CV/front axle "trail" spare components

[grinchy]

This is the trouble of the Dealer packaging meant for the Toyota internal white glove style dealer transport when put thru UPS sorting machines and conveyors. Just like with the radiator, these are packaged for transportation, but not for shipment.

Sucks to have to work thru returns and not be able to put on the new CVs for sure though.

 

[Oogabooga]

Just got mine from Serra Toyota. Looks similar. Bought 2 axles, both messed up. #%&$

@Oogabooga, how did you fix yours? I’m going to call Serra tomorrow and get new seals. I doubt they will want me to ship them back.

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Myself and @Vasiliy ended up just bending them back as best as possible before installation. It seemed like such a common issue that I didn’t want to bother with returning and more than likely just having the same issue again. As far as as I can tell it’s not super important that the seal is 100% perfect.

I put it in a vise and just slowly worked my way around it with small pliers and a punch to form it back to as close to round as I could.

 

[kcjaz]

Myself and @Vasiliy ended up just bending them back as best as possible before installation. It seemed like such a common issue that I didn’t want to bother with returning and more than likely just having the same issue again. As far as as I can tell it’s not super important that the seal is 100% perfect.

I put it in a vise and just slowly worked my way around it with small pliers and a punch to form it back to as close to round as I could.

So you uninstalled it, flattened it and put it back? I think you can get the dust covers/seals as separate parts, so I’d be tempted to get new, unmangled parts and replace. I am still waiting on Serra but the plan is to send my axles back and try again. I agree it’s likely to happen again.

 

[Oogabooga]

So you uninstalled it, flattened it and put it back? I think you can get the dust covers/seals as separate parts, so I’d be tempted to get new, unmangled parts and replace. I am still waiting on Serra but the plan is to send my axles back and try again. I agree it’s likely to happen again.

No I flattened and “fixed” the seal on the new part that was delivered. The existing CV on the truck was leaking grease so I replaced that one with the new one.

Yeah that’s a good point with getting the new seals, I would have liked to do that also but wasn’t really sure on the procedure of removing the damaged ones and installing the new seals. But also my existing CV was in kind of rough shape and I wanted to just get it fixed asap.

Plan is to reboot the old CV and keep that as a spare, or perhaps once I fix it, reinstall it and the properly fix this new ones seal.

 

[kcjaz]

I’m reviving this thread I started from 2020. I have yet to break a CV on a trail (though I now do have a front locker). I recently had to pull my CVs (both sides) to fix bad seals that were leaking. That work is chronicled here. The original thought of THIS thread was to identify what should be carried to be able to replace a CV on the trail. This thread has identified the parts but, after pulling and reinstalling both CVs in my shop (with a lift, and all the tools), I wanted to update this thread as I’ve learned a lot doing this in my shop.

The first thing I learned is if you have never pulled a CV on any vehicle, let alone a 200, trying to do this your first time solo on a trail without internet access would be very challenging and probably just not realistic unless you have good general mechanic skill. It’s not hard to do but w/o ever seeing it done through video or in person it would be hard to just figure out in a vacuum on a trail. There are only 3 bolts plus a brake line bracket to remove. The rest is just figuring out access and how to support and move the hub as needed and how hard to pound on stuff. There is some “feel” to this. Knowing if all you need to do is pound harder or realizing that the retaining ring is hung up and needs to be aligned is important. This video was very helpful. Still, there is a big difference in watching a video and actually doing the thing. So, if you really want to be prepared for a trail CV replacement, I highly recommend doing it first in your garage.

The next thing is tools. You need more than just the 39mm 12 point socket. This is what I used. The left is what I’d consider necessary:

If that’s not OCD enough for you, here’s a video. Edit: Wasn't OCD enough. Forgot the 250ft-lb torque wrench, ratchet straps to hold the hub up, gear oil hand pump and tubing, and a jack stand in addition to the jack you use to lift the corner.

For parts, here is a recap:

Finally, having a copy of the FSM is hepful too (not just for CV replacement). For this just you need the torque specs for the 3 bolts:

Lower ball joint bolts (2) - 221 ft-lb
Hub nut: torque to 148 lt-lb then completely loosen, then retighten to 251 ft-lb.