Y/M/M: 2007 Toyota Sienna Limited, FWD
Miles: 150k
I’ve had front end issues with my '07 Sienna for about 6 months, first the steering rack bushings wore out and I drove on it longer than I should have. After it was replaced, it solved some major issues, but then the front end got a bad wobble when accelerating between 40-70 mph. I determined it was the CV Axle shaft on the driver’s side, which I replaced this weekend (again, drove on it longer than I should have due to $$).
At first, the wobble was gone and the van drove smoothly, but after about 10 miles a mild vibration started only when accelerating at 40-70 mph. After 20 miles it got worse, but it’s still a vibration instead of an intense wobble like it was before I replaced it.
During installation, the lower ball joint slipped off the control arm and the inner CV joint seemed to pull out into the boot by a good amount, but I unscrewed the axle nut, realigned it, pushed it back in, and gave it a few taps with a rubber mallet.
My question is: Would the inner CV getting pulled out (with not much force) then reinserted like that damage the part? Or is it likely that the vibration when accelerating in a certain range is due to something else?
I’m assuming that the bad steering rack did a number on my suspension, I’m just really hoping I don’t have to buy the same part twice and that I can move on to addressing other issues.
Start with control arm bushings, wheel bearing and tire balancing. You could always return the CV axle and get another one and hope for the best