Two questions:

Bluebelles Mom · Post by **Bluebelles Mom** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:44 pm

1. I have discovered the fact that the floor carpet on the passenger side is soaking wet. The mat on top of the carpet is dry. I am thinking it's either a hole in the floor or the heater coil, but if it's the coil shouldn't the mat be wet too?

2. I am noticing tattle tale signs that the CVjoints are going bad. I have read in here that it isn't an immediate problem but I don't want to wait too long. I have looked in here for some instructions on the replacement of the 'half shafts' and while there are lots of post re: their removal there doesn't seem to be any 'step by step' notes on it. I have noticed that the general consensus is that the manual suggests more then is actually necessary. I do have a Chiltons manual on order so I am hoping for some simpler instructions there.
2a. Apart from the actual CV shafts, what else should I purchase for a good replacement? Are there seals or 0-rings needed?
2b. Any other parts in that area that ought to be changed out at the same time?

Post by **dlb** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:43 pm

hey BBM.

1) is it the front or rear passenger side floor that's getting soaked? i assume it's the front. i don't think it's the heater because if it was, you would smell antifreeze since that's what it would be leaking. chances are it's the sunroof if you have one, windshield, or vapour barrier on the door. all three are notorious causes. xirdneh just had a similar incident, wound up being the windshield. probably not the floor because not much water would get in (unless you drove through rivers) and you can tell just by looking underneath the car. you can take the car to a auto upholstery place where they will test it and fix it for relatively cheap.

2) CV joints: with the car in gear and with the hand brake engaged, crack the CV joint nut and remove it. jack up the front end. remove the wheel. remove the calipers, hang them out of the way with a metal clothes hanger or wire so it doesn't hang by the rubber flex hose. remove the rotor. disconnect the tie rod from the hub. undo the two nuts and bolts that attach the hub to the strut. you should be able to pull the CV out with some manhandling. put the new one in, put everything back. some suggest replacing the CV seal at the same time but i've honestly never done that. i had trouble getting the new CV in on mine because the little c-clip on the end was a tiny bit bigger than the old one. i took the old c-clip and swapped it with the new one and it went in fine but i would have preferred to just hang the new one in somehow.

2a) yup. see above.

2b) check your tie rod end for play. if you can wiggle the joint all sloppy-like, replace it. if you disconnect the ball joint at the bottom of the hub you can check it the same way as the tie rod and replace if necessary. that's about it.

good luck!

xirdneh · Post by **xirdneh** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:18 pm

you really only need to disconect the lower ball joint (remove two 14mm bolts)
i also disconnect the tie rod (cotter pin and 17mm nut)
use big screwdriver between tranny and inboard end of CV axle to pop CV free of tranny
then slide a crowbar over the control arm (thats what the ball joint was attached to) and wedge the end of the bar on the frame
while pushing crowbar down you can swing everything out of the way

that way you do not have to disconnect brake stuff or strut

keith · Post by **keith** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:58 pm

I know its not AC season yet, at least not around here, but if you have been using the AC to defog the interior of the windshield and the water is on the front passenger side floor, then you most likely have a plugged AC drain. The drain is a rubber tube sticking out from the firewall low on the passenger side. It may be below the firewall actually, just below the point where the firewall bends toward the back of the car. Poke something flexible up the tube until your arm gets wet.

As for the axles, I've done them a number of times and I think that removing the ball joints is the hard way. Start with the car on the ground, remove the wheel covers, the cotter pin from the axle nut and loosen the axle nut first. Then loosen the lug nuts for wheels. Now jack up the vehicle and set it on jack stands or blocks.

I believe the axle nut is 30 mm, get a good heavy duty socket and looong breaker bar. This nut can be difficult to break free.

After you remove the wheels and the axle nut, check the position of the lower adjustable bolt on the strut. Mark the position with a scratch awl (or nail) and then disconnect the strut from the steering knuckle. Now the steering knuckle can be pulled far enough out to get the end of the axle out of it. Then use a pry bar to pry the axle out of the transmission.

When you put the new one in, you kind of have to position it as best as you can, and then slam it home. Everything else after that is a reverse of removal. Re-align the marks on the adjusting bolt on the struts and no further adjustments will be needed.

Bluebelles Mom · Post by **Bluebelles Mom** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:26 pm

Re: the water. No air conditioner (it's been removed) so I am thinking something lower down leaking into the front passenger flooring. Otherwise the mat would be wet too. I have a heater going out in the car right now to dry out the carpet so I can perhaps pinpoint the area to start looking.

Thanks to all for the CV inputs. I plan on getting new ones early next month and putting them in soon after. I will let you all know how it goes.

Post by **dlb** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:48 pm

i'll bet a half dozen donuts it's the windshield causing the leak. unless you have a sunroof, then my money's on that. both of those leak in the most inconspicuous ways--it's usually a very slow, tiny, but persistent trickle that pools in the lowest area so it's difficult to find the wet trail the water has taken. i've had a few do it so let us know when you find out.

Bluebelles Mom · Post by **Bluebelles Mom** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:57 pm

Oh sorry, I probably should have mention there is no sun roof. Sooooo, some sort of caulking all around the windshield then??? Living in the NW, we have been known to experience some sorta wet Winters, Springs, Summers and Falls. I don't want the flooring to rot out. I wouldn't have found the wet carpet under the mat if I hadn't been using the mat to kneel on while trying to fix my intermittant short in my speakers and suddenly realized my elbows were soaking wet.

The short is fixed by the way. Just waiting for the rear mounts to arrive so I can install the rear speakers.

So_Powerful · Post by **So_Powerful** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:59 pm

I've actually made a video of removing half shafts and putting new ones in. I'll see about trying to post them on youtube.

Bluebelles Mom · Post by **Bluebelles Mom** » Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:03 pm

So_Powerful wrote:I've actually made a video of removing half shafts and putting new ones in. I'll see about trying to post them on youtube.

That would be great, I would love to see it done before I try to do it. Thanks.

So_Powerful · Post by **So_Powerful** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:17 am

Unfortunately my videos sizes are too large to put on youtube. I have two roughly 3GB Hi-def videos. Does anyone have any ideas about posting these videos?

Post by **Petros** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 12:08 pm

You could break the video up into part 1, part 2 , part 3 etc.

I have found it unnecessary to remove either the brake caliper or the tie-rod. After getting the large nut off the axle I just remove the two 12 mm bolts holding the ball joint (at the bottom of the steering knuckle) and pry it free, turn the steering wheel to push the arm all the way out, and than I can swing the strut assembly (with brakes still on it) out far enough to clear the end of spline shaft (sometimes I have to push the end of the spine shaft through from the outside). Once the outboard end is free, when you pop the inboard end out the axle assembly falls out.

If you remove the axles carefully the seals at both ends should be fine to leave in place and reuse. Some people replace the seals on the trans as part of the process since they are likely as old as the car.

Post by **Mattel** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:33 pm

Hi, I use a free program called Handbrake to put films on my phone. you could try that to reduce your file size. it's fairly user friendly and works on most OS's

xirdneh · Post by **xirdneh** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:49 pm

my windshield has been leaking

i priced a new windshield today at a local glass shop

FW448 242.00 total installed or glass only 130.00 (do it yourself)

might do it if i cannot stop the leaking soon

Post by **dlb** » Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:51 pm

xirdneh, unless your glass is damaged anyway i don't think you will need to replace it. it's usually just the seal around the glass that gets old and cracks.

So_Powerful · Post by **So_Powerful** » Tue Mar 15, 2011 11:11 pm

ok I have part 1 and 2 posted on youtube. I apologize that I didn't edited it. It's really boring. I'll post part 3 tonight. oh yeah this is only the removal. I need to break the installation video down into three parts. here are the links. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwsmF4ivj_A and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTd_2QFkCH8

Tercel4WD.com

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