Cv axle boots

The fingers on that device would have to be as long as the axle to avoid removal. It only takes about 15-20 minutes to get the axles out (I didn't remove the spindles, I just tied them out of the way). This could save the hassle of disassembling the joint to just replace the boots. My guess is that for the use, it probably wouldn't be worth it although @Hi06silver would have a better answer. I swapped the entire axle instead of replacing the boots.

I would suggest that if someone buys one, maybe offer to share it on a specific thread, like the bearing tool.

 

I don't think I have a better answer....I suppose it depends the price of that thing. I don't see it being worth it unless it helps avoid the mess of the whole thing, which it cannot. I also bet that the OEM boots ain't gonna stretch like that, one feels more hard plastic like than the other and I ain't about to go non OEM if I I can avoid it or absolutely have a reason to.

Only real way to avoid mess is while new axle, the only real hard part of the whole thing is popping axles out and then finding the fucking clip which requires cleaning grease out well enough to get snap ring pliers to not slip of it but you're at super mess level at that point so I'd say it's not crazy practical. Maybe I'm thinking wrong?

 

Ya - me neither. My original axles (boots) lasted 22 years - I expect that the truck will be gone before it needs another set. I kept the old ones, but after reading about your experience changing the boots, they'll just stay in the boxes with the torn boots.

I think you may be right - if the tool can stretch the boot that far, the boot is probably not sturdy enough to last long.

 

Just a heads up to anyone looking at an axle debacle in the future... I got OEM remans and the new OEM boots tore within weeks. I was so pissed. So I ended up rebooting the OEM remans (surprisingly easy and not too messy if prepared in advance) with the Porsche non-neoprene boots recommended by Kartek, and they've been awesome. Here's my post on the matter with pics and some basic tips I learned along the way: https://www.tundras.com/threads/200...pic-heavy-little-ot.75017/page-7#post-3057086

 

Like user 912, I had a boot crack on a recent Toyota remanufactured shaft, on my 2005 RC. The shaft was replaced May 2023, and during an oil change recently I noticed the driver side outer boot was cracked all the way around. The grease was still fairly clean inside, and I live on a dirt road, so I guess I got lucky and caught it early before major damage was done.

My local dealer told me they could not get a new shaft or a reman - they are discontinued. So I purchased a Toyota boot kit (04438-0C020). My local dealer wanted MSRP plus 30%, plus a week for delivery, I ordered it online for MSRP minus 20% and it showed up four days later.

This was actually the easiest CV axle I've ever replaced - just unbolt the LBJ and the axle comes right out. But that's when the ugly part of the job started. Notice the 3-piece boot. I wonder if Toyota got a bad batch of boots.



Cleaning all the old grease out of the outer joint wasn't too bad; I used a paintbrush and mineral spirits in a paint tray to get 95% of it out, lots of flushes (turkey baster!) and working the joint around, then a few sprays of carb cleaner and some compressed air and it was nice and clean.



The messy part was removing the inner boot and pulling off the inner joint. It took a few tries to get that circlip spread; when you can't see what you're doing because of all the grease it adds a little frustration. But eventually I got it apart and slapped a new outer boot on. I decided to reuse the old inner boot as it was still fine and the joint was well-greased. The rebuild kit included a mix of clamps inclucing one low-profile Oetiker clamp. I don't have the special pliers for those but managed to improvise. It didn't seem very tight - I'll keep an eye on it and replace it if needed. Also, the kit included small clamps of 33.7 and 38.1 mm. It turned out I needed two of the smaller size, so I ended up reusing one of the old clamps. I had removed it carefully, so I think it'll work, but I'll need to keep an eye on it for sure.

 

Did you replace the snap ring part #4342504020 that holds the axle in the diff (a replaceable part when removing / installing).

 

No, I reused the old one. I know the FSM says to replace it, but I forgot to order it. I knew the axle was only a year old, it popped out cleanly with little fuss, and the snapring looked undamaged on close inspection. So I feel pretty good about it, fingers crossed.

 

You'll be fine.

 

Any ideas what a fair cost for boot replacement should run at the dealership? I don't have the tools nor the patience and this truck is my daily so can't really afford for it to be down longer than a couple days.

 

I'd bet you're in for at least 2-3 hours of labor. I could be wrong but having to remove and install I bet the book time is close to that. Someone in here is likely a tech and could look it up for sure.

 

You don’t need to be down for a couple days. Pull the axles, plug the holes on the diff, and you can hand off the axles.

I’ll be shocked if they’ll do it at the stealership though

 

Yeah, one dealership stated the labor for reboot was the same as axle replacement and said that was the way to go...at $1200.

The more I read about it, the more it seems the OEM axles should be retained and just rebooted.

 

Yeah. I’d buy two new OEM axles and drop the coin. They’re around $350-400/ea if I recall? Then reboot the old ones later, and have them as time permits.

 

My truck has a 6 inch lift with diff drop. I'm assuming that means high angle boots aren't required. Is that a correct assumption?

 

This is the 1st gen subforum, we don't usually deal with anything newer than a 2006 Tundra or 2007 Sequoia. If you're talking about a 2016, I dunno. I recommend checking in at the 2.5 gen subforum.

 

Oops, you're right. My apologies.