help 96 camry transmission and axle
 

what is the best way to remove driverside axle and how do you check your
transmission for prefailure

Check if the axle uses a cotter pin or crimped nut to hold the nut on. If crimped bend the crimp up to make taking the nut off easier.

Use large breaker bar to unloosing the axle nut. The torque is something like 120 ft-lbs.

Take off brake.
Unbolt strut from knuckle.
Remove tie rod end from the knuckle.
Unbolt lower ball joint from lower control arm.
Remove knuckle.

The axle is held into the diff gear by a cir-clip. It can be difficult to get the axle to come out. Use a bar with one end behind the inner CV joint body. There may be a slot on the body to allow the end of the bar to sit. Use the trans as a fulcrum to quickly pry out the axle. Place something between the bar and trans to prevent damage such as a thin board.

In order to get the axle out you need to use a quick, jerk motion on the bar. Your not prying the axle out as in increasing force until it comes out. This will not work unless you have a very long bar. You are trying to pop it out, as if hitting it with a hammer. The bar being the hammer.

When reinstalling the axle, make sure the spline is started into the diff gear. Then slam it home. If it does not go in, repeat the process. If you remove the axle too far in an attempt to slam it in, the end of the axle may damage the diff seal. You don't want this.

Sooner or later it will go in. Check to make sure it is in by pulling on the inner CV joint with your hands.

Make sure to top off the diff fluid. Take note depending on the trans model some have a combined diff and trans fluid camber, other separate.

For the trans, start out by checking the trans fluid. Should be red or reddish. If dark or black suggest doing a complete fluid change.

The trans should shift smoothly without jerking or slipping. When shifting from Park or Neutral to a gear, the trans should engage within a second (no long delay) or so and smoothly.

You can drop the trans pan and inspect the magnets placed on the pan for excess metal.

Signs of a failing trans are slipping, hard shifting, not shifting through the gears, delayed shifting, trans is put in a F or R gear and does not move for a few seconds.

Dirty and worn out fluid is the No 1 cause of trans issues thus make sure the fluid is clean and completely changed say every 30-40K miles.

Changing out dirty fluid can often improve trans performance.