Hey guys,
Newby here. I just bought my first Toyota a few weeks ago. Its a 96 4wd with 120,000 on it. I inspected the vehicle meticulously before buying it and was astounded by how well it had held up, being a 96. Everything was in perfect condition and mechanically sound. I have also been soaking up all the knowledge I can from you guys since my purchase. I did not see a post specifically adressing this so hopefully this has not been covered. Yesterday I was changing the oil and I noticed a grey grease spray in the area of the driverside inner CV boot/Axel. At first I was bummed because I was certain there was a tear in the boot. After inspecting over and over, I couldn't find the slightest tear or crack. Could this grease some how spray out the end of the boot? The clamps all seem tight. Its like the grease just came out of no where. There isn't any on the boot! I am stumped. Any suggestions on what might be going on? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

It's probably the CV boot(I have one leaking like that right now too). And since it's the inner, that would rule out the ball joints(which are designed to leak a little through their boots). You could replace the CV boot in question, or as many here suggest, just replace the entire shaft(boots and all). Alot less work involved, and they're not as expensive as you might imagine.

Or, for a quick fix, you could get an adjustable hose clamp of suitable diameter. Then just replace the clamp. I've done that before, and it's worked fine.

Have fun!

 

the cv boot needs to be changed if you start to see grease aorund the cv boot area.

What a coincidence my cv boot had leaked yesterday and im getting it replaced today.

 

A small amount of grease can leak out the clamp, or there could be a crack in the boot. Try cleaning it and putting on a hose clamp. If it works then you're good for a while, if it still leaks then the boot needs changed, or just replace the entire axle.

 

Thanks guys! I can't for the life of me find any holes so I think I will try and repack some grease in the boot and go with the hose clamp method. Thanks again for the advice! From what it sounds like I probably need to become proficient in changing the CV setup but I will put that off till it is unavoidable.