[cmotek24]

I'm trying to replace the outer boot on driver side and I'm can't figure anything out. I got the strut off the knuckle. I've partially removed the green triangular block thing from the transaxel (i guess this is the inside part of the half shaft), but I can't get it out all the way. So then I tried the tap-the-half-shaft-with-a-block-of-wood technique to separate it from the hub assembly, buut that don't work either. Finally, i tried to the disassemble the joint, so I removed the small snap ring, but nothing still jigz out (Is there supposed to be two rings that I'm supposed to remove?). Out a frustration, I'm about to give up, so I'm trying to slide the half shaft back in, but it won't budge! I think I'm pretty screwed! Wassup with this? Am I giving up too early? Much love and help would be cool!

Peace
C-mo

 

[Zexel]

My brother just got done doing this ot his Camry about 3 weeks ago. His whole entire boot was tore in half and all this water, dirt, etc. was in there and it was making his ABS go crazy. We tried a tons of ways to get the shaft out like....Wrapping a rope aorund a tree and it and pulling it with a car!!!...Trying to hook the air compressor up and blow it out...nothing worked. He had to buy a whole new CV joint. The only good thing about that is it came with everything new (of course)...boots, rings, seals, gaskets etc. Cost him a chunk of 70-80, somewhere in that region. They just weren't made to come apart unless you take a good sledge hammer to it. Then it would be useless! Hope this helps.

 

[toolapcfan]

I'm with Zexel on this, replace the whole axle. They're like $60 with trade at Autozone. I did both mine not too long ago. I used a pry bar, but a large screwdriver would work to pry the shaft out of the tranny. The way I went about mine was to disconnect the sway bar from the lower control arm and then pop the lower ball joint loose, then I was able to pull the shaft out of the spindle. These cars are reknown for splitting boots and if you keep the car very long your likely to do this again. So buy some with a lifetime warranty. The warranty doesn't cover the boot, so if you ever replace it, just tell them the joint went bad. You'll be out your time but at least you won't have to pay for another C-V axle. Good luck.

 

[Zexel]

Man I don't see how you got the shaft out! I mean it was hard for us to, and we still didn't. My dad got real pissed because he's one of those guys that even if it doesn't do anything AFTER he gets it done or off, he wants to anyways. But yeah, get a lifetime warranty. Like toolapcfan said, you'll have to tear your car down again to get it out and back in, but it's worth it.

 

[cmotek24]

shooooooooot... some of the other boyz here made it sound soo much easier. it seems like i can get the joint apart, because i removed one of the circlips. it supposed to come apart, right? chiltonz say it so. well, i'll look into the whole axel replace thing. but before i do, i wanna try again. in the chiltonz, it says to pry the half shaft with pry bar, then you need to press some kind of clip to slide the whole thing out. where is this clip? i got it out about 6 inches, but it feels like something's locking it in place. i don't know how much easier it is with the half shaft out, but some peeps says it's how they do. thanks boys for the help

Peace
C-mo

 

[toolapcfan]

I thought it was relatively easy, but I wasn't trying to take the axle apart either. When you say circlip I'm thinking you've got an automatic? If not then you don't have to depress anything. Just pry the thing out. Unless this circlip thing is something to take the axle apart. Then when you put the shaft back it you kind of have to do it twice, usually the first time I put the shaft back into the tranny, it wouldn't go all the way, so I'd have to jostle it a little and it'd slide right in. The only problems I had was that I didn't have the right sized wrench to ge the ball joint nut off and tried getting it with an adjustable wrench. Well you know how those things are, they work the first two times you use them and after that they're good for a hammer and that's about it.