[tan_hkpd]

hey guys. yesterday i went to do my oil change, the guy told me that i have to change the outer CV boots becasue ther are split. so how do i know it is true and can i fix it myself?

thanks for help

 

[V00D00CHILD70]

haha, you know it is true when you look under there and see that your CV boot (the rubber cone) is indeed split/cracked. I myself am a mechanic and have to tell people this everyday. You can do it yourself. However, the ones you can buy to do it yourself are generally pretty crappy and wont last. The CV boot holds in lubricant for your CV joint. When dirt gets in there it acts liks sandpaper and can damage the VC joint until you need a new axel. The DIY kits are easy to install. They wrap around the CV joint and then you tighten screws on them to seal them. This is their weak point. They have a seam. The por ones that the mechanic will put on have no seam and will not let any contaminents in. In the long run, have him do it. He wouldn't lie about it either, its a b*tch to install. Hope I covered everything!

 

[NorCalGSR]

Take a look under your car at the axles. The outer CV boot is the one right before the axle passes through the hub/rotor assembly. It should be relatively easy to see if they are split open, and would look like this..

As far as doing it yourself, it could be quite a chore without the proper tools or experience. Personally I find them very easy to do, but I do this kind of work for a living so I have a lot of experience in that area.

EDIT - Brian, you can buy the exact same boots the mechanic will install and do it yourself, it's not some special part that only a mechanic can get. The split boots you are referring to are easy to put on but do not last very long like you said. Just curious, but what is your reasoning for saying they are so hard to put on? I can do a CV boot on an Integra in about 20 minutes..

 

[tan_hkpd]

thanks guys. i jsut found the article to help me install. so i will try to do it myself..
and do u guys know how much is the cv boot costs?

 

[NorCalGSR]

If you're going to use the split boots like in the article, just keep in mind it's not really a permanent solution. I really don't like the design of those boots, but for short term they should work okay.

I'm not sure about the split boot, but the OEM replacement style should run around $20 each.

 

[JohnnyRed]

I mannaged to replace both boots on mine really easily. The only thing that gave us problems was the snap rings, easily fixable with the right tools of course. I could probably bang out a replacement in about an hour. If you dont wanna get dirty, or have no clue how to take an axel out then this might not be for you then.

 

[JohnnyRed]

Ok, I just read the article and that's another way to do it. If you get the OEM replacement style you'll have to do the inner and the outer at the same time. Each boot runs ~10. The way the article says to do it would be much easier, and faster, but not as good in the long run I'm thinking.

 

[NorCalGSR]

You don't have to do the inner and the outer, all you have to do is seperate the outer joint and replace the boot. You're correct that it is not good for long term longevity they will fall apart much sooner.

 

[tan_hkpd]

I am confused, what is the easier to do it? the article?
and do i have to remove rotor and caliper? coz i dunno how to

 

[JohnnyRed]

The article is much easier to do. I believe you ahve to remove the rotor and caliper just for easier access to the boot. It might be possible with out doing so.

 

[V00D00CHILD70]

NorCalGSR

lol, I know you don't need to be a mechanic to get regular OEM boots, or any boots for that matter.

As for the saying that it is a b*tch to handle. I am assuming that tan_hkpd has never done this operation before due to his questions. and also, at my shop I am used to having to replace the whole axel whenever this stuff happens.

 

[dwolsten]

EDIT - Brian, you can buy the exact same boots the mechanic will install and do it yourself, it's not some special part that only a mechanic can get. The split boots you are referring to are easy to put on but do not last very long like you said. Just curious, but what is your reasoning for saying they are so hard to put on? I can do a CV boot on an Integra in about 20 minutes..

You are referring to the split boot when you say 20 minutes, right? Because the normal boot takes several hours: you have to remove the axle, then fully disassemble it to get to the outer boots.

I just replaced my axles with remanufactured ones when my boots split. Much simpler and faster, and only about $70 each with lifetime warranty.