Multiple front axle issue - CV clip and boots

[lexuslandcruiser]

Hey everyone,

Before I start please know that I've read as many threads as I can on this and also have a lot of expirience working on my 100 series, as well as other cars.
Recently did a new OEM timing belt kit, along with OEM radiator, steering rack, etc. Lots of work performed on this recently. When I did the rack, I noticed the front CV boots seemed to be in poor shape, so I kinda knew I'd have to address the CVs soon but that was coming soon™.

Issue #1
Was driving earlier this week and the truck started making a horrible sound from the front-end. Pulled off and saw the front passenger CV was backed out of the knuckle. We were 20 miles from home, so I had it towed since we were on the roadside with no tools.

I ordered the CV clip kit from cruiserteq.com, but went to go out there today to put it on and for the life of me I cannot get the axle through the spindle enough to get the clip on. I tried a bolt in the end of the CV with prying and I even made my own little press tool with a bolt and a bunch of washers to try to pull it through, to no avail.

So, I got in there to find that it seems like there's some sort of metal piece that's pressed into the hub back out slightly, which means I cannot pull the axle through enough. Circled in red in attached photos. Is that the hub itself or some sort of oil seal? I can't seem to find what that is in the parts catalog.

Is this issue fixable or do I need to replace some parts to get this sorted?

Issue #2
This is somewhat related to what it's going to take to fix issue #1. In the other attached photos, you can see tons of milky grease which seems like the CV boots are leaking.
I have no idea if these have ever been serviced, but I have to assume someone has been in there since that clip popped of. My assumption is whoever worked on this before did brakes and maybe wheel bearing and reused the C clip, so it popped off.

The previous owner clearly had this serviced by someone who had no idea what they were doing and/or didn't care about LCs like I knew we all do. I've had so many problems with this thing in just 2,000 miles of ownership. Car is at 201k. My insanely rusty LX470 with 220k was more reliable than this thing!

With all of this in mind, I'm wondering if I just need to do an entire front-end rebuild. I’m thinking the best course might be to replace everything from the axles to hub to the wheel bearings and ball joints, etc. I've already put on so many new parts on it and this is gonna be a vehicle I keep for a long time since there's zero rust on it.

Thoughts? Maybe I'm just an idiot, but I swear I tried for hours this evening to get that axle to pop through and it just won't.
Thanks everyone in advance.

 

[Land Shark]

I would pull the entire drive knuckle and rebuild. All in all not horrible to do it. Replace everything and inspect all surfaces prior to installing.
Likely the rear seal is jumbled up or something. @cruiseroutfit 's should have what you need.

 

[AARONTLC]

Hey everyone,

Before I start please know that I've read as many threads as I can on this and also have a lot of expirience working on my 100 series, as well as other cars.
Recently did a new OEM timing belt kit, along with OEM radiator, steering rack, etc. Lots of work performed on this recently. When I did the rack, I noticed the front CV boots seemed to be in poor shape, so I kinda knew I'd have to address the CVs soon but that was coming soon™.

Issue #1
Was driving earlier this week and the truck started making a horrible sound from the front-end. Pulled off and saw the front passenger CV was backed out of the knuckle. We were 20 miles from home, so I had it towed since we were on the roadside with no tools.

I ordered the CV clip kit from cruiserteq.com, but went to go out there today to put it on and for the life of me I cannot get the axle through the spindle enough to get the clip on. I tried a bolt in the end of the CV with prying and I even made my own little press tool with a bolt and a bunch of washers to try to pull it through, to no avail.

So, I got in there to find that it seems like there's some sort of metal piece that's pressed into the hub back out slightly, which means I cannot pull the axle through enough. Circled in red in attached photos. Is that the hub itself or some sort of oil seal? I can't seem to find what that is in the parts catalog.

Is this issue fixable or do I need to replace some parts to get this sorted?

Issue #2
This is somewhat related to what it's going to take to fix issue #1. In the other attached photos, you can see tons of milky grease which seems like the CV boots are leaking.
I have no idea if these have ever been serviced, but I have to assume someone has been in there since that clip popped of. My assumption is whoever worked on this before did brakes and maybe wheel bearing and reused the C clip, so it popped off.

The previous owner clearly had this serviced by someone who had no idea what they were doing and/or didn't care about LCs like I knew we all do. I've had so many problems with this thing in just 2,000 miles of ownership. Car is at 201k. My insanely rusty LX470 with 220k was more reliable than this thing!

With all of this in mind, I'm wondering if I just need to do an entire front-end rebuild. I’m thinking the best course might be to replace everything from the axles to hub to the wheel bearings and ball joints, etc. I've already put on so many new parts on it and this is gonna be a vehicle I keep for a long time since there's zero rust on it.

Thoughts? Maybe I'm just an idiot, but I swear I tried for hours this evening to get that axle to pop through and it just won't.
Thanks everyone in advance.

View attachment 3633541

View attachment 3633542

View attachment 3633543

Sorry everything is happening to you at once. It can seem like your LC hates you and the PO got one over on you but nothing is further from the truth. I just did the passenger side drive shaft boots and rebuilt the knuckle on Aaron and it is actually kind of a fun job. Looks like that seal in picture 1 might be the culprit. Could be in backwards by PO? I would do like mentioned above and pull it all the way out and inspect. Look for that brass bushing to be intact and there is a sleeve bearing behind the bushing. Really just an afternoon job and would be a good idea anyways. I wouldn't drive it to much with that much grease being slung, could cause you to have to buy a new drive shaft before you can reboot. Also might want to make sure you top off that power steering reservoir lol (Picture 2). I just flushed and replaced my hoses to that as well. Hang in there!

 

[AgentOrange]

I agree with @Land Shark to pull the knuckle. That's how I've always done it. Also, if that side was making noise from driving with the CV backed out, that means the bearing was being run without the tension it's supposed to have. On these vehicles, I don't know how bad it is, but on others it can toast the bearing. Being that you aren't confident in the workmanship of whoever was in there before you, I say pull it all and redo everything. Also, check those axle seals when you removed the CVs as that's pretty wet in there if it's not power steering fluid on everything

 

[GerLC100]

I ordered all parts for the knuckle via partsouq for ~$650 incl. shipping (wheel bearings, gaskets, seals, needle bearing, bushing, .... You're already so deep into it... have the part in your hand...
Sway bar bushings also don't look new. CVs are expensive, but I also replaced those as well as LCA bushings. Having the knuckle in your hands, you got some space down there...

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

I agree with @Land Shark to pull the knuckle. That's how I've always done it. Also, if that side was making noise from driving with the CV backed out, that means the bearing was being run without the tension it's supposed to have. On these vehicles, I don't know how bad it is, but on others it can toast the bearing. Being that you aren't confident in the workmanship of whoever was in there before you, I say pull it all and redo everything. Also, check those axle seals when you removed the CVs as that's pretty wet in there if it's not power steering fluid on everything

No noise, but it did have a bit of a wobble that I attributed to out of round tires. I got 4 brand new ATs and the wobble went down to probably 10-20% of what it was. The axle being loose must be the cause of that remaining wobble.

Does the hub have to be pressed into the knuckle? Guess I gotta research that.
EDIT: Silly me. The hub bolts in the back of the brake rotor. I forgot, been a while since I've done brakes on the 100.

I recently replaced the entire power steering system including reservoir and all lines, but in my attempt to get the axle to popout I spun the steering wheel hoping it'd push the axle through but instead it just made the reservoir overflow and some ATF spilled down as you can see.

I ordered all parts for the knuckle via partsouq for ~$650 incl. shipping (wheel bearings, gaskets, seals, needle bearing, bushing, .... You're already so deep into it... have the part in your hand...
Sway bar bushings also don't look new. CVs are expensive, but I also replaced those as well as LCA bushings. Having the knuckle in your hands, you got some space down there...

Is that $650 for one side or both? I can find the part numbers, but do you happen to have a list of what you bought handy? If your cruiser is similar year to mine, that is.

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Sorry everything is happening to you at once. It can seem like your LC hates you and the PO got one over on you but nothing is further from the truth. I just did the passenger side drive shaft boots and rebuilt the knuckle on Aaron and it is actually kind of a fun job. Looks like that seal in picture 1 might be the culprit. Could be in backwards by PO? I would do like mentioned above and pull it all the way out and inspect. Look for that brass bushing to be intact and there is a sleeve bearing behind the bushing. Really just an afternoon job and would be a good idea anyways. I wouldn't drive it to much with that much grease being slung, could cause you to have to buy a new drive shaft before you can reboot. Also might want to make sure you top off that power steering reservoir lol (Picture 2). I just flushed and replaced my hoses to that as well. Hang in there!

Thanks! Is that thing popping out in pic #1 an oil seal or part of the hub itself?

Also, I assume a new hub has new races pressed in already so I'd just need new bearings?

 

[AARONTLC]

Thanks! Is that thing popping out in pic #1 an oil seal or part of the hub itself?

Also, I assume a new hub has new races pressed in already so I'd just need new bearings?

It has to be the seal pictured here:

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

It has to be the seal pictured here:View attachment 3634008

Oh yeah, 100% that's it. Thank you. I was looking for it in the front hub assembly diagram, but it's actually in the Front Axle Arm diagram.

 

[AARONTLC]

BTW, this is the hub.

Picture #1 you provided is back of the knuckle.

 

[GerLC100]

This is for my 99 LC100

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

This is for my 99 LC100

Extremely helpful, thank you.

Got all of that in my cart. Looks like just $450 in parts for both sides, excluding shipping, from Partsouq. Not bad.
I'll also get the CV reboot kit 04427-60121 which is cheaper from my dealer than it is from Partsouq by quite a lot.

Anything else you guys can think of that should replace while I'm going to this length? Already have new OEM shocks which I'll do at this time too.

Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Oh actually, before I buy the CV boot kit - should I pull everything apart and inspect the outer splines on the CV, or is that unlikely?

I'm wondering if when it backed out originally that it could've damaged the the axle splines and the flange splines (buying a new one).

Edit: I'm adding front OEM rotors and pads to my list. $237 for full front set of rotors and pads from the dealer.

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Wow, tore into the front end tonight and found hard evidence of the previous total crap workmanship. PO told me they took it to the same guy at Firestone for years... I'm willing to bet they started to run into tons of problems because that place didn't know LCs and did s*** work, so problems kept popping up.

The big 54mm nuts both have giant gashes in them where someone clearly used a flathead to tighten/loosen them. Wheel bearings had no name, part numbers, or markings so probably some sort of part store special. The axle flange is heavy chewed up on the inner edge, probably from when the C clip let go on the axle.

And then not only that, but the end of the axle splines where the C clip goes appear to just be sheared off entirely.

Bummer! Looks like I'm buying new CVs so this job just about 2.5x'd in cost lol. I think I can buy the outer end only, but I'm not gonna mess with that. New CV from the dealer are $380/ea. That's steep, but worth it.

 

[take123]

Those CV is fubar'ed. At this point, I would buy new CV and not worry about a rebuild, not worth the hassle for the price.

Hard to tell but your flanges look like the teeth are okay. If you put the Flange on the CV axle, is there play when you move it left and right? If not much play you can likely just re-use the flanges not buy new.

I would get new inner and outer bearings, and re-pack. Get new C-clip thing and makes sure it's the right thickness, it comes in different dimension options. I would buy a few extra clips in case.

Check the condition of the Knuckle bearing, check condition of Knuckle.

You need new locking washer, and 54mm nuts for sure. I would buy extra lock washers as you may new more in future, this is the thing you have to hammer back and forward to lock with the 54mm nuts. New flange gasket. I bought new nuts and washers and cone washers as they're not too expensive. I also got a new cap, they're not too expensive, if you keep prying the cap open and knocking it back in, it gets worn and loose.

When I replaced the CV axle, I also replaced the oil seal at the differential side. The left and right side, have different part numbers, I use Partsouq.com to check the part # needed for my VIN. The oil seal was a pain in the butt to get out and put in. I used a prybar to get mine out, and minding not to scratch the inside of the diff hole. I used the old seal as a hammer cover, I put the old seal over the new seal, and used a hammer over the old seal to hammer the new seal in, took a long time. You don't want to hammer the new seal directly, you will screw it up. If you're unsure about the seal step, and your seals look fine, just dont touch it!


When you get the new CV axle, be careful when setting them down, as there is a very delicate thin sheet metal around the ring of the CV (outer end). Try to also not damage the rubber gasket material on the outer end. Lay it on soft towel and be careful when inserting it in. You want to make sure there is a clean seal with the knuckle when you slide it in. The new CV axle is very stiff it's hard to move and work with.

When you insert the new CV axle in, there is a C-clip on the inner - end. Make sure that Clip is facing "up" on the groove, you'll use lube so it'll stick to that spot and not move around. If you have the C-clip hanging down on the bottom (6-o'clock) it will be very hard to shove it in. Note you will not shove the CV completely FLUSH into the diff hole, it'll still have a few mm of gap space that's normal, I thought I couldn't get mine shoved in all the way in but in reality it's already locked in.

When you put the new bearing in, replace the races, the new bearings come with the new races together (do both inner and outer races). You need a brass or soft material drift, and a hammer. Lightly tap the old race out, and when putting in the new race, you can use the old race as a tool on top of the old race to hammer it in evenly. You need to cut a small sliver with a dremel on the old race, so it can compress into smaller radius as it goes in and you can take it out. Make sure the new races, are all the way in! Or else you will have alignment problems on the bearing or your caliper may not seat properly.

When you put the bearings in, make sure you properly pack them with lots of lube. Spend a lot of time on this and make sure it's well lubed. Inside the cavity of the HUB you need to make sure it's got LUBE all inside it, don't skimp on this. Poor lube volume will damage bearings. It's a dirty job so get lots of towels and gloves.

The bearing pre-load step is very important (you need to torque the nut to tighten the bearings, then loosen the nut, then torque it very very lightly, then put the lock washer, and outer nut and torque the outer nut, then lock the washer to the nuts). If you don't do the pre-load right you can have a wobbly wheel and loose bearing, which can damage the bearing. Or if it's too tight you can have problems with the bearing getting damaged. Makes sure you do this correct per manual, there is a lot of guides on this on ih8mud.

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

Those CV is fubar'ed. At this point, I would buy new CV and not worry about a rebuild, not worth the hassle for the price.

Hard to tell but your flanges look like the teeth are okay. If you put the Flange on the CV axle, is there play when you move it left and right? If not much play you can likely just re-use the flanges not buy new.

I would get new inner and outer bearings, and re-pack. Get new C-clip thing and makes sure it's the right thickness, it comes in different dimension options. I would buy a few extra clips in case.

Check the condition of the Knuckle bearing, check condition of Knuckle.

You need new locking washer, and 54mm nuts for sure. I would buy extra lock washers as you may new more in future, this is the thing you have to hammer back and forward to lock with the 54mm nuts. New flange gasket. I bought new nuts and washers and cone washers as they're not too expensive. I also got a new cap, they're not too expensive, if you keep prying the cap open and knocking it back in, it gets worn and loose.

When I replaced the CV axle, I also replaced the oil seal at the differential side. The left and right side, have different part numbers, I use Partsouq.com to check the part # needed for my VIN. The oil seal was a pain in the butt to get out and put in. I used a prybar to get mine out, and minding not to scratch the inside of the diff hole. I used the old seal as a hammer cover, I put the old seal over the new seal, and used a hammer over the old seal to hammer the new seal in, took a long time. You don't want to hammer the new seal directly, you will screw it up. If you're unsure about the seal step, and your seals look fine, just dont touch it!


When you get the new CV axle, be careful when setting them down, as there is a very delicate thin sheet metal around the ring of the CV (outer end). Try to also not damage the rubber gasket material on the outer end. Lay it on soft towel and be careful when inserting it in. You want to make sure there is a clean seal with the knuckle when you slide it in. The new CV axle is very stiff it's hard to move and work with.

When you insert the new CV axle in, there is a C-clip on the inner - end. Make sure that Clip is facing "up" on the groove, you'll use lube so it'll stick to that spot and not move around. If you have the C-clip hanging down on the bottom (6-o'clock) it will be very hard to shove it in. Note you will not shove the CV completely FLUSH into the diff hole, it'll still have a few mm of gap space that's normal, I thought I couldn't get mine shoved in all the way in but in reality it's already locked in.

When you put the new bearing in, replace the races, the new bearings come with the new races together (do both inner and outer races). You need a brass or soft material drift, and a hammer. Lightly tap the old race out, and when putting in the new race, you can use the old race as a tool on top of the old race to hammer it in evenly. You need to cut a small sliver with a dremel on the old race, so it can compress into smaller radius as it goes in and you can take it out. Make sure the new races, are all the way in! Or else you will have alignment problems on the bearing or your caliper may not seat properly.

When you put the bearings in, make sure you properly pack them with lots of lube. Spend a lot of time on this and make sure it's well lubed. Inside the cavity of the HUB you need to make sure it's got LUBE all inside it, don't skimp on this. Poor lube volume will damage bearings. It's a dirty job so get lots of towels and gloves.

The bearing pre-load step is very important (you need to torque the nut to tighten the bearings, then loosen the nut, then torque it very very lightly, then put the lock washer, and outer nut and torque the outer nut, then lock the washer to the nuts). If you don't do the pre-load right you can have a wobbly wheel and loose bearing, which can damage the bearing. Or if it's too tight you can have problems with the bearing getting damaged. Makes sure you do this correct per manual, there is a lot of guides on this on ih8mud.

So much good info! Thank you very much. Good shout on the diff-side seals. Only thing not on my parts list so far

 

[GerLC100]

Oh actually, before I buy the CV boot kit - should I pull everything apart and inspect the outer splines on the CV, or is that unlikely?

I'm wondering if when it backed out originally that it could've damaged the the axle splines and the flange splines (buying a new one).

Edit: I'm adding front OEM rotors and pads to my list. $237 for full front set of rotors and pads from the dealer.

I went with DBA front, doing the same in the future on the rear. Wasn‘t that much more, I think like 320?!?

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

I went with DBA front, doing the same in the future on the rear. Wasn‘t that much more, I think like 320?!?

For brakes right? I just hate hate hate brake warp shimmy so I was gonna go OEM to try to avoid that as much as possible.

Ive got a little bit of warp now but probably since its off brand rotors since everything else is off brand lol

 

[LJE]

Looks like the same hack that did the passenger side of my LX before I bought it must have gotten to your CV axles too, haha! My passenger side CV axle was held in by a bolt + washers on the end.

And as a result, this is what my inner knuckle bearing looked like... You can note the lack of roller bearing rollers - just a few chunks + the outer race left. Curious how long it took to get to that point?

 

[lexuslandcruiser]

That’s wild!! Yours is a lot worse than mine but I was just thinking last night how could the mechanic send it out the door like that? Same goes for your situation in particular lol