Front axles and CVs with RCD

[joker7037]

I believe I have read just about every thing I can find on CV boots, noise
in the front end, grease sling etc... I still can't find my specific problem and
case. I have an RCD 6" lift and recently I have been hearing a loud "clunk"
on the drivers side when I turn the wheels to the left, turn to the right no
noise. Yesterday I decided to "investigate". For starters I know little to
nothing about drivetrain "stuff". So this is what I found: grease slung from
both inner cv boots, passenger side f. axle moves when grabbed but not
excessivly, drivers side f. axle moves quite a bit and makes a noise when
grabbed, when I put drivers side front wheel in hole while in 4 hi it would not
pull me out (other wheels spun).
Now my assumptions: grease sling is probably from loose or torn boot and I
plan on replacing with Kartek 930 boots with hose clamps on big end.
As far ss loose axle I assume it has pulled out of the cv joint due to extended travel and angle.
Questions: Can I run hose clamps on the small end as well? I heard that
they can unbalance teh axle. Assuming I am right about driver side axle
and there is no damage can I just put it back in and be ok?
When reinstalling boots how much grease do I need to put in them?
Has any body with the RCD had any issues in the afor mentioned areas?
Did I miss anything? How much are the karteks?
I have the print out for the front driveshaft for a 2000 I could seem to find
one for 2004 I assume nothing has changed. I also have vorra65's thread
for reference and devinsixtyseven's write up changing boots.
Any answers or comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Chris

[jamesjr4750]

Mine's stock and I have the CV grease slinging all over I just clean it off and when the CV's are fried, I will replace them with the Manual Hub and 930 boot conversion as well, just terrible crimping on the rubber boots that cause this.

No effect of the RCD, I believe.

As with all your concerns of the 4 X4 drivetrain i have the exact same thing going on , it must be what it is designed to do. I romp on mine and have used 4 wheel quite often and my fluids are good, so all i have to say is the CVs suck

Only question I can answer on the hose clamps unbalancing the drivetrain , HAHAHAHAHAAA

[Imdone]

If you are running the standard RCD set up with nothing else then the length of the front drive shafts should be basically as stock with a 2" lift which is more than adequate.

As for clunk, check you lower and upper ball joints. I haven't heard of a front driveshaft clunk before.

The stock CV joints are actually pretty strong and good, they provide pretty good angles for IFS, actually.

You can get a new set of inner boots with clamps and grease from offroadsolutions.com for about $95.00. These are the larger boots. Installing them is actually not that difficult, just messy as all hell.

With regard to dropping your front wheel in a hole and it not pulling you out, this is common ailment of an open diff set up. a locker is the only thing that will still pull with other tires in the air.

[joker7037]

I forgot to mention I also have been feeling a rythmic vibration in the gas
pedal at 40 mph on flat highway in 2 hi. Related or not I don't know, just
thought I would mention it.

Thanks for the help and anymore that comes my way.

Chris
Update: This morning I got under the truck and unclamped the inner boot.
I pulled it back and felt inside the joint and it definitly is no longer attached
to anything. Also called dealer and they don't cover anything that is lifted
more than 3". So I called the 4x4 shop that installed lift and he said for $175
he can get me a whole new axle and install it.
On a side note there was a ton of grease still in the boot and I replace both
clamps with hoce clamps. Goes in Thusday morning.

Chris

[DevinSixtySeven]

got a good set of hand tools, floor jack and jack stands that will support your lifted truck?

when the 4x4 shop installed your rcd kit, they (i assume) had to, or chose to, pull the front halfshafts. there is a snap ring in the inner cv joint core that must be seated properly, and i can tell you from experience it's a pain to get lined up and seated and can take a couple tries. it's also a pain because with all the grease and the weight/angle youre usually dealing with reinstalling the shaft, it can appear and feel like it's seated, but without actually trying to pull it out you can't tell. if they didn't seat the snap ring, of course it will pull free, and you'll be in 2wd regardless how you shift the tcase. if the snap ring is broken, it's anyone's guess how it happened. if the splines are damaged on the halfshaft, again, who knows...but if the snap ring is intact within the inner cv core, and the splines are in good shape on the halfshaft, then whoever last separated the axle from the inner cv joint didn't put it back together properly.

any of the guys who installed their own rcd kit could tell you if they separated the joints or just left it all hanging during the install.

you can probably fix this yourself, or at least check it, by putting the truck on jackstands, releasing the spindle from the lower ball joint/steering knuckle and the halfshaft from the spindle, pulling the spindle/hub assembly away from the axle, and then just fitting the axle back in the inner cv joint. youll go through a lot of shop towels and rubber gloves...if you do this, it's a perfect time to install the larger inner cv boots.

if that doesnt solve the clunking, it's probably your lower ball joint(s). they dont seem to be capable of taking much punishment.

-sean

*edit* obtw your lift is 4" of drop bracket and 2" of suspension. the dealer is referring to 3" of suspension lift, anything above that causes a lot of problems. they may turn you away on the technicality that your truck is now 6" higher, but technically it's an inch under the limit theyre concerned with. regardless, i suspect this still falls to the installer of the lift to fix, and not by selling you another axle. shouldnt be anything wrong with your axle unless it's actually physically broken, splines are damaged, or snap ring is busted in which case you need a new snap ring...only replace what needs replacing, youre the best one to determine that if you have the time. post up what you find/resolve and remember kls is always saying "you get what you inspect, not what you expect."

[joker7037]

Unfortunatly my wife doesn't have much faith in my ablity to fix this issue,
and is willing to pay the $175 to get it fixed by a "professional". Didn't really
matter to me as long as it gets fixed before we go to TN next week. I will let
you know what happens on Thursday.

Chris

[DevinSixtySeven]

well, that's one solution...just dont want to see a guy throw good money at what might be bad. talk to 'em first about everything we've suggested here, and if you buy a new axle for them to install, make sure they give you back the old axle...and it better be in two pieces, or be missing the splines inboard of the snap ring groove, or else youve bought a new axle you didnt need. same with the old cv joint, snap ring, any other part they remove or claim to have replaced on your truck, make dyam sure they give you back the old part, Or Else.

dont let your girl's faith in your wrenching abilities lead you away from knowing your own rig, particularly if it's been modified...that's even more reason for you to get handy with a socket wrench.

if it's more than a snap ring, it's a long job you might not want to do yourself...and even if it is just a snap ring, it's still messy and time consuming.

just be careful taking your truck back to a place that may in fact be the source of the problem.

-sean

[joker7037]

Got the truck in today for the front axle swap. Upon removal of old axle
assembly the mechanic pulled the boot off and found that I had destroyed
the cage and broke two of balls in the joint which then chewed up the
splines on the axle end. He also made a call to RCD to see if this is a known
issue and if so what they plan to do about it or what he can do to keep it
from happening again.

Chris

[Imdone]

Are you absolutely sure that you didn't by chance drive around the paved city streets in 4wd? This doesn't sound like something that would happen just because of the RCD lift. The lift doesn't put enough strees or angle on the cv joints to cause binding to the point that you will blow the balls and chew the splines off the axle.

HOWEVER, accidentally driving around town in 4x4 without knowing it can cause things of this nature.

There also may be something wrong with the Actuator for teh 4x4 on the truck which could have caused this. I would also have this guy check the front diff.

On the drivers side the axle slides over a needle roller and then into the splines, on the pass side the axle slides through a tappered sleeve before it gets to the splines. If you have chewed up a CV joint to this extreme I would suspect that you also may have some front diff damage.

I'm not doubting you but this just doesn't have the sound of the I lifted the truck and it broke because of the lift type of damage.

Good luck and post what else is found.

[DevinSixtySeven]

^x2. i've pounded the hell out of my truck for the last five (almost six) years and never had that kind of carnage. keep us informed...

-s

[Imdone]

Since I have been so graced with my truck problems I have had to speak with Matt at RCD a few times in the last few days. I posed this question to him and he said he had not heard of anything.

He did say that one guy installed the coil cups upside down so the truck was getting 8" of lift and it caused problems.

He also told me of one that the front diff on the truck had shifted and caused damage to an axle because it wasn't catching all the way but nothing to the degree of damage that is noted here.

What else did you find out Joker???

[joker7037]

It has been quite sometime since my last post on this subject. Early last year I had the manual hub conversion kit from off road solutions. Since the install I have had no problems, until I put the truck in 4 wheel drive this winter. I 'm sure I lost the driver's side inner cv. I am clueless asto what is going on. If anybody has any new insite let me know. Off road solutions said I can get new fuul axles for 275 per side. Just not sure what to do, I don't want to blow a joint everytime I put in 4 hi, could get a little expensive.

[Imdone]

In this picture, does your truck still look like this?
What size tires are you running in this photo?
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photo...ium/dirty1.jpg

If you are running 35" tires, you might be too tall. Unless you went with a shorter block in the rear, or you have a body lift, this looks too tall from what I remember with my truck.

This really doesn't make any sense, especially if you are still having the problem.

Take a couple pics of the truck as it sits in your driveway so I can look at the angles of the lower control arms. So take the pic low looking right at the truck.

Also get a pic of the upper control arm so we can see what angle it is at.

These photos may help us determine what "might" be wrong.


EDIT:

I looked at the the photo again and it looks like you have a pretty flat UCA, but it's still kind of hard to tell. Get a better pic and take one of the front half shafts. If you are just at 6" then you should be fine. Lets see the pics though!

[joker7037]

I will get a pics asap, but I was able to get under the truck and saw something new. The drivers side diff bracket (I think) is snapped in half. Like I said will get pics soon. I have loaded some new photos and if you goto page two I think there are some better pics of the truck from the side. Also the tires are aprox. 33" and there are no other suspension mods or lifts, except for the manual hub kit.

Thanks CR

[Imdone]

WHOA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

suspension issues - Tundra Solutions Photo Gallery

DUDE! Your front diff mount is SNAPPED IN HA LF

YIKES!!!!!!

There's your problem right there.