I just got finished repairing CV Joints on 1995 Avalon/Camry. I thought I would post some observations that might help others.
1) Don't mess with trying to replace boots unless you're absolutely sure that there is no damage to the joint and you want to save A LITTLE money. You can get a rebuilt axle which has factory rebuilt joints and new boots for about $65 at Autozone. Make sure you get the correct one for ABS systems (if you have ABS).2) The wheel nut is very tight. It takes a 30mm socket and a 3 foot cheater on the socket handle (already about 18 inches long0 to break the nut loose. I used the handle on my floor jack.
3) The passenger side is relatively easy to repair, but you have to take the bolt out of the carrier bearing bracket and take the retainer ring loose to slip the axle assembly out. The retaining ring was easy to get to to take out (the ring was held in a fixed position and it was easy to get pliers on it). Putting it back in is a pain though (might be easy if the car was on a rack, but not easy working off a creeper). I gave up trying to grip it with about 3 different kinds of pliers. I then had a brainstorm -- I removed the shaft again and got a piece of #14 copper wire, compressed the ring and wrapped the wire around it. I then slipped the assembly back in place, pushed the ring into its groove and cut the wire with end cutters - worked like a charm. If doing again I think I would use a cable tie to hold the ring compressed.I hope these tips help others who may be doing the same job.
HGH