Project: Rebuilding a busted CV

[ClassyJalopy]

Last month my brand new Toyota OEM CV axle had it's splines grinded off because of a really bad install. Read all about that fun stuff here: A Harrowing Tale of Incompetence - How I destroyed a steering knuckle

Now I am rebuilding the CV axle by replacing the out board shaft. Toyota sells the outboard shaft in a neat package with all parts including boot, clips and even grease. This is my attempt to document the process.

Part number: 43460-69145 $200 at the local dealership

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Note: The yellow clamps (larger/longer boot) is the outboard (closer to wheel) and we are NOT going to mess with it at all. All the action is on the inboard join (smaller boot).

Step 1: pop the tabs on the boot clamps and pull them off. Then slide the boot down on the shaft away from the joint.

Step 2: Clean the grease off as much as you can. There is a large diameter c clip that is sitting on the inner lip of the tulip. It pulls out easily with a small screwdriver. Take it off and discard. You can now slide off the tulip of the join.
Caution: 6 heavy ball will want to fall out. Carefully clean them - they will be reused in reassembly later.

Step 3: The inner race the hold the ball bearings is held in place by a small diameter C-Clip. Take it off and discard - we already got replacement ones

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Step 4: Use a (rented) jaw puller to pull off the bearing carrier/inner race. Now, you can slide out the bearing holder/outer race and the boot will also easily slide off. The old outboard shaft can now be discarded (or sold to another mud member - you never know!)

Note: Please note the the orientation of the bearing races going back in. Also, notice the inner race has slightly tapered/lowered splines on one end to make it easier to get it started on the new shaft.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Step 5: Slide your new small boot clamp onto the new outboard shaft, then slide the boot on and then the outer bearing race/cage.
Step 6: Slide on the inner bearing race starting from the tapered side. Use a brass bar to knock it evenly on all side to get it all the way in.
Step 7: Put the new small c-clip on the outboard shaft to keep the bearing race from sliding out
Step 8: Put some grease on the outer cage and slide onto the inner race and then dip your balls in the mustard grease and put them in the cage.
Step 9: Slide the tulip back on. Install the larger C clamp on the inner lip of the tulip to stop it from sliding out.
Step 10: get all the grease from the provided grease tube into the boot and tulip.
Step 11: Slide boot onto the tulip and install the large clamp
Step 12: slide the smaller end of the boot towards the outboard joint until it seats on its groove. Install the clamp
Step 13: clean up and rejoice.

I used the pFran clamps since they don't require any special tools.

 

[gatormark91]

You can whack the bearing carrier/race with a brass hammer and it will come off. Never needed to rent anything.

 

[gatormark91]

and, BTW - "dip your balls in the mustard grease and put them in the cage" sounds like a really horrible thing, taken out of context.

 

[MongooseGA]

Awesome post. I didn't know they could be rebuilt this way. Thanks for documenting it. How long did everything take?

and, BTW - "dip your balls in the mustard grease and put them in the cage" sounds like a really horrible thing, taken out of context.

Yeah well that's just like, your opinion, man.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Awesome post. I didn't know they could be rebuilt this way. Thanks for documenting it. How long did everything take?

ABout half hour for the whole thing. I now have a new spare CV if I ever need one!

 

[JunkCrzr89]

You can whack the bearing carrier/race with a brass hammer and it will come off. Never needed to rent anything.

That’s what I’ve always done when rebuilding CVs and birfs...FSM does call for a puller tho i think.

 

[nissanh]

Can you please post a close-up picture of the splines on the CV at the wheel side? I wanted to see how bad mine is.
Thanks!

 

[MountaineerLC]

Good stuff, man! This is the type of stuff that makes this forum so awesome!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Really nice writeup and pics. Thank you. I need to do this to my LX. I just realized there's a ton of play in the outboard CV splines. Time for new outboard axles and hub flanges. This was very helpful.

 

[danielharro]

Did you have to add any more grease and if so what kind of grease did you add?

 

[planomateo]

Did you have to add any more grease and if so what kind of grease did you add?

It's part of the cv kit from toyota. You remove the old grease and replace with new grease from the kit.

 

[danielharro]

I guess that makes sense with the kit, didn't know if the kit came with grease or not. Thanks for the reply!

 

[ga12r1]

You can whack the bearing carrier/race with a brass hammer and it will come off. Never needed to rent anything.

Yeah, I’ve always used a BFH and brass drift. It’s got to be a break the glass emergency before I use a puller on anything that doesn’t require latex gloves and a surgical mask

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Yeah, I’ve always used a BFH and brass drift. It’s got to be a break the glass emergency before I use a puller on anything that doesn’t require latex gloves and a surgical mask

I ain't no stranger to thor's hammer but a jaw puller was free to use and made me look sophisticated

 

[Pyrenees]

@ClassyJalopy is that part number you mentioned the full EVERYTHING kit for the front axles? I was looking at buying parts to have a local shop do this for me. This is my local parts counter: Parts like 43460-69145 - https://parts.hendricktoyotaapex.com/productSearch.aspx?searchTerm=43460-69145 .

I noticed that the driver's side outer boot on mine split at 188k miles and the passenger one has lots of little cracks, so I was thinking about replacing both (my guess is that the passenger one, which looks the same age, will fail soon too).

Do you know if there's any real difference in labor for replacing all the boots versus the axle? I don't have any clicking or grinding but 188k mi is "a lot", and new OEM axles for $196 a pop doesn't sound that bad.

Anything else you'd suggest I have them check or re-do while everything is taken off? I haven't actually had to pull an axle on any car before, so my knowledge depth on it is preeeettty shallow.

 

[LCT]

@ClassyJalopy is that part number you mentioned the full EVERYTHING kit for the front axles? I was looking at buying parts to have a local shop do this for me. This is my local parts counter: Parts like 43460-69145 - https://parts.hendricktoyotaapex.com/productSearch.aspx?searchTerm=43460-69145 .

I noticed that the driver's side outer boot on mine split at 188k miles and the passenger one has lots of little cracks, so I was thinking about replacing both (my guess is that the passenger one, which looks the same age, will fail soon too).

Do you know if there's any real difference in labor for replacing all the boots versus the axle? I don't have any clicking or grinding but 188k mi is "a lot", and new OEM axles for $196 a pop doesn't sound that bad.

Anything else you'd suggest I have them check or re-do while everything is taken off? I haven't actually had to pull an axle on any car before, so my knowledge depth on it is preeeettty shallow.

New OEM axle is $500+ each side.

 

[awesomeissquid]

Replace the axle and replacing the boots both require the axle to be pulled. The labor for replacing the boots will be more since they then have to disassemble the axle.

As @LCT pointed our new OEM axles are ~$500 a pop. The cheaper number you are seeing is the remanufactured axles which people have found are trash and not worth it.