Replacing CV joint/axle how much work involved?

[elka]

My boot is ripped on the front passenger side.
I'd like to replace the whole shaft myself but I don't want to get involved in a job that's highly messy and where i'd have to have too many special tools and too many parts to take off to get to it. (my landlord would not like the mess)

Anyone know if this is something I should get into or should I just have a shop do it for me? How much would I really save by doing it myself? (BTW i'm a gal who used to work on American Muscle cars so my Toyota/japanese car experience is a little low, if this helps to answer the question)

[Doctor J]

If the axle is flange mounted (which is rare for this model year), it is fairly easy to remove the axle, change boots on the work bench and then reinstall the axle.The price for boots is vary, $12 to $20 each. If you are careful and have small 1/8 inch flat screwdriver and long nose pliers, you even could save and re-use the original boot clamps (they are much better then aftermarket: no special tools are needed for installation, they apply even clamping force to the boot). While inner boot can be a budget brand, the outer needs to be high quality due to the fact that failure of the outer joint calls for rebuild axle. The Autozone loans an axle pusher, that pushes its end out of hub, no caliper/rotor removal is necessary. The axle nut is tight so brake it loose with car on the ground or use impact wrench (cordless works too).
If th axles are spline-end type, let the shop take care of it. (Costs about $90 for 2 boots and labor).

[elka]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

If th axles are spline-end type, let the shop take care of it. (Costs about $90 for 2 boots and labor).

Hmm for $90 it seems cheap enough just to have the shop do it, the only time I tackle something myself is if it's a job that goes over $250 or something really easy and quick to do... Thanks for the info!

[random0munky]

OMG CV Joints haha. Shiz for what car is your toy toy. I've uh replaced on my 91 Toyota Corolla 4dr sedan umm 3 on the passenger side and 1 on the drivers side. Don't ask but lets just say I know the whole dang process. Well if you know the ins and outs of your passenger side front suspension/hub than well it should take you umm approx half an hour if your good. For me, took me 20 min. but lets just say that i know the front like the back of my hand sadly What you'll really be shocked is well for me I have to take half the whole central crossmember to detach the control arm bushing from the bearing hub assembly. For me, the CV joints are in the gear block umm the most suckiest way you can possibly think of, if your replacing the whole shabang. What I had to do to replace it was well have lots of prybars 2 people, have car high on jacks, remove hood, have one person with a long crowbar push down with all their might, (if they slip its your face right in da way of dat crowbar X( but yea) and the other person using a hammer and another prybar, hammer that biatch out. But thats just my car, don't know whatcha have. I hope this helps hahah not really but hey if i were you, just see if you can replace the whole shibang at a tranny shop since the boot fix is so half ass since theres already particles already in the roller bearings, in which you would have to dismantle and clean clean clean than regrease than reboot. Just a lot easier to replace the whole darn thing.

[toyomoho]

If you are going to keep the car, might just change out the axle. Check web-dealer prices, they may be very reasonable. As randon0murky states, dirt and grime can get into the joint. Then can cause it to fail at a future date.

[Your Uncle Moe]

Yea If your gonna keep the car, just have the shop change out the entire axel. My experience with boots is that if they broke once, they are going to keep breaking at least once a year. I have replaced my boots 4 times before I finnally replaced the entire axel. Since I put the new axels in, I havn't broken a boot since.