cv boots

Hambone155 · Jun 1, 2009

blew out the cv boot on my driver front.

how much are they and how hard are they to replace

JimBeam · Jun 1, 2009

http://www.customtacos.com/tech/index.php?article=113

With only one CV joint (inner) being rebuildable on the Tacoma front axle shafts, Toyota sells the boots in a kit. In the kit you get both inner and outer boots, boot clamps, c-clips, and grease…. everything needed to replace the boots. Since the newer trucks mostly have ADD (Automatic Disconnecting Differential) versus manual hubs, I'll cover the ADD axles. The manual hubs aren't all that much different and anyone with basic mechanical knowledge can figure out how the cam in a manual hub works. That is if they pay attention to the indexing splines.

After securing your Tacoma on jack stands, remove the front wheels. This allows ample room inside the wheel well to access the shafts. Now that you have all the access needed to remove the shafts, let's start the teardown.

Remove the hub dust cover. These are sometimes tight. I use a chisel and hammer to start it and once the lip moves back enough to fit a wide flathead screwdriver in, I pry it off.

Remove cotter pin from the axle, slide the thin metal axle nut cover off the axle nut, and remove axle nut using a 36mm socket.

Now the axle is ready to slide out the back of the spindle but first we need to separate the lower ball joint...

Remove the four bolts on the lower control arm that hold the flange of the bottom ball joint together. (To keep the lower control arm from separating with the force of the compressed spring on the strut I use a small floor jack to support the lower control arm. Once the 4 bolts are removed, I let the jack down slowly until the strut is fully extended.)

Pull the bottom of the spindle outward and slide it off the shaft. Once off the shaft, go ahead and position it out of the way, the best you can. (I position them to the rear of the wheel well.) Here's where a choice of methods come in. You can either remove the entire shaft assembly from the differential or remove just the axle and outer joint from the tripod joint. I prefer to remove the entire shaft because I find it's easier to install the inner boot but this requires draining and refilling the differential. Since removing the entire shaft cost about an extra $15 to $20 in fluid, and the front differential being awkward to fill, I'll cover the method of separating the axle from the tripod joint.

Cut the inner boot entirely around its circumference. This will allow the axle to slide out of the tripod joint with a slight tug.

The next step is to remove the tripod bearing from the shaft. This allows the boots to be able to be installed by sliding over the shaft. To remove the tripod bearings, remove the c-clip holding the tripod bearing on the shaft. (It's the bigger one of the two in the kit.)

Slide tripod bearing down shaft until the enclosed retaining c-clip is exposed. (It's the smaller one of the two in the kit.)

Remove the inner retaining c-clip and slide the tripod bearing up and off the shaft. Now that you have the shaft completely broken down, all that's left before reassembly is cutting the old boots off and thoroughly cleaning the exposed joints.

Once clean, repack the outer joint putting the excess grease into the new outer boot. Slide boot over shaft and install over joint.

Burp the boot. Try to get all the air you can out of the boot. (It might help to use a small screwdriver to pry on the lip of the boot with one hand while squeezing the boot with the other hand.)

Clamp the boot on tight.

Slide the inner boot down onto the axle. DO NOT clamp the boot as it needs to be indexed with the flat sides if the tripod joint first!!

Now it's time to install the tripod bearing you just worked so hard to remove. Slide the tripod bearing on shaft until the inner retaining c-clip groove is exposed and install c-clip.

Slide tripod bearing up until the splines hit the inner c-clip and it will no longer slide (this should expose the big c-clip groove) and install c-clip.

Pack both the tripod bearing and tripod joint (still in the diff.) with grease.

Slide shaft back into the tripod joint on the differential.

Index and slide boot into place.

Clamp smaller ring of boot tight.

Burp inner boot.

Clamp bigger ring around the boot on the tripod joint.

Slide spindle over axle.

Using floor jack, jack up the lower control arm into the spindle and align bolt holes in bottom ball joint flange. Install the four bolts and tighten.

Install axle nut and tighten using 36mm socket.

Install axle nut cover and cotter pin.

Install hub dust cover.

Install wheel, tighten, and remove vehicle from secure jack stands.

Clean up tools, work area, and yourself. Go Wheelin'!
Click to expand...

Hambone155 · Jun 1, 2009

nice thanks

JimBeam · Jun 1, 2009

ive never tackled that task...ive found it much easier to find some used ones on ttora or something and just slap in a whole cv axle

TRD4x4858 · Jun 1, 2009

Check to see how much whole axles are at a parts store, sometimes they are almost as cheap as a boot kit and easier to install

skulltacoma · Jun 4, 2010

k i know no one has talked here in a while stupid me ripped a cv shaft and i didn't do what was mentioned above rather i pulled the entire cv out to rebuild it with some boots and it worked really really well. and i was just going to get my buddy at the lube shop to top off the diff fluid it all looked like it was going to work until i noticed hey the cv isn't actually in the diff wtf???? uh OH!!! so my new problem is where i went wrong and i have a sneaky suspicion that i didn't actually lock it back in because when i was putting it back in i found the "sweet spot" and it slid in ... i never thought to hammer it back on or anything. so im wondering if anyone has a detailed picture by picture with info about how to do this then i can figure wtf i messed up on.... other than that the other thing it could be is the inner diff to cv seal which i highly doubt because i was super careful and it looks more to be not locked in.... any ideas ??

thanks well in advance i wanna go wheeling lol.

i looked at this and this was an awesome looking picture by picture and made a lot of sense but doesn't go as far as the actual removal and putting the cv shaft back in but it is kinna the same area and this is kinna the type of picture by picture and info i would like to see

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cv boots

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Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

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Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

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TRD4x4858 Taco Traitor!

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skulltacoma Make more better!

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cv boots

#1 Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

#2 JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

#3 Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

#4 JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

#5 TRD4x4858 Taco Traitor!

#6 skulltacoma Make more better!

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#1
Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

#2
JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

#3
Hambone155 [OP] Well-Known Member

#4
JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

#5
TRD4x4858 Taco Traitor!

#6
skulltacoma Make more better!

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