I recently had my 94 SR-5's transmission, rear differential, and transfer case fluids flushed. Since it was going to be on the lift, I asked the shop to inspect and repack the wheel bearings - which they did. Two weeks after I got my truck back, I got a notice from the shop saying that my CV boots are torn. It seems to me that the boot replacement should have been done when the wheels were pulled for the bearing job. Is this correct? Also, should the shop now replace the boots on the other axle even if they are not torn?

 

The CV half shafts did not have to be pulled in order to pack the front wheel bearings
If the other half shaft is still sealed tight, leave it alone.

 

Thank you for your words. Won't the shop need to pull the wheel, hub, etc to replace the affected half shaft? Or is using split boots the standard practice these days? Are you advising that they leave the unaffected half shaft because it's not worth the expense to have both pairs of boots replaced at the same time?

 

Whoa: Just talked to my shop and was told that they don't replace boots anymore. They replace the half shafts. Too much hassle to just replace the boots, they said. I can see the logic: If a boot has been torn for some time, there's likely joint damage from the long-term loss of lubrication. Still, I am surprised.

 

Only lockout hub parts have to be removed to free a half shaft.
Your newly packed bearings do not have to be disturbed.
Split boots are a poor choice,
.I'd go for genuine Toyota boots, their elastomers are longer lasting than most aftermarket stuff.
Who knows how long the other sides undamaged boots might last?

 

Thank you for your guidance. The shop can't get Toyota parts, so they will replace both half axles from Import Direct, who give these parts a lifetime warranty.

 

Lifetime warranty on parts means little when labor to replace them is high.
What does the shop want to replace yours.??

 

They said that they don't like to deal with the work of having to just replace the boots. This, after I saw yesterday. I think that you might be thinking the same thing - don't replace the OEM part with a generic. Does my 4x4 having only 86K on the odo despite being over 30 years old make you even cringe more at having the half axles replaced?

 

Not surprising they don't want to change boots, its time consuming and it's messy,
Nevertheless, it's the best thing for your truck.
If your truck has those low miles, it is unlikely that the original half shafts are damaged.
Perhaps you might consider a different shop,... or even....... Wait for it....,. Do it yourself???

 

Oh, no way is this a my-level DIY! My toughest attempt was to replace the head gasket on the 3VZ-E. It was going well until two of the bolts snapped. I had a shop extract the bolts and finish the job with my parts. I appreciate your guidance very much!

 

Half shaft replacement is worlds easier than head gasket replacement.

 

Because of all the hose connections, right? Well, feeling those two bolts snap and then sending off my truck on a flatbed has scarred my confidence. One of the big shops here – and the one who finished my head gasket – told me today that they don't work on pre-1996 vehicles, so I might need to do this myself. Gotta make a few more calls before that happens.

 

As usual, I agree (mostly) with mill ball.
Split boots are a poor choice.
Removing the entire half-shaft (without tearing the front end apart!) is relatively easy. If you know the secret ....
Replacing boots one at a time is a thankless, messy job (I've done it both ways; from now on I leave the boots to the pros). The argument in favor of it is that somehow your personal shafts are in much better condition than ones that come from a facility that does this for a living.
Replace both half-shafts at the same time? I didn't. Monitoring the boots is a pretty simple task; just stick your head down there every 3-4 months and look for leaking grease.
But most of all, don't put it off too long. Once the boot cracks you're admitting road grit, and mixed with the remaining grease it forms an excellent grinding medium.

 

Fortunately, both outboard boots are torn...hmmm, I wonder if the shop tore them when they pulled the wheels to repack the bearings... In either case, I'm getting both done, and soon. Thank you for your insights!

 

unlikely, because the boots aren't touched during the wheel bearing repack. only the stub end of the half shaft, inside the locking (or add) hub is exposed during the wheel bearing repack. a snap/lock ring is removed from the very end of the stub shaft to allow the locking hub to be removed, and to get to the wheel bearings (and remove them). there isn't any reason to touch anything on the other side of the brake dust shield, other than dismounting the brake calipers in order to pull the rotors (but again, no reason at all to touch or disturb the boots/axle stubs).

 

I appreciate hearing that, wallytoo. I like my usual shop, so I'm glad that I don't have to wonder if there is a connection between the prior work and this future work.

 

I still have the original CVs for my truck…the video was very informative particularly the CLAMP sizes,,anyone rebuilding a CV should watch this if its your own vehicle you working on..