I ended up tearing my CV boot when I installed my OME shocks the other day. This happened when getting the bottom shock bolt back in - I had to force the bolt by the boot to get it to go in (didn't have this problem when I replaced factory shocks with factory shocks a couple years ago...) and it tore the boot.

So, I'm going to replace it per the instructions I found by searching.
http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/cv_axle/

My questions are:
1.) I hear you can replace the studs that attach the CV to the axle and make this easier in the future (no need to remove hub nut, lower ball joint, etc.). Can I just beat the studs out with a BFH or is there a special procedure required? Also, does anybody have size specs so I can get these replacement nuts & bolts prior to doing this job?

2.) I read that some people disconnect the shock to get more droop and make this easier? It was the disconnecting/reconnecting of said shock that got me here in the first place so is that necessary?

3.) For those of you who have done this before, what tips or tricks can you offer that will help me to use less profanity while doing this?

All help appreciated.

 

If this is your 98:

1. no, there are no studs in this setup, the cv pops in and out of the diff.

2. no, you dont disconnect your shocks, just unbolt the 4 bolts at the bottom of your spindle.

3. get the right socket for your cv,

 

in the future i would suggest taking the four bolts out that connect the spindle and the lower ball joint letting the lower control arm droop more so that u can get the lower shock bolt in and then jacking up the lower control arm to the spindle and then re bolting them back together

as far as putting the new cv in jus get like a 3 foot pry bar and on the cv there is a groove put the pry bar in that groove and it should pop right out at least that what i did for my 01

 

and use blue loctite to put the lbj back on

 

x2 o the loctite i didnt do that the first time and some where along the way lost one haha o well it happens

 

I have question. I have an extra pair of manual hubs for my 91 4runner that I picked cheap up when getting some parts off a donor 92. My recently purchased 96 4runner has the origanal auto hubs. Will the manual hubs for the 91 work on the 96 without any other mods? Also are the ADD hubs that came on the 96 dependable?

 

You can use your stock bottle jack to press down your upper a arm to make the 4 bolts easier to attach.

 

The tools I like to have with me are ...

1) 2 foot breaker bar
2) 36 mm axle nut
3) flathead screwdriver (to get the dust shield off to access the axle nut)
4) socket for lower ball joint bolts (15mm i think)
5) Whatever socket for the lugs (21 mm)
6) Bottle Jack for Lower Ball Joint and to get the truck up
7) Jack stand
8) Needle Nose pliers

I like to ...
1) jack truck up
2) put it on the Jack stand
3) put bottle jack under LBJ and put a little pressure on it
4) undo LBJ bolts
5) lower LBJ
6) Undo wheel and use flathead to pop off the dust shield
7) Untighten axle nut/ Remove Cotter Pin
8) pull axle out with wheel turn all the way to the other direction (Passenger side if it is the Driver's axle being replaced)
9) Put it all back together

 

Good feedback. Thanks!
Regarding the "studs"... i understand that on the axle side of the CV, you undo 4 nuts and the CV slides off the 4 studs that are attached to the axle. I hear you can knock those studs out and use bolts of equal size and therefore do not need to undo the ball joint the next time you replace the CV (because you don't have to pull the CV off the studs on the axle [pull off towards the hub] you can simply slide it down and pull it out from the hub)... am I wrong? did i misunderstand what people were saying about that or what?

 

That is for a 2d Gen 4Runner...not your 3d Gen. Look at your axle or the write-up you linked in your first post...there are no studs or nuts on the axle.