94 4runner CV shaft replacment...?

[PurpleFJ62]

Hi all. Trying to fix several things at once here. First off the sway bar links are broken, the cv boots are torn and the wheel bearing need repacking. So today I was trying to get everything apart and at first things went smoothly. Reading my FSM I did like I was told, remove the 6 nuts holding the axle shaft to the diff. Then remove the outher snap ring and spacer. Then pull towards center of vehicle. Well it moved a little bit, but I could not get the shaft out.

The bolts that hole the shaft to the axle housing will not come out, the nuts come off, but the part that looks like a bolt ( Hex side facing diff. ) will not come out. Are they pressed in? Do you have to take the knuckle off to do this. The tripod joint housing fell off after I cut the boot ring. That gace a little more clearence.

My sway bar seems to be bent, just by comparing the two sides. Is this possible? It defintally is, but I was very surprised to see it. The vehicle drove fine, except when going around turns, when there were loud sounds coming from underneath.

anybody got any advice?

 

[Bear80]

The bolts that hole the shaft to the axle housing will not come out, the nuts come off, but the part that looks like a bolt ( Hex side facing diff. ) will not come out. Are they pressed in? Do you have to take the knuckle off to do this. The tripod joint housing fell off after I cut the boot ring. That gace a little more clearence.

Well first off, the bolts in the diff housing are pressed in. You can get them out with a few hits of a 5lb hammer. Some guys uses different bolts that won't press in so that it's easier to pull the axle out, ie. on the trail.

I'm not sure what your asking about having to take the knuckel off to press the bolts out. And I'm not sure what you mean about the inner joint? So you cut the boot and pulled the axle out of the joint housing?

I'm not much for your sway bar since mine has been off my truck for 7yrs. I'm not following how it's bent, got any pics?

 

[WristPin]

those bolts have a knurl on the flange of them that essenitall hold them im plce on the diff. so yes they are pressed in. use a BFH to persuade the two mating surfaces. a long prybar will help too. remove it from the diff first, and then it will slide out of the spindle.

you dont want to unbolt the ball joint. because the resistance of the torsion bar will make it very hard to put back together.

i worked with a rookie that didnt listen to me about this repair. he removed it, that way. and upon reassembly, he got the idea of using the lift the truck was on, to lower it down on to a tall jack stand. well this rookie wasnt paying attention, and the truck fell off the lift. :roleyes:

you dont need a sway bar.

 

[WristPin]

Well first off, the bolts in the diff housing are pressed in. You can get them out with a few hits of a 5lb hammer. Some guys uses different bolts that won't press in so that it's easier to pull the axle out, ie. on the trail.

I'm not sure what your asking about having to take the knuckel off to press the bolts out. And I'm not sure what you mean about the inner joint? So you cut the boot and pulled the axle out of the joint housing?

I'm not much for your sway bar since mine has been off my truck for 7yrs. I'm not following how it's bent, got any pics?

i think he is asking 'will it be easier to unbolt one of the ball joints so i can swing it up, and pop out the axle from the spindle'

the answer is no, thats not a good teqnique.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

You have to unhook the sway bar from both lower A arms to get the axles to slide out, and then you still have to turn the wheel to angle them to get around the shocks...... You can press the bolts out with a big c clamp and a deep 17mm (I think) socket on the bolt head end to give room for it to move out.

 

[Bear80]

First, I have graphite poly bushings in the lower arms. and no sway bars. So here's how I pull my axles out:

Remove freewheeling hub
Remove c-clip on the axle
Remove the 6 bolts on the axle flange
Unbolt the lower bolt on the shock and push it up (not possible with typical nitro shocks)
Unbolt the 4 bolts on the lower ball joint
Swing the lower arm out of way (only possible because I have non-binding poly bushings)
Pull spindle as far out as possible and pull the axle off the diff flange bolts
Pull axle out of spindle

I never had any issues bolting the lower ball joint back to the spindle.

 

[PurpleFJ62]

thanks for the feed back guys. I will be shure not to take the knuckle off. I was visually comparing the driver and pass. side of the 4runner and noticed how the retainer on the driver side sway bar was brokken. I could not unbolt the sway bar from the bottom due to the pack that most of the nut has rusted away. In fact most of the vehicle is gone due to rust.

Sorry, i dont know how to post pics, but I do have a digital camera, so I could if I knew how ( just a high school kid )

I cut the sway bar with a hax saw, then after some wiggling the shaft came out.

I gave those studs a little wack with my brass hammer and no luck. They are in there good. I will need to get one of those tools you use to push out wheel studs, my ball joint tool is way to big to fit down there.

Can you really drive with out a sway bar? Does the vehicle still turn right?

thanks for all the help

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

I broke both the A arm mounts for my sway bar taking it off to get the axles out about a year ago..... I have not noticed a difference.

 

[WristPin]

you can register with photobucket.com/ its free, and easy to use. after you upload a pic, use the code to paste pics. since you havent purchased a silver star, you are limited to the number of pics you can attach. and besides, i havent even figured out how to do that. :D

and yes you can drive with out the sway bar. all it does is reduce lateral movment. and if you wheel it at all, it will be easier to get more flex out of the front end.

if you use a air hammer, to drive the studs, its very easy.

 

["N8"]

Can you really drive with out a sway bar? Does the vehicle still turn right?

My truck seems to make right turns fine without a sway bar infact its perfictly fine and more flexy off road.

 

[slosurfer]

Can you really drive with out a sway bar? Does the vehicle still turn right?

It will turn right just fine, but turning left will be a beeatch!























J/K I haven't had my swaybar on for awhile now, drives just fine.