When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I noticed about two days ago that my cv boot on the driver side has ripped and grease flew everywhere. So now I have to replace... and we all know if you gonna fix one side you better change the other side while you're at it lol. Anyways, I wanted to reach out to the community to gather some information about what im getting into. So here is some questions that I have:
Do i just need to remove that one 12mm nut inside of the manual locking hub thats attached to the spindle? or do i need to remove everything, including the wheel bearings?
Is it possible to get the cv out without having to remove the shocks, stabilizer, and lower control arm?
How do I get my large 1/2 inch drive impact to break those six 17mm nuts on the inner portion of the cv axle? or should i use a 17mm flare nut wrench to prevent stripping? also do i need another wrench on the bolt to loosen the nut?
These are definitely rookie questions but I do want to learn from your guys experience doing this similar job. Any tips/recommendations and certain tool suggestions are welcomed.
Mahalo and wishing you all a great rest of the week!
The bolt at the end of axle (which I guess is yellow-zinc plated, so sometimes called the "gold bolt") doesn't really hold anything, but it comes out. The cone washers can sometimes be difficult to get loose. Put the nuts back on about 3 turns, then a few gentle whacks on the flange/Hub body should make the cones pop out. (Why did you put the nuts back on?) The bearings don't come out.
You should not need anything but a decent wrench to remove the nuts holding the inner "tulip" of the CV axle (half-shaft) to the differential flange. The torque is only 54 ft-lbs. The nuts are steel, so I don't think you need a flare-nut wrench. You may need another wrench to keep the whole assembly from turning. Note that these are shoulder studs that precisely fit the holes in the tulip. Don't think you can replace them with hardware-store bolts.
Before you buy a replacement boot, price out a rebuilt half-shaft (CV shaft). You have to replace both boots (your torn outer comes off over the inside, so that boots has to come off too). There are two different special tools to secure the boots; whichever tool you already have the boots you can get will require the other tool. When I did this the second time, a rebuilt cost just a tad less than two replacement boots! Even if it costs a bunch more, replacing the boots is a messy, thankless job. Leave it to the professionals if you can.
Now for the secret sauce. If you have the wheels dangling (jack stands under the frame), the angle is wrong and you will never get the half-shafts out. When you hear of people removing the shocks, stabilizer, control arm or even the studs on the differential flange, it's because they didn't know this. Instead, lift the wheel (I put a trolley jack under the brake disk) so that the suspension is compressed as though it were sitting on the wheels. The half-shaft will come out easy-peasy! You don't have to remove anything.
Wow! Amazing write up and thank you for sharing the "secret sauce". When I was under the truck yesterday just examining it I could really tell that the angle looked damn near impossible to get it out lol. Almost every video i seen on youtube everyone either removed the stabilizer bolt, shocks, or LCA; sometimes all of it. This way seems very manageable.
Really its the manual locking hubs and trying to get those 17mm nuts off the "tulips" is the struggle. The last thing i want to do is strip the nuts. I just got some brand new complete cv axles for both driver and passenger side as I do not want to reboot and be covered in that grease lol.
But thank you for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to reply to this. I will update the thread when I get it done.
The bolt at the end of axle (which I guess is yellow-zinc plated, so sometimes called the "gold bolt") doesn't really hold anything, but it comes out. The cone washers can sometimes be difficult to get loose. Put the nuts back on about 3 turns, then a few gentle whacks on the flange/Hub body should make the cones pop out. (Why did you put the nuts back on?) The bearings don't come out.
You should not need anything but a decent wrench to remove the nuts holding the inner "tulip" of the CV axle (half-shaft) to the differential flange. The torque is only 54 ft-lbs. The nuts are steel, so I don't think you need a flare-nut wrench. You may need another wrench to keep the whole assembly from turning. Note that these are shoulder studs that precisely fit the holes in the tulip. Don't think you can replace them with hardware-store bolts.
Before you buy a replacement boot, price out a rebuilt half-shaft (CV shaft). You have to replace both boots (your torn outer comes off over the inside, so that boots has to come off too). There are two different special tools to secure the boots; whichever tool you already have the boots you can get will require the other tool. When I did this the second time, a rebuilt cost just a tad less than two replacement boots! Even if it costs a bunch more, replacing the boots is a messy, thankless job. Leave it to the professionals if you can.
Now for the secret sauce. If you have the wheels dangling (jack stands under the frame), the angle is wrong and you will never get the half-shafts out. When you hear of people removing the shocks, stabilizer, control arm or even the studs on the differential flange, it's because they didn't know this. Instead, lift the wheel (I put a trolley jack under the brake disk) so that the suspension is compressed as though it were sitting on the wheels. The half-shaft will come out easy-peasy! You don't have to remove anything.
I just spent about 9 hours trying to get the cv axle out. I have like 2 more inches of the spindle to get out, out of the back of the rotor. Problem im running into is that it's just hung up on the lower control arm. i had a jack all the up under the brake disc too... dont know why its soo tight squeeze. I'm going to see tomorrow if removing the bottom bolt (22mm) of the shock will help
This may not apply to your vehicle, and my memory is a bit foggy. but on my 1987 when I removed my driver's side cv shaft I unbolted the inner flange, then tapped the studs out. With the studs out of the way I had just enough clearnce to drop the cv shaft.
UPDATE: This is currently where im at with my driver side cv axle. This is a IFS system on a 1993 toyota pickup 4WD 22RE extra cab wtih a pro comp 4 inch lift
After spending about 9 hours yesterday just trying to get the 17mm nuts off the "tulips" as well as the cone washers off the manual locking wheel hub assembly... i finally got the outer half of the cv axle out which is currently dangling behind the lower control arm.
The problem im facing right now is that i need about 2 maybe 3 more inches more to get the spindle out of the back of the rotor. It is really tight against the lower control arm.
I had the steering wheel angled and from the top view it has enough clearance between the shock and stabilizer to pull through once i can get space under that boot.
I guess my question is, how do i get more clearance? I really dont want to remove the upper ball joint.... but i guess by doing so that frees up the rotor and such to be able to tilt outwards?
Whats crazy is that i've seen people on youtube pull it out easily lol. I guess they didnt show the actual difficult parts in the video lol.
From: exo-reality -wave if you see me; Front Range, CO
FWIW, if you do remove the upper ball joint, just remove the 4 bolts on the top. I don't think its wise to bust the ball joint spindle off (the castleated nut part). Remember, your force is going to be on the top control arm (thats what the torsion bar twists). So be careful.
Aug 20, 2024 | 02:38 AM
