• RS MAY CLUB MEETING
    Hi Guest: Our monthly RS meeting on Wed. May 1st will be held at the Rooney Sports Complex. Details and directions are here. Early start time: 7:00 pm. to take advantage of daylight. We'll be talking ColoYota Expo and Cruise Moab.
    If you are eligible for club membership, please fill out an application in advance of the meeting and bring it with you.

CV Axle Replacement

Romer

RS Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
10,031
Location
Centennial, Colorado
Make sure they are Toyota rebuilt. I bought a carquest remanf CV when we were in Moab and it snapped the next day due to poor quality of the metal. Rebuilt with a boot kit the axle I took out that was leaking and never had an issue with it
 

Inukshuk

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
7,284
Location
Denver, CO
While you might find lowere prices (maybe not, I don't know) the shops that Jeff mentioned are honest, do good work, stand by there work, and are generous with their time and knowledge to our community. I don't price shop. I'll add The Toy Shop (not an RS member but Greg has been around a long time and always treated me right), Toy Doctor (where member @DanTheMan works), and ATLR.
 

Cocarlisle

Hard Core 4+
Joined
Apr 11, 2014
Messages
760
Location
Golden
Do not buy anything other than genuine Toyota
Not only are they made from cheap parts and old recycled Walmart Bicycles they will ALL vibrate at above 50 MPH
No way around it
I know it’s a bit pricier but with the rising sun discount at Stevenson that helps

If they are not snapped or broken just reseal and then reinstall and you should be good
 

bassguyry

Commander + Cruise Moab Chairman
Staff member
Moderator
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jun 14, 2018
Messages
1,122
Location
Arvada, CO
Do not buy anything other than genuine Toyota
Not only are they made from cheap parts and old recycled Walmart Bicycles they will ALL vibrate at above 50 MPH
No way around it
I don't know if I'd agree with that. I ran CVJ axles on my last 100 (recommended by Japanese Auto Service in Wheat Ridge) with absolutely no issues, and I wheeled the snot out of that truck. The only issue I had was a torn boot, which was more my fault than that of the axle (I still have the axle, and just plan to reboot it and keep as a spare). No vibration issues, ever. I also have a CVJ axle on my current 100 (recommended by ATLR) and haven't had any issues with it either. Granted, I haven't put a ton of miles on the CVJ axles (maybe 15k on my last set), but they seem to hold up just fine, especially considering the stress I've put them under on the trail.

Now, when it comes to the super-cheap Napa/CarQuest/etc. CV axles, I'd run screaming from those. They're junk, for sure.
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
13,066
Location
Grand Junction
I have for a while understood CVJ to be the acceptable low cost alternative to OEM. They say they only rebuild OEM axles anyway, so shouldn't be significantly different than getting the boot kit from the dealer and doing it yourself. I wouldn't trust axles from other sources, though.
 

DanTheMan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2017
Messages
658
Location
Lompoc, CA
Toy Doctor has 2 locations in the Denver metro. We have a shop in Littleton: 303-795-8697, and one in Denver: 303-743-8040. If you'd like you can call us and we can give you a quote.
 

Notyourmomslx450

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
3,253
Location
Westminster
CVJ is a solid replacement.
They are a great company.
The OEM only train is silly.......
 

Romer

RS Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Messages
10,031
Location
Centennial, Colorado
CVJ is a solid replacement.
They are a great company.
The OEM only train is silly.......


I am not familiar with CVJ nice to know they have a great product. OEM isnt a silly train when you have a replacement aftermarket snap on you hours after install. Good to know CVJ is OEM quality. Unless you know a company is comparable to OEM, sticking with OEM in general isnt silly.

We are probably saying the same thing, just from different perspectives
 

Snafu

Brand New
Joined
Apr 22, 2020
Messages
2
Thanks for the input everyone. My understanding is that the CVJ axles are remanufactured OEM - that's what I was told on the phone.

Daniel: I'll give you a call ...

Steve
 

OHUZJ100

Locked
Joined
Jul 11, 2019
Messages
284
Fwiw I don't see how these are low cost?

There is a core charge, so either give back your own OEM axles or pay over the cost of OEM at Stevinson.

Your cheapest option if you don't plan on rebooting yourself is having someone else reboot. Reboot kit + labor.

Next would be replacement with OEM which is cost of axle + labor.

CVJ is $200 core charge if you don't have your own I am guessing, so $200 Per axle+ axle+ labor.

I am not so quick to believe CVJ is "better". There is a lot of lawyer talk for what sounds like not better quality on the entire product. Why would you want something " near" best quality? Also is your vehicle lifted cause I am assuming that is what is meant by additional clearance +1".

If you spoke to some people I'd be curious what you learned and can pass on.

I don't think Toyota CV quality can be beat. Either way tell us what you decided :thumb:
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
13,066
Location
Grand Junction
Fwiw I don't see how these are low cost

There is a core charge, so either give back your own OEM axles or pay over the cost of OEM at Stevinson.

Your cheapest option if you don't plan on rebooting yourself is having someone else reboot. Reboot kit + labor.

Next would be replacement with OEM which is cost of axle + labor.

CVJ is $200 core charge if you don't have your own I am guessing, so $200 Per axle+ axle+ labor.
I can't speak to Cruisers but for my Tacoma a new 43430-04070 OEM lists for $468 and the best price is $330. CVJ sells a straight reman using Toyota inner and outer boots for $199 with a $95 core charge.

They offer a $123 lowest cost using aftermarket boots. This is an option maybe if you're in a pinch but one problem with aftermarket axles is the boots tend to split quickly, sometimes just in a year or two. Especially on Tacos the outer one, which is plastic from Toyota and not rubber, is much longer lasting. I wouldn't go any lower than the OEM option from CVJ personally.

The factory outer boot kit for my truck is $33 list, $24 best price, and in the inner is $53 list, $38 best price. So their time is on the order of $113 to $137, probably about right assuming it takes less than an hour for labor plus shop overhead.

There's the core charge, so if you keep your old one it ends up a wash cost-wise when you can get the really good pricing. If you don't keep the core that's still $130 in your pocket and if you don't happen to have access to the club pricing it's $268 cheaper and that's nothing to sneeze at IMO.
I am not so quick to believe CVJ is "better". There is a lot of lawyer talk for what sounds like not better quality on the entire product. Why would you want something " near" best quality? Also is your vehicle lifted cause I am assuming that is what is meant by additional clearance +1".
I don't think anyone says it's better than a new OEM but when looking at cost vs benefit I think people are saying (I am at least) that it's perhaps an acceptable option. It's a used factory CV axle that's been cleaned and new boots put on.

But in most cases the ones on your truck right now are also used and they're fine so not being new doesn't automatically make them bad. Wear is a spectrum and what you're getting with a CVJ would maybe be an axle that goes 100,000 miles instead of 200,000 or whatever. It's a dollar-per-mile analysis.

The one difference is CVJ offers a silicone inner boot option, which is some people think is an improvement over the stock rubber one. They still use the OEM plastic outer, so if the axle they started with wasn't trashed you are getting a pretty good axle that might actually be preferred to the new OEM. On my Taco the top axle is $251 vs. that $330 best price, of course ignoring the core charge.

My thinking would be to buy perhaps one CVJ using OEM kits, eat the core charge and get two sets of boot kits to rebuild mine. Then you end up with three rebuilt OEM axles for roughly the price of one new. But I'm also not considering the cost to have a mechanic do any of the work. If you're paying someone to do all the work the material cost changes importance since it's better to have them spend less time putting on ready-to-go parts.
 
Last edited:

AimCOTaco

Cruise Moab Committee
Staff member
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
2,265
Location
Longmont, CO
I'd add that for other trucks or road only use aftermarket CV's usually work but on the 100 series in particular you'll find countless stories of bad aftermarket CV balance or breakage experiences.

If you offered me 2 brand new aftermarket 100 CV axles I wouldn't trade a single used OEM axle for them. I'm a kool-aid drinkin' OEM CV only believer when it comes to the 100... for my Tacomas I have aftermarkets as spares.
 

nakman

Club Secretary
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Aug 23, 2005
Messages
14,583
Location
north side

Shuksan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
906
Location
Denver
A little thread revitalization. I have some noise occasionally at full turn. Usually just one kinda clunk sound, but we were able to get it to "click" today on purpose. In the last year I did increase the lift (22" center hub to fender) so I am not shocked. I will probably take this back down a little.

I have a spare axle that I think is OEM I can use for a CVJ core. Can also pull a couple or more possibly when I go back to pullandpay this week. Looking for thoughts and continued experience from other 100 series owners (@AimCOTaco, @bassguyry, @Inukshuk, others I am sure).

Andy, when you say OEM are you saying you would go new OEM only, or rebuilt OEM by CVJ or yourself?

@bassguyry are your CVJ's still holding up well?

@nakman you need me to get that last 100 series part out of your garage (not the aftermarket one though)? If it just needs a reboot thats a much simpler task than a full rebuild kit (joint set $308+shipping from UAE or $500+ Mcgeorge or stevenson), which looks to be more than you can get a new OEM for ($451 https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota....Mxm3_SzftzWSXsjUv0Jegetov-9u0cDRoCOYYQAvD_BwE maybe stevenson will match)
 

bassguyry

Commander + Cruise Moab Chairman
Staff member
Moderator
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jun 14, 2018
Messages
1,122
Location
Arvada, CO
A little thread revitalization. I have some noise occasionally at full turn. Usually just one kinda clunk sound, but we were able to get it to "click" today on purpose. In the last year I did increase the lift (22" center hub to fender) so I am not shocked. I will probably take this back down a little.

I have a spare axle that I think is OEM I can use for a CVJ core. Can also pull a couple or more possibly when I go back to pullandpay this week. Looking for thoughts and continued experience from other 100 series owners (@AimCOTaco, @bassguyry, @Inukshuk, others I am sure).

Andy, when you say OEM are you saying you would go new OEM only, or rebuilt OEM by CVJ or yourself?

@bassguyry are your CVJ's still holding up well?

@nakman you need me to get that last 100 series part out of your garage (not the aftermarket one though)? If it just needs a reboot thats a much simpler task than a full rebuild kit (joint set $308+shipping from UAE or $500+ Mcgeorge or stevenson), which looks to be more than you can get a new OEM for ($451 https://toyotaparts.mcgeorgetoyota....Mxm3_SzftzWSXsjUv0Jegetov-9u0cDRoCOYYQAvD_BwE maybe stevenson will match)
My CVJs are as solid as ever. I had 'em on my last 100 as well, with no issues. I'd buy CVJ axles again without hesitation.
 

FJCDan

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Messages
937
Location
West Denver
The first time I went into CVJ axles I had an aftermarket axle, they wouldn't take only OEM axles. now I have a small stock pile of axles to rebuild.
 

Inukshuk

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
7,284
Location
Denver, CO
So far - knock on wood - I have not had issues with my probably original 140,000 mile CVs
 
Top