CV Axle Clicking (Again) (1 Viewer)

[Jelder]

Hi All,

OK, so check this out. Last summer my 2013 LC started making a clicking noise behind the driver's side wheel when turning sharply to the right. It was diagnosed as a bad CV axle (~160K miles at the time). The boot looked fine, and there were no issues driving. Only the noise, but it annoyed me. Just as a little background, I installed a 2" Iron Man lift kit with aluminum UCAs a few years ago, along with a Dobinson's differential drop kit to help keep the very part that failed healthy. I also have 1.25" spidertrax wheel spacers.

Anyway, I got the CV axle replaced, and actually had the other one replaced too and kept the old one as a spare. Everything was fine for a couple months, but now the exact same symptoms have come back on the same side. Again, it drives fine. Nothing feels loose or clunky. My question for ih8mud world is could the failure be caused by something else? A bad wheel bearing, or maybe some misalignment in the transfer case end? It has to be more than a coincidence that this has happened twice, but as far as I can tell everything is put together and bolted up to spec. I would think there would be other signs or symptoms if something funky was going on, but like I said, it feels perfectly normal and the same if I'm turning in either direction.

Any suggestions, comments, or pieces of advice are greatly appreciated!
Jay

 

[Boston Mangler]

Were replacement CVs OEM or aftermarket?

 

[Jelder]

Were replacement CVs OEM or aftermarket?

Aftermarket. I usually request OEM, but forgot in this case.

 

[grinchy]

It could be a wheel bearing, but it probably isn’t. That manifested as more of a loud white noise on my truck.

Sounds like another axle.

Are you doing a lot of off road at low speed high throttle where wheel spin then traction happens?

 

[TeCKis300]

Aftermarket. I usually request OEM, but forgot in this case.

Very well could be the aftermarket CV as they have been known to fail prematurely. This is what aftermarket on a Tundra can look like but could be similar to 200-series aftermarkets.

 

[Jelder]

It could be a wheel bearing, but it probably isn’t. That manifested as more of a loud white noise on my truck.

Sounds like another axle.

Are you doing a lot of off road at low speed high throttle where wheel spin then traction happens?

Thanks for the reply. In the past I have off roaded it pretty hard on trails and dunes, but it has not been off road since the CV was replaced last fall.

 

[Zill]

Aftermarket CV’s are more often than not, junk. I would replace it with an OEM unit and see if that fixes the issue for the long term.

 

[Boston Mangler]

Aftermarket. I usually request OEM, but forgot in this case.

Likely the cause I’m betting

Part of my “OEM EVERYTHING ONLY” attitude now was formed by a string of FOUR bad aftermarket CVs (different brands) on my 100 series and the amount of effort and headache, time, and $ involved swapping them

Are there good aftermarket ones?

Maybe…. Am I willing to risk having to do a fairly messy, time consuming, and annoying job several times to save a few bucks? Absolutely not.

YMMV

 

[bloc]

Aftermarket CV’s are more often than not, junk. I would replace it with an OEM unit and see if that fixes the issue for the long term.

This.

I used to do work on some euro cars on the side, one customer insisted on preemptively replacing their CVs on his and his wife’s cars as they approached 250k.. but provided parts-store CVs.

They didn’t even last 20k.

Not that there aren’t good aftermarket brands.. but with Genuine Toyota you at least know what you’re getting.

I would flat out refuse to install aftermarket CVs for anyone these days, unless it was the only thing available to get off a trail or home from a trip.