If you could post a picture to show the problem, it would help.

Reading this, I think you have you have part of the axle separated and stuck in the diff?

If so, on ours when I removed it, the casing that is still in the diff has a couple of small flanges on it, I used a long pry bar and tapped it out with a lump hammer - hope this is on the right lines

 

I will get some pictures tomorrow. Ran out of day light.
Yes the axle came apart at the CV joint that’s at the carrier bearing. From right to left the cup of the CV joint, the carrier bearing/ bracket, then the trans case.
Since I can’t separate the carrier bearing and bracket, I removed the bolts hold the bracket and was trying to pull out the entire assembly with no success

 

You will transmit the jackhammer shocks inside the differential. It's really a nightmare situation, due to rust.
The inner joint of the CV axle is supposed to came apart like that, that's not a problem. Maybe wait a bit more for the penetrating lubricant to do it's work. A CV axle separator and slide hammer are all that should be required.

Amazon.com : cv axle remover

Been there, fighting rust, and will never even look at a car with rust (to buy). I gave up on that car when the rust on a brake line busted a hole, leaving me without brakes, luckly on my driveway.

 

Here are the pictures of where I started today. The slide hammer would not budge the assembly.

I ended up cutting the axle off before the carrier bearing bracket. I found two dowel pins in the bracket that insert from the bracket into the engine block, they were preventing me from pulling the axle/carrier bearing out. Once I cut the axle (two carbide steel cutting blades) and 2 plus hours with the sawzall...............the axle slid right out. There was no "C" clip, the carrier bracket is what hold the axle in place. There is no provision for the "C" clip, replacement axle is the same.

 

got there in the end - thanks for the update.

On ours, it is the C clip, so I could tap it out

 

I at first thought maybe I dropped the C clip and I was a little worried But after expecting both original and replacement axles, there was no channel machined in the splines for the C clip. All of the Youtube examples show the clip. Next issue removing the bearing from the carrier bracket

 

Only heat I have is Mapp Gas...............heated and soaked carrier b racket with PB Blaster, used air hammer............frozen solid. Brought it to local auto shop, they needed a press to get it apart in 10 minutes

 

Axle back in noise is gone. Cutting axle was a pain with a sawzall, which was the only tool that could fit between the frame, engine and exhaust. The pins in the carrier bearing bracket really set me back. I wasted a lot of time trying to pull out the axle and carrier bearing bracket as a unit.

I have the Chilton manual but it did not show the pins that went from the carrier bracket into the engine block. Is there an on-line resource that shows more detail?

 

Axle back in noise is gone. Cutting axle was a pain with a sawzall, which was the only tool that could fit between the frame, engine and exhaust. The pins in the carrier bearing bracket really set me back. I wasted a lot of time trying to pull out the axle and carrier bearing bracket as a unit.

I have the Chilton manual but it did not show the pins that went from the carrier bracket into the engine block. Is there an on-line resource that shows more detail?

RossL

Firstly, well done on getting the job done.

For references, if it helps you, I use a couple of sources.

For parts lists, I use a free site toyota.7zap.com. It gives a complete break down of every system and lists all parts down to clips, nuts and bolts for example.

I also have a 4 year subscription to Mitchelldiy for one of our other cars. Costs 40USD for the 4 years and I find that very useful too

Hope this helps

 

This thread is about my experience with the front left:

07 V6, trying to replace front left axle seal, pulled...

2006 V6 3.5 AWD auto with U151F tranny. Transmission fluid has been leaking around my front left axle so I decided to try to replace the axle seal. Got the wheel/rotor/hub off so it came time to take out the axle. Except when I pulled, only part of it came off, up to the inside boot. The...

www.rav4world.com

I wedged the flat end of a crowbar between the "cup" of the axle and the transmission and applied a twisting force on the hooked end.

I got the idea from a Youtube video I saw where someone did this with a bigger Toyota, a Highlander or Land Cruiser perhaps. Wasn't a Rav, but similar axle design and still worked for me.

 

What is Mitchelldyi? Never heard of that one

 

Apart from a typo on my part, lol

New eAutoRepair Experience - Fix it with DIY Automobile Repair Information - Mitchell 1 DIY | eAutoRepair.net

eautorepair.net

They are an American based company that offers the equivalent of all data. Some of the Pros use the full subscription for unlimited data, but they also offer the home mechanic a one vehicle subscription. I find it invaluable for the one car we have.

 

I've never heard of them (mitchell diy) either, how do they compare with alldata ? The last repair job I did, I used the toyota official one for a weekend use and downloaded stuff for what I was doing, but compared to a chevy set of service manuals I thought a bit lacking.

 

If you have access to the official Toyota site, that would be at least as good, if not better, than say Alldata or Mitchell. Some of the pros do use Alldata as their subscription would cover multiple makes. Mitchell DIY is like Alldata but they allow one vehicle access for either 1 or 4 years

 

Wow, that is insane. I have changed CV axles woth carriers on other brands of cars and never had this problem.
Good to know.

 

Okay so if my car has no rust what is the process for replacing the passenger side front CV axle?

 

I was lucky in that mine just slid out. I was prepared to cut the axle too, but living in a non rust area, I did not have a problem. I even bought a used bearing carrier because I could not have more than 1 day of downtime and needed to be ready for the worst case scenario. Here is my post from a couple of years ago when I did my 2009 RAV4 base, 2.5. 2009 RAV4 base 2.5 passenger axle replacement

 

How hard is it to just pull the old axle boot off at the cup and take a new axle apart and just clean up the old one and transfer all the grease from the new one into it and put it back together with the new half? Is that a viable option, or is that carrier bearing or cup likely the cause of most of people's problems that require the replacement in the first place? P.S. I have had to replace the whole thing before, and I have to do it on another one and don't want to go through that nightmare again.

 

I haven't done it on a RAV, but have on other FWD vehicles. It is a bit of a PITA. By the time you buy the boots with grease and clip bands and do the messy labor and re-assembly (you need a boot clamp tightening tool), it seems worth it to just buy a reman axle. If you give it a try. let us know how you make out.