I've read http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/cv_axle/


Just wondering who's done this and if you have any tips. The inner boots are torn and I think I have very little grease in there.

Also, if anyone is willing to help a brother out with this, I'm buyin'!

 

Its not too bad. Just a dirty job if you are putting on new boots.
Are you going to replace the axles or just put new boots on?

 

Doing the whole thing, both sides. rockatuo.com has cardones for about $70 each. Figure I might as well do the whole thing now and save any future aggravation. Might do the ball joints at the same time. I'm sure they'll need some work in the future as well.

 

I've used rockauto a few times. When I blew out a lower ball joint up in Sedona (Tim knows how it happened) and just got their cv boots for the left side.

Great customer service and price. Good luck doing the work.

 

I need to do my ball joints pretty soon, but timing belt comes first.

If you're doing it on a weekday I'll come and help. I think the next 8 or so weekends are all booked.

 

$70 is a great price, I think I paid 99 at Checker. I can't knock the Cardones, this one has been in since I installed the front locker and still worky good.

 

Ball joints, Spicer Pro Series or MOOG? Any real difference other than a couple of dollars?

Also, should I just get boot kits (both inner and outer for both side) and reboot myself or do all new shafts? Rebooting will save a good amount of $$$ to spend on other stuff. If I get get new shafts and boots, then I have spares for in the future. what to do...

 

I have the spicer on mine 4runner and no problems with them.

I would go ahead and replace both and try to do it yourself (spending 4hrs. at pepboys isn't fun). If you decide on new shafts keep the old ones for a back up.

 

If the cut in the boots is significant, I'd replace the whole thing. Don't want that dirt in there!
Plus, as a bonus it will be a LOT more simple to replace the whole unit rather than just the boots. When I did my boots it was one dirty job! The good part is that you'll have a couple of trail spares which is a must for us ADD folks!

 

All right,

new CV halfshaft assy, upper and lower ball joints, upper and lower control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, steering rack bushings...anything else I should tackle while in there?

 

Front axle seals? The one that Tim just had problems with? They're cheap and you will have good access with all that stuff removed.

Lemme know how the Control Arm bushings are to replace. I've heard they're a PITA. Thats on my long list of preventative maintenance too.

Re: sway bar bushings. You might consider replacing with WabFab disconnects. Probably not much more expensive than the bushings alone and way beefier. Plus you have the disconnect option if you wanna use it.

 

I have a set of wabfab sway bar links that I'm not using. If you want them (not the quick disconnects though)

 

Yah, its so easy to do and once you are at the stage of replacing the axles it will take less than an extra 2 minutes per side taking your time.
Plus they are cheap.
So add left and right axle seals.
Get rid of the sway bar and then the bushings for it will last forever!

 

Cool, axle seals. I got the swaybar bushings from Wheelers for $20-25. THey include new bumpstops that I may or may not use. I'm already looking at around $450 right now. I gotta save for sliders before getting the wabfabs.

 

I looked at the prices on the cv's and there were ones for 65 with no core charge and ones for 69 with a 100 core charge. What am I missing there...?

 

About 4 bucks and a core.

I asked the same question when I got my new one. No logic.

 

So in other words, don't do the 69 dollar one with core....

 

Edited - Some how I originally transposed the two. Must be cause it's Friday and I'm on auto-pilot.

If you buy a new CV, you don't have to give them core/pay a core charge. If you buy a reman'd CV, you have to pay a core charge or give them a core (so they can rebuild it). In this case, the $69 one would be the reman'd one and the $65 would be the new. Don't know the logic behind the prices, but that is how it works.