Driveshaft question - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

johnnyzee · 12-31-2009, 09:32 AM

Hey guys,

I need to replace my passenger side driveshaft, due to a clicking CV joint. (yes, I've searched, it's not the notorious intermediate steering shaft issue)

Does anyone know the size of socket required to remove the nut holding it onto the hub?

Other than that, has anyone else changed theirs yet, anything I should know or expect when I'm, in there?

Thanks guys

hossmaster · 12-31-2009, 05:32 PM

the service manual doesn't specify what size the nut is, but it is torqued to 217 footpounds.

xpeed · 12-31-2009, 09:01 PM

For something like that, I would take it in to a mechanic just to be safe. Unless of course, you know what your doing, then go ahead. Take a whack at it. =)

yotatoter · 12-31-2009, 09:30 PM

its a 32 milimeter if my memory serves me right,tha pass. side does not have a snap ring to hold it in the trans...bt you need to remove the rear drive shaft mount ...takes 14 wrench to take off the 4 bolts that hold it ,,what year car??

yotatoter · 12-31-2009, 09:35 PM

forgot to say,you don't have to remove that bracket ,but the snap ring that holds the bearing sometimes does not want to come out,,and if you remove the bracket you also need to remove the size 17 bolt on the engine mount ..PS you will want to block up the rear of the engine if you go that route.

johnnyzee · 01-01-2010, 04:29 PM

yotatoter:
Awesome, thanks for the info. I've never had to deal with snap rings on the shafts before, but I have a remover tool so I should be alright. And thanks for the heads up on that cause I wasn't expecting one.

hossmaster:
thanks, good to know, I usually tighten as far as I can, but now that I know I'll bust out the torque wrench for it.

xpeed:
yeah i've changed shafts before, a few of them, not a big deal, but they were on older cars, wasn't sure what to expect with the camry (apparently, snap rings, go figure!) thanks for the caution!

bryanarr · 01-13-2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyzee

Hey guys,

I need to replace my passenger side driveshaft, due to a clicking CV joint. (yes, I've searched, it's not the notorious intermediate steering shaft issue)

Does anyone know the size of socket required to remove the nut holding it onto the hub?

Other than that, has anyone else changed theirs yet, anything I should know or expect when I'm, in there?

Thanks guys

May seem like a dumb question, but how did you figure our it was your CV joint and not the steering shaft problem?

johnnyzee · 01-13-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryanarr

May seem like a dumb question, but how did you figure our it was your CV joint and not the steering shaft problem?

To put it simply, I know quite a bit about cars, IMO of course. I've heard this exact clicking noise many times before, and it is a definitely a CV joint.

Assuming your asking me how to diagnose this, you will hear a clicking noise while turning and accelerating, from a certain wheel, in my case, the passenger side. The noise is coming from outside the car behind the wheel. If you are able to accelerate at all means your driveshaft is OK, but the clicking indicates a bad CV joint. FWD cars are notorious for this and now that I think of it, every car I've ever owned needed new CV's at least once (replacing the whole shaft). Being lowered and accelerating hard on turns will provoke this problem even sooner.

I mentioned in my first post that it isn't the steering shaft issue so I don't get any smart a$$es telling me to use the "search" function or recommending it as a solution.

Figured I'd ask and see if I get any helpful tips, which I did!

AlmightyCamry777 · 01-14-2010, 11:16 AM

If you havent started yet, know that CV joints can be a monster to change. unbolting all the stuff to get to it is usually not too hard (except for the big nut on the cv axle, it is torqued to about 200 ft lb - if you dont have an air wrench, take it to a shop and have them loosen them for you! They would only charge you a couple bucks, many shops will do something like this for free, then tighten these big nuts just enough to get home and you wont need to buy an air wrench.)

To get the outer spline out of the hub, i'd count on needing a big 3 jawed puller (they're about $20 at harbor freight, otherwise you can just rent one). Also you will need a pickle fork tool (about $10 to buy, about the same to rent) to pop off the steering piece.
the hardest part of this chore is often getting the inner spline to come loose. It can seem damn near impossible on some cars. There's often nothing to pry against under there, and you may have very little leverage. If the inner spline sticks, there's a couple tricks:

-use TWO pry bars and a helper.
-a slide hammer and chain wrapped around the CV joint (the slide hammer same as body repariman use)
-i'd crawl underneath, long before starting the chore, and soak inside the inner cv spline area, as much as you can reach, with spray penetrating oil - the more, the better.
-putting the car in drive, then reverse, then drive, then reverse, and rocking it, can often help get a stuck cv spline loose.

If i planned to keep the car for a while, i think i would also change the cv driveaxle on the other side, while i already had the tools out and the car up in the air, and i was dirty and irate, anyway. Because it's probably a matter of time before it goes out too.

johnnyzee · 01-17-2010, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlmightyCamry777

If you havent started yet, know that CV joints can be a monster to change. unbolting all the stuff to get to it is usually not too hard (except for the big nut on the cv axle, it is torqued to about 200 ft lb - if you dont have an air wrench, take it to a shop and have them loosen them for you! They would only charge you a couple bucks, many shops will do something like this for free, then tighten these big nuts just enough to get home and you wont need to buy an air wrench.)

To get the outer spline out of the hub, i'd count on needing a big 3 jawed puller (they're about $20 at harbor freight, otherwise you can just rent one). Also you will need a pickle fork tool (about $10 to buy, about the same to rent) to pop off the steering piece.
the hardest part of this chore is often getting the inner spline to come loose. It can seem damn near impossible on some cars. There's often nothing to pry against under there, and you may have very little leverage. If the inner spline sticks, there's a couple tricks:

-use TWO pry bars and a helper.
-a slide hammer and chain wrapped around the CV joint (the slide hammer same as body repariman use)
-i'd crawl underneath, long before starting the chore, and soak inside the inner cv spline area, as much as you can reach, with spray penetrating oil - the more, the better.
-putting the car in drive, then reverse, then drive, then reverse, and rocking it, can often help get a stuck cv spline loose.

If i planned to keep the car for a while, i think i would also change the cv driveaxle on the other side, while i already had the tools out and the car up in the air, and i was dirty and irate, anyway. Because it's probably a matter of time before it goes out too.

Awesome info..THANKS

I know what you mean by it being a pain in the a$$ to get the spline out of the tranny. I've been lucky and got it out with couple pry bars/ big,thick flat screw-drivers.
I actually have a few pullers and specialty tools (very fortunate to have a father that is a tool collecting fanatic).

Thanks for the tips and tricks, I never thought of the chain/sliding hammer idea. There was the shaft on my Mazda where this would have REALLY came handy!

Camry5genrocks · 01-22-2010, 01:17 PM

Did replacing your passenger side driveshaft fix the problem?

johnnyzee · 01-22-2010, 02:58 PM

^ I haven't replaced it yet, my previous post was referring to my other previous cars.
I'll keep you updated but I'm 100% positive the CV joint (on the driveshaft) is the problem and replacing it will fix the problem.

johnnyzee · 03-08-2010, 10:04 AM

So...an update for those who were curious.
Finally replaced the driveshaft, passenger side, real pain the a$$ but it fixed the issue (it was a bad cv joint).

This job is not for your average DIYer, but definitely do-able. Spline came out easy out of the tranny, but the bearing that holds the center weight of the shaft was a pain to deal with, especially as the old shaft's bearing rusts in its housing after so many years.

Anyways, job's done, car runs great as usual, and now, no more clicking cv-joint.

The7 · 03-08-2010, 11:58 AM

Definitely not a DIY job for me.

sn1cko · 01-23-2011, 05:55 AM

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've been back to TN.
I've been having some suspension problems after hitting two nasty potholes in the stormy rain. I have replaced the strut mounts, but when doing so, noticed some more play than normal in the drive axle (passenger side). When I took out the strut to replace the strut mounts, the brake rotor/brake assembly usually doesn't tilt away from the car too much and I raise the jack to it for it to rest on.

This time though, the brake rotor/brake assembly tilted away from the car a little more freely. Looking in from the outside (wheel side), I noticed I could tug the driveshaft to extend that boot at point 3.
Is that separation normal??
Can a deep pothole mess up the drive axle and CV joint?
I didn't take a look past point 3, so I don't know what's going on at points 1 (the differential?)and 2 (bearings in bracket of motor mount?) in the labeled picture below.
Sounds are pretty alarming on turns over bumps - it's not the typical knocking you hear with bad strut mounts, and it's not obviously clicking with driving. I might have to bring it into a shop for them to inspect the drive axle and replace if necessary. Any input appreciated. Thanks guys!