Hey folks. I'm new to the forum. I have driven my 1991 Camry for 18 years and hope for it to last a few more, so I will probably get more involved with forums like this one.

My Camry sounded like the wheel was going to fall off. It turns out the bearings in the driver side front wheel are shot. That probably accounts for at least part of the grinding and vibrating, but while under the car I was inspecting the driver's side axle I just replaced a month ago, and there is quite a bit of play where the axle meets up with the transmission.

This axle took a whack with a big sledge hammer to go in. Now it refuses to come out. Like I say there is play - I can move it in and out maybe 3/8" and I can jiggle it from side to side about that much. I have tried pulling, prying, I even set up a rig with a jack and some straps to try to pull it out. No dice. I have removed this axle twice before with no real problems. I am thinking the bearings are bad in the differential? Could this lock my half-shaft in?

Is it possible that it isn't seated all the way and I can just whack it again to get it to go further?

 

The drivers side axle has a cir-clip at the splined in that goes into the diff housing. This clip compresses as the shaft is slide into the trans the springs out behind the carrier gear. The result is it can take a LOT of prying to get the shaft out (and also get it in).

You best effort is to get a pry bar, place it between the trans and CV joint body, then quick try to pry the shaft out. Use a quick, jerking method. The shaft needs to pop out.

When doing this. place a board or something between the bar and trans to avoid damaging it.

Do pull, pry or bang on the axle shaft or outer CV joint, this will only cause the axle to start to pull apart.

If you taking about the outer CV body having play, meaning you can pull the body (and shaft) out of the diff housing 3/8 of an inch, this is not normal. If your talking about the part of the CV joint that attaches to the axle, then there would be a lot of in/out play and a little up and down in relation to the outer CV body.

 

I have done a lot of prying. You can't actually get a pry bar between the CV joint body and the transmission, as the CV joint body is recessed, so all you have is three teeny edges on the body. The last couple of times I took an axle out of this car, it was difficult, but nothing like this.

I got a loaner slide hammer today from the auto parts store. We'll see if that works.

Can the bearings in the transmission be serviced without removing the whole transmission?

Chris

 

Not sure about in car bearing replacement. The diff housing should have a couple of cover plates. One thought was on the drivers side through which the axle goes through, the other facing rear toward the firewall.

You would need to remove the diff gear assy through the rear hole. If there is enough room between the firewall and diff housing to do this, don't know.

 

That axle popped right off with a slide hammer. But let me tell you that was all that was getting it off. It did not want to let go.

Anyway, it seems pretty obvious that the bearings in the transmission are bad. I stuck my finger in there and I could easily move it up and down.

My Chilton's book doesn't have drawings for my transmission, so I can't yet tell if it is possible to replace the bearings without removing the transmission. It doesn't look like there could be enough room between the transmission and the firewall to pull out differential gears.

I'm not equipped to remove my transmission, so if I can't replace the bearings without doing that, I'll have to put it back together and take it to someone.