ECGS bushing replacement and write up to follow

BLUF: Do you need the ECGS $60 removal tool, or can you use a cheap axle bearing puller from harbor freight?

I'm about to remove the needle bearing and install the bushing. I have the horrible vibs/rumble/making my spider gears make funny noises. Trying to do this on a budget. Thank you.

 

Those who have done this did you order the CV axle seal or reuse original?

 

I ordered it and just replaced it.. my original seemed perfectly fine, but the last thing I wanted to do was to go through pulling it all apart again because I had a leaky seal. You're already going to have it all torn down, so no reason not to do it IMHO.

 

Providing it doesn't leak or blow up, that's another successful mod done. Thanks OP.

Feels and sounds like a completely different truck. The blind hole puller from Auto Zone was more than adequate to remove the bearing. I did undo the drivers side of the sway bar to give me room to use the slide hammer for the puller. I also removed the bumpstop to give me room to hammer the bushing.

The CV shaft was something of a pain in the ass to get out and the bushing took a shitload more pounding than I expected to get it in.

Also, fuck the Toyota enginerds who decided shitty pot metal was appropriate for a drain plug. Had to use a blue wrench, hammer, and chisel to get it out. Glad I had a spare.

 

Did you use the slide hammer from AutoZone and the CV removal tool as well? I loaned that tool from AutoZone but it's not wide enough to fit around the shaft.

 

I used a prybar and a hammer to remove the axle. It was frustrating as I kept rotating and trying to find the sweet spot. I saw a post somewhere which mentioned let off the tension on the axle, tap the metal cup IOT let the clip settle a bit in place, and then try with pry bar and hammer again. Came right out after that. My pawnshop acquired Craftsman 6578 17"ish prybar and a 2 pound mallet worked perfect.

 

Just to follow up on this . I did the bushing replacement yesterday. I ended up using a 2' pry bar. Getting a good fulcrum point was critical as was grinding down the pry bar end so that it fit well onto the axle end. I rotated the axle and pried and found a point where the axle seem to move out one step before stopping so I worked that area and got it to come out. Thanks for people's help in this thread.

 

Use this method today (aka didn't remove the axle from the wheel hub assembly like so many seem to) and all went well. I wasn't able to get the axle out of the diff by just prying it, but a rented slide hammer and some hose clamps did the trick well.

A few notes: when getting my ECGS puller tool installed, I broke off a sliver from the edge of the needle bearing, so be sure to be attentive to this if you do it.

Installing the new axle seal was a little tricky, as I wasn't sure how deep to seat it. For confirmation it gets driven in to where the seal face is flush with the surface if the bore it's sliding into.

Pics for visual help to whomever might want it.

 

If you weren't able to recover it, that chunk of the needle bearing would likely be stuck to the drain plug on your next change. I bet I'll find the mysterious missing piece of bearing from mine on there eventually.

 

Gettin ready to do this on my truck.

Finally getting some unsettling vibrations between 50-60 mph's that havent existed before. Going on almost 2 years being lifted and the vibrations started about 2000k miles ago.

Before I order my bushing, has anyone successfully installed the ECGS bushing with Autozone rent a tool bearing/race driver - http://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tool...m-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set/391360_0_0 ? I really dont wanna purchase the ECGS bear driver if the Autozone bearing driver has the right size in it.

Thanks

 

having a hell of a time getting the ECGS bushing in the last 1/16"-1/8" any tips?

 

This is what mine looked like today....it wouldn't go in any further so I said Fu*k it and re-installed the CV. I haven't taken it for a drive yet but everything seems to be back together as it was before the ECGS bushing.

I'm worried that mine may be in too far (since I hammered it in pretty good) and will contact the spider gears. It felt good in there before I put things back together....fingers crossed for tomorrow.

 

Just for follow up if anyone was watching this....

ECGS got back to me and said that the bearing should sit flush but having it stick out slightly it will still be on the bearing surface of the shaft and if the CV clipped in, all should be ok.

 

Can anyone verify 90311-47012 and

$17 90311-47027 Toyota Oil Seal - 90311-47027

90311-47027 are the same part? 027 is showing its being the updated part number to the driver side axle seal.

I replaced mine when I did my ECGS bushing a few weeks ago with PN 47027. It's now leaking. I'm not sure if they're not the same part or mines defective or installed wrong.

I wanna replace it again but wanna verify the PN before I order another.

 

Still not so sure I want to do this myself..

It seems ever so slightly above my mechanical understanding.

 

It's easy. Just install the seal correctly and you'll have no issues

 

I had a bear of a time getting my axle shaft out, I didn't know about turning it ever so slightly to get it out I just kept pounding and pounding until it came out. I knew there was a c-clip in there and it looked fine when I came out but damn what a pain in the ass. I also wasn't sure about how far the new bearing was supposed to go in and I just pounded the fuck out of it till it went in no further. it was sticking out about an 1/8. have driven lots of miles since installing it and haven't heard anything crazy and it seems to have worked just fine.

 

So I'm in the middle of doing this install right now and the bushing doesn't want to go in further but it's more than 1/8" out from being flush. Also because my dumb ass didn't buy the install tool I put a small burr on the inside of the bushing do I have to worry about this?

 

Go to an auto parts store. Many rent install tools for free. Some have had good luck with sockets. I tried and couldn’t get the bushing to stay lined up. Grabbed a tool and in a minute it was in. The burr may be a problem. You do need it seated though.

 

From everything I’ve read it’s not supposed to be flush, but about an 1/8 out from flush. I kept beating it in thinking it was going to go in further and get flush, it won’t. At least that was my experience