Should I repair or replace CV axel? (1 Viewer)

[landarcht]

Ok, yeah you are right. I remember now that you mentioned the year, it was 2018 I took the car to Toyota dealer and I opted for a rebuilt over brand new OEM to save some $$. I forgot how much I paid for it but I think it's a little over $1k along with some other work and oil change. I guess warranty has expired by now.
This really because I was about to spend some $$ on cat since the check engine light has been up for years now and now that it turns back on only a few after hours I cancel it with the OBD. But this CV axle is definitely more urgent than the check engine light light.

 

[AlpineAccess]

CVJ makes a good axle for being a rebuild but rebuilding your own or getting OEM are great options.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Ok, yeah you are right. I remember now that you mentioned the year, it was 2018 I took the car to Toyota dealer and I opted for a rebuilt over brand new OEM to save some $$. I forgot how much I paid for it but I think it's a little over $1k along with some other work and oil change. I guess warranty has expired by now.
This really because I was about to spend some $$ on cat since the check engine light has been up for years now and now that it turns back on only a few after hours I cancel it with the OBD. But this CV axle is definitely more urgent than the check engine light light.

This right here is exactly why I think oem are the "right" choice for the 100. Two years is a crazy low lifespan for an axle - even if lifted. Absolutely pathetic in Toyota timescales. Used/rebuilt or aftermarket are all a gamble. Your gamble will have cost you more in labor than the price difference by the time you sort this out. Give yourself the best chance of success and install only genuine Toyota axles with new genuine hub flanges and snap ring(s).

Pay for better parts or pay for labor to rework the cheap stuff.

 

[landarcht]

Ok, just got a quote from a reputable mechanic for $1775 (parts & labor, including tax) to replace both front CV axles with brand new OEM parts and sway bar link bushings. It is really hard to swallow with the price tag, but I intend to this rig for as long as I can, just wanted to know if that's a fair price.

 

[AlpineAccess]

Ok, just got a quote from a reputable mechanic for $1775 (parts & labor, including tax) to replace both front CV axles with brand new OEM parts and sway bar link bushings. It is really hard to swallow with the price tag, but I intend to this rig for as long as I can, just wanted to know if that's a fair price.

Parts are 800-850 for CVs and $50 for the sway bar end links roughly. Labor is probably 3 hours on a lift, more if you have rust.

Where are you located?

 

[Tanner H]

If you cant do it yourself then its a tough pill to swallow but at least you wont have to worry about it for 200k more miles.

If you end up going with him, make sure you add new left and right oem diff axle seals. Theres about a 50/50 chance your original seals will leak once you swap axles. Not a risk most are willing to take. they are only about 10-20 each and take a few seconds to tap into place. I'd hate for all this work to be done only to have them leak.

 

[landarcht]

Ok, so it turned out to be probably the worst situation I have been despite the 5-star reviews from customers to other automotive repair website. I will often research as much as I can before committing to a shop or service, this time really caught me by surprise.
So I happened to call to a dealer closer to me that I still maintain my Avalon Hybrid with just to get a second opinion on pricing, to my surprise, they are almost $300 lower after a bit of negotiation and they also include the CV seals. I immediately drove back to that shop to get my car back. Knowing they will not get the job, they told me that they need to charge $104 + tax for inspection (even though I already told them what the issue is). I understand they did spend the time to put my car on the lift and remove the skid plate to get a closer look but I don't think it justify the price. I basically bought a piece of paper for $120 that stated customer requested inspection (which I never did because I told them the issue of the axle) and that the one line item the axle needs to be replaced. Everything else I was only told over the phone and the quote.
At that point, I just wanted to get out of there and the $120 was my exit fee. Lesson learned. He does seem like a mechanic that stands behind his work but his quote and way of doing business is just professional. I was hoping he would be my go to guy for my rig but I'm glad this happened early.
I should have saw it coming when I first brought my car in and he wasn't there to talk to me, him being the owner, no longer work on cars unless it gets too busy. He asked me to talk to his "service advisor" which knows nothing about cars, until I later learned that the actual mechanic that will be working on my car is a guy that was busy working on another car and just had poor communication, that should have been a sign. I also should add that it took them a day and half just to do the "inspection."
Just got a call my car from the dealer my car will be ready in couple of days and parts are already ordered.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Ok, just got a quote from a reputable mechanic for $1775 (parts & labor, including tax) to replace both front CV axles with brand new OEM parts and sway bar link bushings. It is really hard to swallow with the price tag, but I intend to this rig for as long as I can, just wanted to know if that's a fair price.

I think that's a reasonable price tag for the job.

Ok, so it turned out to be probably the worst situation I have been despite the 5-star reviews from customers to other automotive repair website. I will often research as much as I can before committing to a shop or service, this time really caught me by surprise.
So I happened to call to a dealer closer to me that I still maintain my Avalon Hybrid with just to get a second opinion on pricing, to my surprise, they are almost $300 lower after a bit of negotiation and they also include the CV seals. I immediately drove back to that shop to get my car back. Knowing they will not get the job, they told me that they need to charge $104 + tax for inspection (even though I already told them what the issue is). I understand they did spend the time to put my car on the lift and remove the skid plate to get a closer look but I don't think it justify the price. I basically bought a piece of paper for $120 that stated customer requested inspection (which I never did because I told them the issue of the axle) and that the one line item the axle needs to be replaced. Everything else I was only told over the phone and the quote.
At that point, I just wanted to get out of there and the $120 was my exit fee. Lesson learned. He does seem like a mechanic that stands behind his work but his quote and way of doing business is just professional. I was hoping he would be my go to guy for my rig but I'm glad this happened early.
I should have saw it coming when I first brought my car in and he wasn't there to talk to me, him being the owner, no longer work on cars unless it gets too busy. He asked me to talk to his "service advisor" which knows nothing about cars, until I later learned that the actual mechanic that will be working on my car is a guy that was busy working on another car and just had poor communication, that should have been a sign. I also should add that it took them a day and half just to do the "inspection."
Just got a call my car from the dealer my car will be ready in couple of days and parts are already ordered.

FWIW, I think the shop is in line. You consumed their most valuable resource (regardless of whether of not that benefitted you) and now they're not getting any business. I would never take the customer's word for it on repair needs, especially on a job like the CV on a 100. Gotta inspect that yourself otherwise you end up with a customer that says "it just needs a CV" meanwhile in reality it's rusted to hell and back with blown ball joints, a worn tie rod, terrible bushings and missing sway bar brackets, etc... You might be capable, but the average person that walks into their shop is definitely not. I think it's standard process for a shop to doublecheck what you think is needed. Also standard practice to charge for that inspection if that shop is not getting any business for the repair work.

I know it sucks from your end, but they're probably still in the hole even after your $120. Shop time is $$.

As a hardcore DIYer with a recent large negative balance of time, this has led me to just seek out an expert and just hand them the keys and have at. Right now that's Paul (@2001LC ), but it could also be @sleeoffroad . If your dealership mechanic seems to know the vehicle and the work well, keep their name handy. Hard to find shops that you can really trust with a 100.

 

[2001LC]

I think that's a reasonable price tag for the job.

FWIW, I think the shop is in line. You consumed their most valuable resource (regardless of whether of not that benefitted you) and now they're not getting any business. I would never take the customer's word for it on repair needs, especially on a job like the CV on a 100. Gotta inspect that yourself otherwise you end up with a customer that says "it just needs a CV" meanwhile in reality it's rusted to hell and back with blown ball joints, a worn tie rod, terrible bushings and missing sway bar brackets, etc... You might be capable, but the average person that walks into their shop is definitely not. I think it's standard process for a shop to doublecheck what you think is needed. Also standard practice to charge for that inspection if that shop is not getting any business for the repair work.

I know it sucks from your end, but they're probably still in the hole even after your $120. Shop time is $$.

As a hardcore DIYer with a recent large negative balance of time, this has led me to just seek out an expert and just hand them the keys and have at. Right now that's Paul (@2001LC ), but it could also be @sleeoffroad . If your dealership mechanic seems to know the vehicle and the work well, keep their name handy. Hard to find shops that you can really trust with a 100.

Thanks for vote of confidence Andy. Axle done and button up. But going to inspect and do some of other stuff we talked about. Should be ready tomorrow, will talk. As you know, it was my first rear axle/bearing service. So I enlisted the help and shop of a great mud member @RicardoJM ,that has done (non 100 series) Toyota rear axles and was tooled up for service with add bonus of a lift. Man was he great. Neither of us though it take more than 4 to 6 hours, near 18 hours was nuts. He even help me get to and from his shop as we fairy 2 vehicles, at 1AM dead tired. Just so I wouldn't have to deal with today. Mud has some good people and some very special ones like Recardo.

We ran into something very strange. Whereas we though it be 4 to 6 hour shop time. It was 7:30 AM to 1AM next morning, with only one break. Which was to run to a machine shop. Because we had and anomaly (trial by fire for my first time), where one outer race of bearing stayed on the axle. 20 ton press was not adequate for removing this race do to location and spread of press receiver table. In fact this bearing is held by retain and snap ring, and should press on & off easily. It did neither. We had to come up with a solution to remove it. We considered cutting-off the race, which is super hard steel and may nick axle. We considered getting a different axle form parts rig, and rebuilding it. But I had shop use for only one day, and we both had other stuff was schedule we need to do.

Thanks to a relation I built with Max (a real great guy and top machincest & mold maker) at Accel Precision Machine & Mold. We took to Max. Max stopped what he was doing, and he and I came up with a solution together. Max letting me work side by side with him in his shop, was great and we moved fast. I was on a mission and focus on task. I've know idea what I was doing, but I got it done...LOL

It was very cool what we rigged up together on is 50 (70 max) metric ton press. Max has so many machine and tools in his shop. I could hardly fit through to the area we needed get too, and I'm as skinny as a "bean pole". To me being in his shop, is like a kid allowed in candy store after closing time, Heaven!

Max had just finished building a custom mold job, and was working to catch up on other stuff. I had seen parts of this multi chambered mold during construction, a few weeks ago on another job max did for me. He said it took 9 week to build the mold. Max has 3 different CNC machine (or more), of vary in size and capabilities. Likely used all for this mold job he'd just finished. It was so massive it was on forklift readied for pick up.

Max has done 4 different types jobs, for me in last 7 months. Each one I could not be happier with. First was grinding me drift form a hardened steel USA made socket. I use drift to pressing and out LCA #2 bushings from farme. It's how we meet. Sockets are to hard for a lathe, and must be ground. Max had the skill and the grinder. Man did he do a perfect job for me. Max currently is help me build a custom OTV brake lathe arm to adapt Ammco lathe to Procut trolly, so I can turn rotors at jack-stand height. Tool building was what max has helped with, until this special rush job. Guy can build anything and does a perfect job.

Guy's if you make use of Max's service, please say I said hi and thanks from me!

 

[shtbrwn86]

This might be a bit of a thread jack but isn’t the grease in the OEM axles yellow? Or is that just a new thing? The grease in these pictures looks grey. I ask because my driver side is leaking (stock height 470) and it’s flinging grey grease on my LCA. I’m just wondering if they are OEM from 1999 or if they might be aftermarket and if grease color can be used to differentiate