Trying to remove a joint from a splined shaft - Stuck!

[timsch]

Hello all,

Hopefully my having a couple of tractors will warrant me some forgiveness for a non-tractor question. Nobody seems to know more tricks than tractor guys, so I come with hat in hand.


I'm trying to remove a CV joint tripod that is on a splined axle. I got the joint on one side off as easily as expected with a slide hammer. Passenger side joint is another story. Slide hammer didn't budge it. No problem, I thought, I'll get my puller. That thing with my heavy duty impact driver wouldn't budge it either. The retainer ring was removed intact. I've cleaned the ring groove and see no burrs or anything else.

I think the puller will break if I put much more into it. I've never had the puller not work. I've got it soaking in kroil and will let it sit overnight and try again. Maybe I'll get lucky with that. With the bearings, I'd think heat was out of the question. Then again, maybe not IF there are no seals in the bearings.... but I don't know if there are or not.

Any suggestions? Thanks again, and apologies if due.


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[wore out]

Hello all,

Hopefully my having a couple of tractors will warrant me some forgiveness for a non-tractor question. Nobody seems to know more tricks than tractor guys, so I come with hat in hand.


I'm trying to remove a CV joint tripod that is on a splined axle. I got the joint on one side off as easily as expected with a slide hammer. Passenger side joint is another story. Slide hammer didn't budge it. No problem, I thought, I'll get my puller. That thing with my heavy duty impact driver wouldn't budge it either. The retainer ring was removed intact. I've cleaned the ring groove and see no burrs or anything else.

I think the puller will break if I put much more into it. I've never had the puller not work. I've got it soaking in kroil and will let it sit overnight and try again. Maybe I'll get lucky with that. With the bearings, I'd think heat was out of the question. Then again, maybe not IF there are no seals in the bearings.... but I don't know if there are or not.

Any suggestions? Thanks again, and apologies if due.


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Your photos won't open for me.

What are you working on? Some such things are held together with a "wire snapring" with a sloped side to it's groove that will let it pop out of place with a quick, SHARP tug with a slidehammer puller, but without a quick and sharp tug it will resist coming apart 'til hell freezes over.

With some other joints you need to knock the "tripod" "inward" and it will pop over the inner snap ring, exposing the outer snapring so it can be dug out of it's groove with a "pick", allowing the "tripod" to be slid off of the splines.

GOOD LUCK with your pursuit!

 

[Tgrasher]

I have had luck with using a air hammer/chisel, with a blunt tip, on tractor steering shaft u-joints that had been on for 60 years.

 

[stevieb49829]

That looks like some quick, localized heat with cutting torch (not propane torch) would pop it right loose. It doesn't look like there's any seals in those bearings. Or some sharp whacks in between the bearings with a heavy drift punch. You didn't attach your puller to another snapring on the back side, right? steve

 

[rustred]

You need some fast heat. And pop she will go.

 

[timsch]

Thanks everyone. It's a 2008 Sienna driveshaft.

I do have the air hammer so will try that next.

I have propane and MAPP gas torches, but no cutting torch. I have a plasma cutter, maybe a quick jolt with that.... That'd be a fast way to screw stuff up, though.

 

[Mule Meat]

First by the photos. It appears as if you are trying to remove something that does not need to come off. When you have a bad CV axle a on a car. You replace the entire axle as a single unit.

You are trying turn an easy one hour job into a week's worth of aggravation.

 

[SkipperII]

Not sure what you are working on, but Mule Meat is correct, you can usually buy the complete assembly for less than the parts.

 

[timsch]

I'd already ordered the CV boot kit. Going into this, I assumed they were OEM shafts, which are almost always worth the effort to reuse. Somewhat doubtful they are OEM now... so it goes.

The tripod needed to be removed to slide the new boot on. The whole axle was not removed, but was split in two. The tripod bearing just slides into a housing.

This is a relatively easy job, other than the one stuck tripod, which I did just get off with an air hammer. Not nearly as much of a PITA as a typical CV joint.

Thanks for the suggestions that got me out of a bind.

 

[Mule Meat]

The photos you are showing are an Axle Shaft. Not a drive shaft.
Complete Axles Shafts for a Sienna can be bought for as little as $70 online, average around $150 from places like Advance and up towards $500 for a factory one from a dealer.

 

[timsch]

Semantics. My OEM service manual calls them driveshafts, so I'll stick with that.

For that $70 you'll get the finest Chinesium, or if your really lucky, Indianium materials available. $150 gets you a step above that. My $40 dollar OEM CV boot kits will be money well spent if I can save the $500 OEM driveshaft from the dumpster when its in otherwise very good condition. Any extra labor will be just that much more experience my teenage boys have in working on all sorts of things and learning to save quality. Since it was largely my older son doing the work, all the better.

 

[NDIHC]

Semantics. My OEM service manual calls them driveshafts, so I'll stick with that.

For that $70 you'll get the finest Chinesium, or if your really lucky, Indianium materials available. $150 gets you a step above that. My $40 dollar OEM CV boot kits will be money well spent if I can save the $500 OEM driveshaft from the dumpster when its in otherwise very good condition. Any extra labor will be just that much more experience my teenage boys have in working on all sorts of things and learning to save quality. Since it was largely my older son doing the work, all the better.

Yup, the manufacturer I work for also calls them driveshafts. What most people would call a driveshaft is called a propeller shaft. Seems to be a common thing with Asian vehicles.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Looking carefully at the photographs it seems as if the splines on the component you're trying to remove have rotated slightly against those of the shaft. If this is the case then rotating one against the other in alternating directions might loosen what must be a tremendous bond .
If this works it investigating the shaft splines for wear is probably wise .

 

[Hobo,NC]

I'd already ordered the CV boot kit. Going into this, I assumed they were OEM shafts, which are almost always worth the effort to reuse. Somewhat doubtful they are OEM now... so it goes.

The tripod needed to be removed to slide the new boot on. The whole axle was not removed, but was split in two. The tripod bearing just slides into a housing.

This is a relatively easy job, other than the one stuck tripod, which I did just get off with an air hammer. Not nearly as much of a PITA as a typical CV joint.

Thanks for the suggestions that got me out of a bind.

If salvageable its always a better option to boot the old shaft on a Toyota. If you get those cheap new shafts don't throw away the originals shafts. Honda is another manufacture you boot the original shaft. Good boots are hard to come by its labor intensive and a nasty job. I commend you for going the extra mile it will pay off in the long run.

Booting a shaft is a lost leader for a repair shop even replacing them with those junk aftermarket shafts is kicking the can down the road and hoping it does not bite you. All my customers are lifers I know when I put that junk on their car I will get to warranty it down the road. They are a money maker for those that take the gamble tho. Its all in how you take pride in your work.

 

[timsch]

If salvageable, its always a better option to boot the old shaft on a Toyota. If you get those cheap new shafts don't throw away the originals shafts. Honda is another manufacture you boot the original shaft. Good boots are hard to come by its labor intensive and a nasty job. I commend you for going the extra mile it will pay off in the long run.

Booting a shaft is a lost leader for a repair shop even replacing them with those junk aftermarket shafts is kicking the can down the road and hoping it does not bite you. All my customers are lifers I know when I put that junk on their car I will get to warranty it down the road. They are a money maker for those that take the gamble tho. Its all in how you take pride in your work.

I've been rebooting my CV joints on the VW TDI's when needed. It was always recommended to save the OEM axles by those who knew a thing or two on those forums, so I just got in that mindset. Those were a bit more difficult with standard CV joints, but still workable with decent tools.

The tripod CV joint on this Toyota is so simple and durable I'm surprised I haven't seen that design elsewhere.

It's funny you mention Toyota & Honda. Are a number of the other OEM's not that good to be worth saving?

 

[Hobo,NC]

I've been rebooting my CV joints on the VW TDI's when needed. It was always recommended to save the OEM axles by those who knew a thing or two on those forums, so I just got in that mindset. Those were a bit more difficult with standard CV joints, but still workable with decent tools.

The tripod CV joint on this Toyota is so simple and durable I'm surprised I haven't seen that design elsewhere.

It's funny you mention Toyota & Honda. Are a number of the other OEM's not that good to be worth saving?

Some are not, Chrysler and Kia come to mind. Most all these axles are outsourced low bidder goth the contract. I have had more issues with replacement axles on Toyota an specifically HONDA CRV. One axle I will not touch unless its a dealer supplied axle is a Kia. I don't do any Euro they also have big issues especially with aftermarket axles.

You can throw axles at it ship it and pocket the money the customer may never complain, those problems are still there. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to feel those issues its there from the get go. I have replaced with those cheap axles because of a leaking boot and made it worst : ( The customer never complained but I knew it and tell them I made a problem hang with me till I can get quality boots your old axle.

The conception is that every one comes to you for a cheap repair so you let the market set your price. It does not have to be this way you want customers that want a quality repair and will pay for it. You also have those that WONT are don't have the funds for a quality repair, I don't need them in my life they will drag you down with them.