[browland17]

In my '97 I have this grinding noise as I turn right. i figured it would be a cv axle. I pull it into les schuabs and they call me the next day and say its the bearing the cv axle goes through in the transfer case. anyone hear of this, or experience it? It's a 5sp awd. I love my rav4, i've had it 2 years and it has just over 236,xxx mi on it.

 

[Roundabout]

Could be the front wheel bearings, mine were making noise in the turns last fall before I changed them.
Using the front wheel bearing adapter kit from harbor-freight it was fairly easy to pull and replace.

I used a slide hammer to remove the hub from the bearing.
Used a 2-jaw puller to remove the inner race from the hub, this is a little complicated but worked fairly well on my front ones and I did the second bearing twice when I got in a hurry.
Using the adapter kit you can pull and install the bearing in the steering knuckle without removing the knuckle and saving the price of an alignment.
Again using the kit you pull the hub into the new bearing.


More detail if you want to try it.
This worked so well, I want to try a version of it on my rear bearings.

 

[browland17]

Funny story... So I continued to ignore the noise until the first week of april 2016, I went outside and the nut and part of my CV shaft was laying beside my rav4.... Replaced cv axle and the noise went away! Screw Les Schuabs..

 

[Roundabout]

Dang! It looks like that boot has been leaking for some time.
Should have made it easy for the mechanic to inspect. Wonder why he missed it.

Glad it was easy.

 

[browland17]

my les schuabs is full of idiots, I haven't been back since!