Matt16

Well my inner CV boot was spitting grease and it was getting worse after every time I locked the hubs. I replaced the boots with Beck-Arnley replacement boots. Toyota boots were hideously expensive. The whole job took about 4 hrs with breaks rain, and a tire rotation etc.

Removing the CV axle

1. Park truck on flat level ground, set parking brake well and chock the wheels either side of the axle your working on.
2. Unbolt the CV- diff flange. I had already removed the studs when the diff was on my driveway pre-install.
3. Remove tire and the hub. To do this, remove the front hub cover (dial in centre) undo the brass- coloured bolt/washer in the centre of the axle. Cone washers are removed by beating on the hub directly above the cone washer. Its a pain.
4. I disconnected my swaybar as I have quick disconnects, but not sure if its necessary to be honest, but its easier to unbolt the opposite side now, then later.
5. Remove the C-clip and splined washer beneath the hub
6. Now, go around to the back of the truck and jack up the wheel diagonally opposed to the CV you're working on
7. Go back to the front and place jack under the lower ball joint. You're trying to compress the suspension so that the outer CV doesn't catch on the lower A-arm.
8. Undo the bolt connecting the shock to the LCA (lower control arm)
9. CV should slide out. Watch that the swaybar endlink doesn't tear the outer CV boot.

Replacing the CV boot

1. Break the clamps (metal bands) holding the boot to the axle
2. Slit the boot and remove, with as much of the grease as possible. DO NOT pull the tripod out of the socket yet.
3. Wipe out the old grease with paper towel, took me about a quarter of a roll. DO NOT use parts cleaner, the residue is incompatible with the grease and boot. Just get as much as possible with paper towels.
4. Match mark the tripod joint to the inner CV socket, so that each of the three lobes goes back into its original place. This is a bearing actually, so this stuff does matter.
5. Pull the tripod joint out of the socket after matchmarking.
6. Clean off the end of the tripod joint well enough to match mark the splined shaft to the tripod itself.
7. Remove the C-clip and pull the tripod joint off the splined shaft.
8. Slide the small clamp, then CV boot over the axle, so that the boots sits on in the grove on the shaft. This is obvious when do it. Slip the clamp over the end of the boots and pull tight with pliers, maybe 5lbs pull. Fold the tag end over close the fingers. Should be obvious when doing it.
9. Coat the socket and bearing surfaces of the tripod joint with the grease provided with the boots. Eat the rest of the foul grease in one swallow. The package says you should worry if TWO mouthfuls are swallowed, thus one mouthful should be fine. It actually says this.
10. Put ever the axle back together making sure to line up the match marks. Clamp the outer boot in place AFTER letting some of the air out of the joint. I just guessed on this part by looking at it. Basically, there shouldn't be too much air in the boot.

Assembly is reverse removal.

Link for more IFS maintenance. This writeup also has pictures of the stuff I am describing.

Jay351

Cool stuff Matt, any pictures?

My boots are starting to get age cracks, I might end up doing them for fun.. (HAha..fun)..

Matt16

My camera was out of batteries.. and it gets messy once the cv is out. There aren't any really tricky parts honestly. Even removing the CV wasn't tough. By manipulating the jack as described and removing the shock, the CV slid right out. You don't have a swaybar, so that's one less this for in outer CV to catch on while sliding it out.

Jay351

Yeah, those CV joints are MESSY. The caps on the inside popped off a few times when I was swapping in the 4.88 front diff.. Damn there is alot of grease in those things!

Matt16

The grease isn't that tough to wash off compared to most.

Jay351

True! Doesnt smell too good though. Not as bad as old dirty gear oil though

leebee

hey matt16, for all the trouble you went through to change the boots, you could have just swapped out the entire cv shaft. i have done mine a couple times and with the core charge they have only cost me about 90$ per unit.

i have not been able to find deals like our brethern from south of the 49th on warranties though. im still looking.

lee

Matt16

I didn't smell it. Definitely not that gag-inducing sulphur stench of gear oil though.

Matt16

The boot cost $17 (or $27, can't remember). From the time to replace the boot after I had the CV axle out was only about half an hour. So, unless you make a lot more than I do, its more cost effective to replace the boot yourself. It truly isn't difficult.

rdlsz24

What about the part where you tighting the bolt and then test it using a fish scale?

Rob

ovrrdrive

I highly recommend the lifetime CV's from Autozone... If I tear a boot I can just take the CV back and swap it out for another no questions asked.

Granted a torn boot isn't necessarily a reason to buy a new CV, but if you have to replace them it's a good way to go.

Matt16

That sounds like measuring wheel bearing pre-load. You're not altering the preload, so no need to do this.

jcknthegrn

Matt16, I would like to give your procedure for removing CV shafts a try as I need to replace mine. My truck is a 1990 DLX 22RE. I have been successful at disconnecting the tulip from the axle flange and removing the the free wheeling hub as well as the bolt, washer and snap ring from the spindle end of the CV shaft. The problem I ran into was getting the CV shaft out after it was disconnected.
I therefore have the following questions:

1. I assume (for sake of example) the left front of the truck is supported on a jack stand. How much should I jack up the rear right tire?

2. Is it necessary to turn the steering wheel to gain any additional advantage?

3. Do you remove the CV shaft toward the outboard side or inboard side of the truck?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Jay351

We canadians don't have autozones up here, aswell as any kind of lifetime parts... We got shafted on that one

Hophead

Great right up and info there - I just picked up a complete new shaft with CV's for 100 bones - I am going to swap out the current ones one at a time rebuilding each as I go and hopefully be left with a trail spare. Thanks Matt16.

Matt16

Whoa, where did you go around here and get such a good price? Lordco, North Shore Auto Parts?

GSGALLANT

If you remove the four bolts that hold the lower balljoint on, you'll be able to move the spindle around and push the lower control arm down enough to easily remove the cv axle (and to answer your other question, you remove the cv axle by lowering the tulip joint end down, then you pull the axle out towards the inboard side). If you use this method, apply blue loctite to the balljoint bolts when you put them back on.

Another option is to pound out at least two of the studs that hold the tulip joint end on, and grind down the splines on the studs (or replace them with regular bolts.) Once you get a couple of the studs out of the way, the axle will also be easy to remove.

Hophead

Hey Matt - I but most of 'stuff' at Automotion on Pemberton in North Van - I have been dealing with Peter there for many, many years....

Matt16

1. I placed six 2x8s boards under the passenger side lower ball joint, I would guess it was lifted about 11", but just get it high enough that the disk doesn't touch the ground, I just set it at a height that was convenient for my jerry rigged jackstand. Then I lifted placed a jack stand under the axle right where the shock mounts. The tire was maybe 8" off the ground. The reason you do this is to compress the fron suspension so the outer CV (birfield joint?) doesn't catch on the arm when you're pullling tha axle out.
2. I didn't, the steering was about straight, you could play around with this though. Say, if you CV was catching on the shock, turn the steering drivers side, if its catching on the sway bar endlink, turn p-side.
3. You pull it inboard towards the centre to remove this. It is obvious when doing the job.

jcknthegrn

Thank you very much for your advice. If I get a chance I'll try again this weekend.