:Warning - long post:
Well, the answer to my original question is YES! you can rebuild your Toyota CV joint but it is not going to be easy...
A little background: The week of CMCC I was rushing to put my truck together to make the event. The main projects were install the new ARB locked diff in the rear and rebuild this driveshaft. I got the ARB done but the driveshaft shafted me and I missed the event.
I have only replaced ujoints in the field when they have failed. I have had great luck with a flat rock, two sockets, and a 5 pound sledge. I have replaced the joints on three shafts this way with ease. So I figured that I could use the same method with the CV joint in my garage. Wrong!
While you can use the field repair method on a regular u-joint it does not work as well on the Toyota CV joint. I somehow managed to get to the last joint on the CV (the one that holds the transfercase flange) before disaster struck. I realized I forgot to put the new spring in the ball seat.
When I removed the outer ujoint to put the spring in the ball seat I found not only had I broken a few needle bearings in one of the joint caps but I had also broken several needle bearings in the ball seat.
At that point I knew I was screwed and would not be making CMCC.
What caused the needle bearing carnage you ask? As a result of my pounding the joint cap into the CV ear a few needle bearings fell out of position and were broken when the ujoint cross was driven home. With a normal ujoint you can hold the cross into a cap and seat it then slide it over to hold the needle bearings into the other cap while you pound it home. You would think you can do the same with the CV, but the ball seat, and CV ears conspire against you to make this almost impossible.
So after ruining $80 something worth of parts I decided I would take one more try at the rebuild before sending the shaft to a driveline place for repair. The first thing I did was buy a 12 ton press. I always wanted a press and now I had a reason to buy one. I knew if I tried the "field repair" method again I would end up with the same result.
I found a cheaper source than NAPA for the ball seat repair kit.
www.rockauto.com has it for $32.79 and sells the Precision CV ujoint number 513 for 18.84. The Precision number for the regular (nonCV) joint that goes on the other end of the shaft is 387 at $13.21 from RockAuto.
Some ujoint observations. They are not all created equally! I initially bought a Neapco brand 11612 joint, same as 387 Precision part for the non-cv end replacement. This Neapco joint was made in China and featured the zirk fitting in between the cross. This means when installed, you can not grease the ujoint!!! Needless to say that joint was returned to AdvanceAuto. The Precision joints were all Made in USA and had the zirk fittings in the proper locations.
Fast forward to last Friday.
After the CV kept me from CMCC I did not set foot in the garage for a week or so. I spent many late nights trying to get ready for CMCC and needed a break from the truck. In the downtime I got my 12 ton press from Harbor Freight and got it assembled. For the $118 I am not going to complain about the quality. It does what it was built for well enough for my limited use.
I finished with work and headed to the garage for one last try on the CV. The new ball seat I had just installed had to come out. The ball came out almost as easy as the original but the race/seat was a different matter. It was not going to budge and I had to use a Dremel to cut the race before I could remove it. I did not own a Dremel but always wanted one and now had a reason to buy one. There are some positives to DIY.
Once the old ball seat was out I installed the second new one using the original race to install it just like the first one. Save the original Toyota ball seat race!!! Now I just had to install the last ujoint and not screw it up this time. This is where the press was worth every $. I pressed the ujoint into the flange with such ease I actually had to laugh. Why had I not bought a press years ago?
I did not forget the spring in the ball seat this time either. With a press this job went from a huge PITA to pretty damn easy. I decided to weld up the hole below the ball seat. I believe this is what caused the ball seat failure in the first place by not allowing grease to be forced into the ball seat.
In the pictures below you can see where I welded up the hole, then the new ball seat installed and finally the finished driveshaft. All joints replaced and ready for the trails. Bottom line: If you want to try your hand at rebuilding your CV joint I would not even attempt it unless you own a press or have access to one. I hope this helps someone in the future.
