CV axle problems and replacement?

Good morning,

I assume it is the right side axle?

The axle sits in a bracket and there is a C clip that has to be removed. Once that is removed, it is always difficult to get the axle to come out of the bracket. The use of an air hammer has the best results for getting it to move.

Roy

The CV joints in my '97 camry 190,000 miles are toast. Ordering rebuilt half-shafts today. Transaxle seals are listed as a "related item" on the web site.

When I pull the half-shafts out, will I be pulling the shafts out of these seals? If so, I'd be open to replacing them. If the output shaft from the transmission remains intact, I don't think I want to try to dig the seals out from around the shaft.

Should or order the seals, or not?
Thanks!

Any tips on replacing the half-shafts are welcome and appreciated!

look at where the CV shafts go into the transmission.
if there is just a slight amount of dampness there, then i normally don't mess with it.

but if i can tell that they are actually dripping then i"ll go ahead and do it.

I took my car in for right & left CV joint (half shaft) repair.
After the repair, I noticed a noise that sounded like my car had a jet engine.
When I took it back to the mechanic. he said that the bearing & seals in the right side now needed repaired.
I asked if the half shaft repair caused the bearing & seals to go bad. Of course, he wouldn't admit anything!
Can you tell me if the half shaft repair could have damaged the bearing & seals?
Thanks for any help !

What bearing and seal? Are you talking about the wheel bearing? If you are, then I would guess maybe. It depends on what happened when they were doing the axle.

Yes, the wheel bearing & seals where the new half shaft was replaced. I thought that they should have paid at least half the cost since they could have caused this to need repaired!

Why did you have the axles replaced. Was it because the cv boots were ripped?Were the axles making a clicking noise? Because if they weren't then the boots could have just been replaced. Not sure how they got the axles out. Never really heard anything about a wheel bearing noise after axles being replaced unless they really beat on the axle hard to get it out of the hub.

Both CV boots were totally ripped and oil (lubricant)was all over the place! I never heard a clicking noise...only a whirring..like a jet engine...which they said a bad wheel bearing will make. I had to go in again today to pick up a tire valve cap that they forgot to put back on...so I asked if they would at least pay half....OF COURSE, I got an infatic, "NO!" The manager said that Firestone has machines that are calibrated to set the torque and specifications are set on the machines, so that all parts are set accordingly. I said, " I understand about the machines, but the mechanic can make a mistake!" To make a long story short...I have to pay the $600 bill!

So did you hear the noise before or after the axle replacement? It probably would have been cheaper just to relace the boots on your vehicle, other than to replace the axle. So this is my personal opinion on this. The wheel bearing was probably on its way out the door anyway, but they were the final nail in the coffin for it to show up. This is my guess. They either did not torque the axle nut at the right torque(which you do not use a machine for, you use a torque wrench) or they beat on the axle out of the hub so hard they might have damaged the bearing a bit. That is just my guess of what happened. This is why I don't trust most tire stores to do actaul repairs. What do they primarily do? I'll tell ya, TIRES.

Drive Train Axles Bearings problem 4 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic

Right cv axel has been loosened from right side, lock bolt and snap ring have been removed from bearing support bracket. It should pull right out of the transaxle by now and it isn't moving. Am I missing something?

Yes. You need a long solid pry bar to separate the cv axle from the transmission. If you have a new cv axle, you should see an O ring clip on the shaft side which you insert it inside the transmission. The O ring metal clip is the lock so as the cv axle not to separate/ or the CV axle not from moving from it's place.

Here is a guide to show you how

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-cv-axle

Insert the pry bar between the transmission and the CV axle, and use a slight force prying so as to separate the cv axle.

Im actually working on a 99 Solara, but they are the same body...

On the passenger side the intermediate bar isnt sliding out of the trans like it should. Tried prying at it but all Ive managed so far is to bend the metal flange. Removed the round clip at the intermediate-axle, but the bearing assembly seems to be stuck in the mount...

Attempted to remove the mount from the body, along with the mount for the intermediate bar from the trans...no luck.

Any ideas?

You are right. On the passenger side axle, once you remove the lock bolt and spring clip, you should be able to remove the axle from the transmission.

I asked another mechanic and check some answers around. It is hard to remove the axle because the carrier bearing is seized inside the mount. He removed the mount that is attached to the engine block, pulled the whole axle with the mount still attached and got the bearing pressed out of the mount.

If ever you get the bearing out, put an anti-seized compund for future removal.

Alright, thanks, I guess I'll just continue to beat it with a hammer...

I replaced both front axles on my 2001 Camry. I was about to give up on getting the old ones out and then learned of a device called a "slide hammer" also called an axle puller I think, that you can rent for free (by paying a refundable deposit) at Advance Auto or Autozone. It is a steel shaft with a heavy sliding weight used to jerk the axle out. It has a hook (one of many attachments included) to fit over whatever you can grab onto on the axle shaft. It will beat you to death, but it worked and I yanked both axles out with it. Good luck!

Wow, ok, that helps alot NC, I appreciate it. Didnt know they made such a thing (although thinking about it I should have guessed)

I spent yesterday hammering at it, with no joy then either. Im off to autozone this afternoon.

Thanks again!

Get your wife or girlfriend to hold the hook down on the axle (with a towel covering to protect her hand) and have her shout words of encouragement when it finally starts to move...

haha! Well I dont know about you NC, but I have friends who want to come over and help me work on my car...you know, that whole 'manly bonding' thing.

I havent gotten a chance to work on the car anymore or rent the ram in the last couple of days, been really busy, but I hope to accomplish this sometime next week.

Well, got the ram, but I'm currently at an impasse. Where am I supposed to attach the hooks/bracket? I cant attach it at the end of the transaxle, due to the intermediate bar and the uni joint. I would really not want to pull apart that uni joint... I wish I had my engine in this state already! This is just a picture I found, but of the same engine. The highlighted part is the intermediate bar and the rest of the transaxle.

Circled in red is the hook attachment that worked for me.

The red lines show where the hook could get a grip on my axles. It required a helper holding the hook in place while I operated the ram. I was replacing both axles with new ones, so I didn't care if I pulled the CV joints apart--and one did come apart. It helps to have the wheel hubs wired out of the way to give more room to work. It also required getting a little mad and ramming the #$%@$% things dozens of times!

I see.

Thank you very much NC, Im off to go try that...

If you have a compressor and an air hammer with a hammer head bit you can hit the axle/motor mount and the axle shaft will literally walk itself out. If this is not an option and the original problem is in the outer cv joint, consider replacing half of the shaft separating the shaft at the six hex bolts. Use extreme caution if you go this way because moving that inner joint too far in or out will cause the big cv bearings to fall out. It can be put back together, but it can also be put back together incorrectly. Not an easy job. You will use every profanity in your arsenal.

The older shafts/joints had the six hex bolts. Remove those, separate the inner joint, and attach an axle puller (the piece with 3 slots on one side and one on the other) with 2 of the bolts. May also need washers. Then attach the slide hammer and yank it out. If the slide hammer weight is not enough I used a 25lb metal barbell weight instead. This saves you from ruining the shaft and not getting your $75 core refund. The Toyota reman shaft assembly that I installed in 2006 did not have the bolts. After nothing else worked I plan to weld a 1/2 metal plate onto the inner joint surface (after removing the boot clamp and collar) with a 3/4 -16 nut welded onto the plate. The slide hammer will screw into the nut allowing the shaft and bearing to be removed from the mount.
When I did it the first time I polished up the bore with crocus cloth and then applied antiseize. But it still froze. I think I'll use synthetic grease this time.

I know this post was years ago but my husband just did the same exact job for his friends 1996 camry passenger side cv axle and after dislocating the joint at the inner boot he used a grinder with a cut off blade and had to cut the axle close to the bearing and then again about 4 or 5 inches from the transmission so he could slide the axle out of the trans. then had to take the motor mount off and knock the bearing out with a 16 pound sledge hammer and it took him about 7 over the head swings to get it out. definitely a design flaw by Toyota but after the bearing came out it was literally 30 minutes and he was driving it around the block. hope this helps someone in the future.

Great addition to this thread! Please feel free to help out whenever you are on the site. :)

Cheers, Ken

Started hearing clicking noise, knew it was probably cracked worn boot [had a 1993 Camry and had to have axle replaced]. This time, however, I was stopped to swipe my card at the company gate, when I started to accelerate there was a kind of bang/pop/clunk, and then the car would not move forward, or backward. Put it in low1 to see be sure it was not a transmission solenoid. When putting the car into park the car still rolled. Towed it home, and when looking under it to evaluate, I noticed that when I turned the passenger side axle the driver side axle still turned as well. I also noticed that the passenger side axle boot was ripped [looked newly torn]. Closer to the transmission, it looked like the axle had slid to the passenger side, and if slid back in [except for the boot] it would be okay. This is the first axle I am doing myself, and I want to be sure to catch everything [will replace ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bars and links while its apart, for both sides]. So the ultimate question I am asking, is how can I be sure that the problem is indeed the axle and not something else?

It sounds like you are describing the inner CV joint has slid out of the transmission. If it comes out far enough to where it is no longer engaged with the spines, turning one wheel will not cause the other one to turn the opposite way. (Transmission has to be in "park" for that). By jacking the car up, you may have disturbed the joint enough that it is just barely engaged, then the other wheel will turn when you turn one.

Inner CV joints can have a wire ring on the shaft that helps to hold them in, but mainly that is done with a spring inside the joint. On the new shaft, you will find you can compress that spring with real hard hand pressure. I suspect that spring is broken in your old joint. If it is, you will be able to slide the joint back and forth on the shaft about an inch or two. I do know you can buy that spring from the Chrysler dealer's parts department for $3.00, but if you also have a torn boot, you are better off replacing the entire shaft. On Toyota's, the outer joint cannot be removed to replace the boot. You have to remove the inner joint and boot, then slide the new outer boot all the way across the shaft, then put the inner joint back together.

I thank you for such a prompt and accurate reply. I think that may be exactly what has happened, just as you described. I guess I was surprised when all the DIY videos I watched showed a hose clamp style spring ring that had to be removed in order to remove the axle. Sounds like my concern about the driver's side not having one should be null. As far as the driver's side goes, is there any alternative to removing the CV axle without a hammer puller? It looks okay, but for $50.00 seems like now is the time to replace it while its apart. Thank you again.

Hello,

Yes the bearing sliding out of the carrier is the problem. You see the jam bolt in the side the carrier? see if that is loose or loosen it and preposition the bearing and re tighten.

Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

Cheers, Ken