both of the front axles not sealing well and leaking grease. The two leaking cups are the ones closer to the center of the 4runner.

He concluded that both axles need to be replaced. I asked why not just replace the rubber cups and they said when it's leaking you must replace the axle. Is that true?

He also mentioned that the Axles are rusty anyway. That's also true but the whole undercarriage is rusty so as long as it can hold in one piece I am ok with the rust...

Anyway he gave me a price quote of $510 including 2 front axles, labor and wheel alignment.

Ideas? Thanks!


PS: Are those rubber boots supposed to be glued tight on the axle? I mean, the rubber cups don't look broken but you can flip them up and see there are still plenty of grease inside of them.

PS2: What color the CV joint oil should be? Mine looks like light blue whitish gooey stuff... And the tech said the insides of the front tires were worn bad. Could that be a sign of the wheels out of alighment for a while? If so, would that cause the CV joint damage?

Edit: some pictures.
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/members/karyins-albums-leaking+front+axle+cv+boot++2004+4runner.html

 

[scw1991]

No, you do not need to necessarily replace the complete CV axle assembly because a boot is leaking.

Some members of this forum have put a simple $0.99 stainless steel hose clamp on the leaking boot while others have installed a new 1/4" wide stainless steel band (which requires use of special banding tool). There are quite a few threads regarding this topic.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/197732-07-4runner-cv-boot-clamp-banding-issue.html

 

[karyins]

No, you do not need to necessarily replace the complete CV axle assembly because a boot is leaking.

Some members of this forum have put a simple $0.99 stainless steel hose clamp on the leaking boot while others have installed a new 1/4" wide stainless steel band (which requires use of special banding tool). There are quite a few threads regarding this topic.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/197732-07-4runner-cv-boot-clamp-banding-issue.html

Thanks! Yeah I am searching the issue on the forum too.

Checked the pictures I took. One of the leaking boots was torn right behind the small clamp. That's why the mechnic can flip it up and show me the grease inside. Not sure about the other one.

 

[karyins]

What color the CV joint oil should be? Mine looks like light blue whitish gooey stuff... And the tech said the insides of the front tires were worn bad. Could that be a sign of the wheels out of alighment for a while? If so, would that cause the CV joint damage?

 

[fdbyrne]

No. The CV shafts won't likely cause odd tire wear. That's either an alignment or suspension issue. It could be a lot of things, but not likely the CV shafts.

The mechanic isn't trying to take you for a ride though. If the boot is torn to the point where it has to be replaced it's common practice to replace the entire shaft because the labor is about the same and you have no idea how long the boots were torn and allowing debris to get into the internal joints.

Some people pull the shafts and reboot them with a repair kit then install the shafts back onto the truck. Others toss the old shafts and replace them. They aren't expensive. Most of that quote you have is for labor.

 

[radlynx]

you just have to replace the clamp on that side. you can even do that. clean it up very well and check for tear. if there's no tear, all you need is a clamp. if there's a tear, you can either replace the boot or the axle.

if you need to replace the boot, you will be doing the same thing which is to remove the axle. so it's your choice and your budget.

Hi guys, I got a new set of tires installed this morning. The mechanic showed me that 1 of the 2 rubber cups (boot?) on both of the front axles not sealing well and leaking grease. The two leaking cups are the ones closer to the center of the 4runner.

He concluded that both axles need to be replaced. I asked why not just replace the rubber cups and they said when it's leaking you must replace the axle. Is that true?

He also mentioned that the Axles are rusty anyway. That's also true but the whole undercarriage is rusty so as long as it can hold in one piece I am ok with the rust...

Anyway he gave me a price quote of $510 including 2 front axles, labor and wheel alignment.

Ideas? Thanks!


PS: Are those rubber boots supposed to be glued tight on the axle? I mean, the rubber cups don't look broken but you can flip them up and see there are still plenty of grease inside of them.

PS2: What color the CV joint oil should be? Mine looks like light blue whitish gooey stuff... And the tech said the insides of the front tires were worn bad. Could that be a sign of the wheels out of alighment for a while? If so, would that cause the CV joint damage?

 

[RoyR]

That's obviously not the dealer price....I just paid a lot more for that job - they removed the axle's, repacked the CVs and installed new boots on both sides - $1200.

 

[karyins]

That's obviously not the dealer price....I just paid a lot more for that job - they removed the axle's, repacked the CVs and installed new boots on both sides - $1200.

wow seems I should go with the deal then. Only thing is that I called the local shop and asked for the brand of the front axle: Suretrac. I can't find much info about this brand but the shop said I can bring the parts and they will install it.

So after some research I set my mind on the Cardone Axle, which, I think, is the same as what Napa Auto sells.

Any comment on the Cardone Axle?

Oh and, the front Left and Right Axles are identical yeah?

Thanks!

 

[fdbyrne]

Yes. They driver's and passenger's side axles are the same. Many people, myself included, run the Cardones without a problem. That's not an endorsement, just a fact.

 

[v_man]

If the boots are still actively flinging grease the axles should be fine , and not need to be replaced . $500+ for both axles and CV's seems like a decent price if you want to pay for the peace of mind ...

 

[karyins]

If the boots are still actively flinging grease the axles should be fine , and not need to be replaced . $500+ for both axles and CV's seems like a decent price if you want to pay for the peace of mind ...

I'm not sure it's flinging out grease. Just added some pictures. The whitish slimy stuff was from inside the boot when the mechanic flipped it up to show me. On the other pic you can see the boot was torn near the clamp ring.

That slimy stuff really doesn't look like grease....And the whole thing is a damn rust bucket!

 

[m85476585]

The grease should be brown or black. If it's whitish, it probably got water in there, but you could still clean it and re-grease it. I plan to do it myself, and it will be a whole lot less than $1200. More like $100.

 

[Scott@Hightech]

Yes. They driver's and passenger's side axles are the same. Many people, myself included, run the Cardones without a problem. That's not an endorsement, just a fact.

If the truck is not lifted or lowered. And its not in the plans for the truck then cardone or whoever is fine. The OE axles are far superior and you should either install new boots . or hit up CVJ axles who rebuild the OEM axles for a good price.

At my shop we won't install aftermarket axles on toyotas(any) that have altered the ride height in anyway. They simply just fail too often. Stock height is usually fine

 

[Scott@Hightech]

The tire wear is an alignment issue. And the whitefish blue grease is fine. You may have an aftermarket axle already installed and that grease is sometimes a light blue color

 

[karyins]

Maybe I can just ignore the CV boots leaking problem for now? I mean, the 4runner drives fine, no clicking sound whatsoever. If I understand it correctly, the lacking of grease in the CV boot will only hurt the CV joint. A worn CV joint will start to make clicking sound when turning, then progress to make clicking sound even when going straight, and eventually it will fail and break apart.

But so far my 4runner drives without issue. Is it possible that I just somehow "Tape" the leaking CV boots (maybe inject some new grease in there before taping it) to slow the progress?

I'll soon get alignment done but that's another issue.

 

[fdbyrne]

Tape won't work.

It's not something that you have to deal with this weekend to avoid catastrophic failure, but it would be a good idea to fix it (really fix it, no duct tape) as soon as you are financially able.

If you were to buy a couple of axles from RockAuto it would probably cost you about $130 total including shipping. A local independent shop would probably install them for you for about $200, give or take.

 

[m85476585]

If you're going to go with aftermarket or rebuilt axles anyway, then there might not be much harm in ignoring it for a while. I decided I'd rather have a Toyota axle, so I'm going to do something about mine sooner rather than later. I don't even want a CVJ one because they don't use OEM boots (which are a fancy plastic that I can't remember the name of), just generic rubber ones.

I'm still not sure if mine is torn or just loose at the clamp. Hopefully I can just put a new clamp on and maybe add some more grease.

Here are my notes I've collected from reading many threads on how to replace a CV axle:

Diff oil seal:
90311-47013 for the right side.
90311-47012 for left side.
(unconfirmed)
Reuse and get from dealer if broken

Dust Shield:
4133635020 or 41336-35020
(unconfirmed)
Reuse and get from dealer if broken

Clamps: - order with boot kit
Small outer (9mm wide):
McMaster 5574K16
304 Stainless Steel Smooth-Band Worm-Drive Hose Clamp, 1" to 1-5/8" Clamp Diameter Range, 3/8" Band Width, packs of 10

Large outer (9mm wide):
McMaster 5574K24
304 Stainless Steel Smooth-Band Worm-Drive Hose Clamp, 3-1/2" to 4-3/8" Clamp Diameter Range, 3/8" Band Width, packs of 5

Small Inner (7.14mm wide)
McMaster 52545K81
Gap-Free Pinch Hose and Tube Clamp 1-3/8" to 1-1/2" Clamp Diameter Range, 9/32" Band Width (Oetiker clamp)

Boot kit (both inner and outer):
04427-60140

Steering Knuckle Oil Seal:
National 710573

Brown grease outside, black grease inside (unconfirmed)

A arm bolt threadlocker: Loctite® 243 Threadlocker

A new Axle Nut Cotter Pin is required

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/101038-how-install-new-cv-axles-6.html
Toyota Maintenance: CV Axle Replacement on 3rd Generation 4Runners and Tacomas
CV Joint Replacement Info - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
Replacing CV bands - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/113514-cv-boots-leaking.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/176734-how-replace-your-cv-boots-4th-gen.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/142902-torn-cv-boot-best-axle-replacement-brand.html
CVJ CV Axle Question (PICTURES INSIDE) - Page 2 - Toyota 120 Platforms Forum


Tools needed:
35mm socket
Cold Chisel
Big Hammer or slide hammer?
118 ft lb torque wrench
217 ft lb torque wrench
Pry bar
Breaker bar?
Etc.

 

[karyins]

If you're going to go with aftermarket or rebuilt axles anyway, then there might not be much harm in ignoring it for a while. I decided I'd rather have a Toyota axle, so I'm going to do something about mine sooner rather than later. I don't even want a CVJ one because they don't use OEM boots (which are a fancy plastic that I can't remember the name of), just generic rubber ones.

I'm still not sure if mine is torn or just loose at the clamp. Hopefully I can just put a new clamp on and maybe add some more grease.

Here are my notes I've collected from reading many threads on how to replace a CV axle:

Diff oil seal:
90311-47013 for the right side.
90311-47012 for left side.
(unconfirmed)
Reuse and get from dealer if broken

...

Etc.

Wow thanks for sharing the info. Is "Diff oil seal" same as "Axle seal"? I read somewhere that it's a good idea to replace that too while at it cause sometimes the old seal was fine but will break when installing the new CV axle.

So you are going to replace the boot? Unfortunately I don't have place nor tools to do that. Not sure if I can find a local shop to just replace the boots. The following post and likes make me hesitate on replacing the OEM axle with aftermarket one, when the OEM axle is stilling working fine. http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/204223-cv-axle-concern.html

Again, does anyone know how does the 2004 4runner CV boots grease suppose to look like? Is it supposed to be super sticky like butter or cream?

 

[m85476585]

The grease in the kit is a soft grease, and there is a lot of it. My axle is leaking black grease. The boot kit I got has two tubes of it, one brown like peanut butter, and one black. This is exactly what I bought:
Amazon.com: Genuine Toyota (04427-60140) Drive Shaft Boot Kit: Automotive
You get two boots (inner and outer), two tubes of grease, clamp bands for the boots (I'll use the hose clamps I listed because I don't have a clamp band tool), and some snap rings.

There are two main seals. There's the steering knuckle oil seal that protects the wheel bearing. The service manual says that's a one-time use part for whatever reason. It's cheap enough to replace, though it adds some extra work because you have to press it in with something, maybe a block of wood and a hammer.

Then there's the differential oil seal. I don't know if that's the same as an "axle seal" or what the exact name for it is. It can be reused (just don't pull it out), but some people have had problems with them leaking after changing an axle. I'm thinking I'll take my chances with that one, but the dealership is a short bike ride away if I run into problems with it. If it does leak you end up having to do almost all the work of an axle swap again. But replacing it doesn't guarantee no leaks because you could damage it when installing the axle after installing the new seal, not just when removing the axle.

You can get rebuilt OEM axles from CVJ. CVJ Axles - CV Axles & Steering Racks for all your needs They use only Toyota cast metal parts, but even then they are not exactly the same as OEM because the boot material is different, the grease is probably different, and sometimes they paint the parts including the splines which should not be painted. For an extra fee they will build you one with Toyota boots, if you want, but then it gets kind of expensive.

 

[07V8]

Wow I looked at your pictures. What does the rest of your truck look like? You've got much bigger issues if the rust is like that throughout.