When should you replace your CVs?

[farmerjon]

When should I replace my CV axle(s)? I made a pinhole sized hole recently in my CV outer boot, and now there is grease all over my wheel well...

That means I can't keep driving the truck in it's current state, right?

Should I replace the CV's or just the one boot?

In general, when should one replace their CV's?

THANKS!

Related post of mine from earlier: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/118751-yet-another-part-i-broke-whats-called.html

 

[Gerdo]

When my original boots cracked and started leaking, I pulled them off (both axles) and took them to a shop and had all 4 boots replaced. They inspected the CVs at the same time. I'm still running my factory axles (@220k+ miles).

PS. The OE axles are THE best and the strongest at this time.

 

[Doug18]

X2 replace boots when they rip and service them and you're golden :thumbsup:

 

[kball]

When I bought my truck the outer boot on the passenger side had a pin hole in it. Probably from a rock or something kicked up on the hwy. It had been that way for a while from the looks of grease build up all over everything and I left it alone until recently when I changed both axles. So it had been spitting grease for well over 2 years. I wouldn't worry about it except for the mess it makes.

 

[farmerjon]

When I bought my truck the outer boot on the passenger side had a pin hole in it. Probably from a rock or something kicked up on the hwy. It had been that way for a while from the looks of grease build up all over everything and I left it alone until recently when I changed both axles. So it had been spitting grease for well over 2 years. I wouldn't worry about it except for the mess it makes.

I forgot to clarify that it was a pinHEAD size hole... not much of a difference?

Can I drive it on pavement for a few days? (I have some commuting, about 30 miles, two times a day)...

 

[kball]

It's just going to make a mess and all that greasy goodness spewing out will keep the dirt from getting in. Unless you submerse it...

 

[farmerjon]

I read that if I let too much grease out, it will ruin my bearing? I believe my inner CV boots are fine but I'm worried about ruining my bearings, especially since I just want to replace the boots later this week...

 

[kball]

Bearing? You mean the front wheel bearing? Totally separate. No worries about your bearing.

 

[farmerjon]

Bearing? You mean the front wheel bearing? Totally separate. No worries about your bearing.

whew, good! I read somewhere else online that if I let out too much grease, it would affect my bearing... apparently that won't be the case...

Good to hear! Thanks a ton kball, relieves my mind! This forum and it's members rock!

 

[Hepar]

My boots have been torn for months.

 

[curtperry]

I've been running torn inner boots since I purchased my 4runner 3 months back... when I bought it they had already spewed most of their grease out.

No noise from them yet. I've even had it in 4wd a few times.

I plan on re-booting still but will probably buy NAPA axles and then reboot the OEMs if the bearings look good.

So in other words: go ahead and drive it until you have time to replace IMO

 

[curtperry]

I read somewhere else online that if I let out too much grease, it would affect my bearing

They were probably talking about the bearings inside the cv joints; not the wheel bearing.

 

[farmerjon]

They were probably talking about the bearings inside the cv joints; not the wheel bearing.

I plan to, at this point, just try and replace the CV boot soon, I don't think I'll try and replace the CV axles yet, the truck only has 101.5K miles on it.

 

[theizzardking]

My boots have been torn for months.

haha right i had something like 4k-5k on mine with torn boots driving through crud during the winter/spring and they still were running great i just changed them because i thought i should, lol

 

[steezemcqueen]

My boots have been torn for months.

haha right i had something like 4k-5k on mine with torn boots driving through crud during the winter/spring and they still were running great i just changed them because i thought i should, lol

^This. I'm going on 2 years and 30k miles with torn boots.