2000 4Runner-Should I replace CV Axles? (I'm caught between differing opinions)

My vehicle is at 230,000 miles and I've been hearing some popping coming from the front wheel well area when turning in reverse. Its irritating and I just want to fix it. I've done a ton work on the front end, except the CV Axles. All the work needed to be done, but none of it fixed the popping sound.

My last ditch idea is to replace the CV axles. From the outside they are in good condition, no leaking and the boots look good.

My landlord who was a toyota mechanic for 40 years (retired for at least 10) swears he's never seen a CV axle go bad in a 3rd gen 4runner and that anything I replace it with will be worse quality and not even worth it. He said to AT MOST replace the boots. He also said there should be almost negligible wear and tear on the CV axles due to the car being rwd. He's really adamant that it would be a waste of time and money.

A friend of mine who worked in his dad's mechanic shop on many 4runners says he's seen lots of interior and exterior wear and tear on CV axles of 4runners of similar mileage and generation, and that replacing them could possibly solve the popping issue. I've also read lots of posts about folks replacing them at this age and milage.

Should I just wait to replace the CV axles until they get obviously bad? I'm not even sure they are the issue anyway. The popping has been impossible to diagnose. I don't really care about fancy upgrades, I just want to save money on repairs and have a reliable car for off-roading and life.

Let me know what you think.

 

I agree with your landlord that it’s unlikely to be a CV issue. You said you did a lot of suspension work, did the pop happen after that work? What did you change out? What brand are your coilovers? Do you have a lift? I’ve seen this before with cheap brands of coilovers where the spring slips in the unit on turns.

off the top of my head, you could look at the driveshaft slip yolk- when was the last time you greased the driveshaft? Control arm Bushings could be an issue, binding or contact with the swaybar - still some unknowns.

noises are tricky as they can feel like they are coming from one end but actually be coming from a completely different spot. Have you tried laying on the ground and listening while someone attempts to replicate the noise?

 

Thanks so much for your advice. The suspension is old man emu and maybe 10 years old, so not new work, but I always thought it was good stuff. I don't have a true lift kit on it, so its not really lifted beyond that suspension and some slightly larger tires. I should have said "font end work" is what I had done recently. I had the upper and lower ball joints replaced with the control arms summer 2023 and the sound started early this year. I realized I was assuming they did the bushings when they did the ball joint work, but maybe they didn't?

Ha, the drive shaft probably hasn't been greased in years. I will look into that.

The noise is a cursed issue because I haven't been able to replicated it with anyone else around to hear it the way I can from the drivers set. We may need to just try some more and replicate the exact situation when I hear it the most. I hear it everyday when I pull out of my parking spot to leave work.

 

I’m having a similar issue with my 02. Mine needed a lot of work and I have been replacing front and rear parts as well as a fair amount of welding on the frame. After all that has been done, the last remaining noise appears to be coming from the passenger front. It is a popping clunk that only happens when I am turning over uneven terrain. An example would be turning into a business driveway that has a hump or down my driveway at home which is eneven and gravel. I don’t hear it just driving or turning and smooth pavement. I have my own lift and have spent way too much time trying to sort this out! I think it’s the CV, but it has to come out to check it. Might as well replace.‍♂️

 

Not true if you get them from TOYOTA or TOYOTA Supplier.

You should rent one of those multi channel wireless sound locators. You hook mics onto various locations underneath and listen while you drive around. You should hear one channel louder than the others. That would get you really close.

 

I don't agree with the advice your landlord gave you. The axle dust boots won't cause any "popping" noises, and you really have to separate and pull the axle out from the wheel hub anyway just to replace the outer boots (correctly) and the axles must be pulled all the way out to replace the inner boots, so the only reason to just replace the boots after all that is if they're torn and you caught the problem before all the grease leaked out of them and the CV joints are still good (popping noises is a good sign they're not!).

There are numerous youtube videos where people do that job, it's not terribly that difficult a job (I guess depends on your wrenching skill). I'd just go ahead and replace the axles with OEM axles.