Hey Gang,

I rebooted my driver's side CV axle. I figure leaving the photos on my phone helps no one.

I didn't do a good job of taking photos of lifting the GX up in the air. You will have look else where for that. I did remove the first three skid plates moving front to back. This allowed me to jack the front of the GX up off the center cradle. I put my jack stands where the frame rails turn in. I drained the front diff fluid. After removing the wheel, I started in on the cap covering the wheel nut. What a *****. I decided to unbolt the brake caliper and swing it away on a bungy. I took off the rotor with a few cracks on the rotor hat with a hammer. Then back to that cap. I just started beating the seam with a standard flathead screwdriver. I finally made inroads and got it started. I came back through with my largest drift. Ok, now the nut is exposed. I took this picture of the blue mark on the axle nut.


Wheel axle nut

Torquing that nut down after you are done is a *****, spec is 175 ft-lbs. My biggest torque wrench claps out at 150.

I bought the 35mm socket to remove the nut with my rattle gun. I got the socket on Amazon next day for ~$10. Once the nut is off, I took a deadblow and gave the end of the axle the business. I checked it after few good knocks and it was free of the outer seal.

The outer seal looked great, I gave a light wipe down. I had a new one in case, but I saw no reason to replace it when comparing its appearance to the new one. Your preference.

Next, the tie rod. I bought the puller a while back for my 2000 4Runner. Same size worked great see photo, use is pretty self explanatory.





I used my rattle gun to pull the two 19mm bolts holding the ball joint/hub assembly and swung it out of the way, more bungy.

This next part is where I heard the most scary stories, getting the CV shaft out. I took a 5-lb sledge and lightly tapped each side of the inner axle body, then turn and tap the next side. The axle separated from the seal, but was still in there. Next I took my biggest drift and started bearing the step in the body, and then turning the axle 90 degrees to to the next step. It popped if with about ten strikes.



As soon as It popped. I stopped and marked the top of the axle body with a sharpie, so that I would have the exactish position of the axle splines when they came out.



Here is what it looked like with the axle out.



The seal inside the diff looked even better than the outer, so I left it alone. The boot had broken at the clamp end a while ago. Another miss when I bought the gx from a sleezy used car dealer. Buy off craigslist with a service history.



There was a lot of poo.





FYI - I only rebooted the bad side, the inner is the one that goes. I saw reason to rebuild the outer, the boot looked perfect.

I cut off the old clamps. I bougth a snap ring tool for C-clips with eyelets. The factory C-clips do not have eyelets. The tool worked anyway to expand the clip enough to work it off the recess in the spline. Taking a photo of this while doing was beyond my abilities.



Sorry the top of tool got cut off in the photo, once again Amazon, search CV axle c-clip removal tool.

The bearing falls off. I spent a while and many air compressor tank cycles blowing the milkshake out of the bearings. It was now time for half a reboot kit.



Greasing the bearing.



Pitting the C-clip back on sucked as well. I risked my life with a flathead and drift, luckily I didn't not stab myself.

I like the crimp style boot clamps, the kit came with the cut and fold style. I buy own crush style in kits on Amazon. Why, I bought the crimp tool before I knew there were two types, and I like them better.


The finished axle reboot.



Putting everything back together was uneventful. I scratched my head on how to get the axle back into the diff splines. I watched some videos, homies just use the axle itself as a slide hammer. I wasn't excited about the prospect of possibly tearing the boot I just replaced, but it went right in after only 2 pushes. I did a brake job while I was there, turned rotors and new pads, no different than a 3rd gen 4Runner.

I have driven the gx a couple times, no issues, no diff fluid leaks.

I hope all the pictures helped. My GX has 125K, I replaced my plugs this last weekend. The openness of the engine bay makes that job very easy.

Bill

 

You dont really need to remove the tie rods to access the CV. Simply remove the 2 bottom bolts holding the hub to LBJ. This should let you move the hub out of the way. Hopefully that helps.

Also i too did the slide hammer method to get my CV in.. though frowned upon it works within 10 seconds vs tapping the CV shaft.. Hopefully your Diff seals dont leak because mine did so i had to remove my CV again to access the Seals.

 

Thanks vwynn, I will know that for the passengers side. Hey if anyone reads this, I can't figure out how to add a photo of my two Lexus' to my signature.

Thanks

Bill

 

Look up near the top of the page and click "User CP" then on the left bar click "Edit Signature"

 

I've to do it this next week.Driver side inner boot. I've found this part - - Curious if there's any difference between this & 04427-60141 ? (140vs 141)

 

https://www.lexuspartsnow.com/parts/...437-60040.html

If you just want the inner, the link above should be it. The photo you posted looks like the outer boot.