DIY: Drive axle boot

[xyang98]

97 Mercury Villager, checked in April and told that there is a crack on the boot on the left side (driver side), recommended replacement in Fall. This year I had spent a lot of money on my car since there was a flying rock hit on the condensor, it costed me more than $700, and there was a strut replacement, etc. Now I decided to do boots replacement myself. I will go a garage for check every year and get the report, if I can do I will do it. I have some questions about the axle boot replacement:

(1) Do I have to work both sides axle boots, replace four (or two) boots?
(2) Anyone has experiences for the work, may I share them?

Thanks.

 

[月下独酌]

除非你是AWD/4WD, 应该只有两个axel boot

好像要卸hub assembly吧，自己弄太复杂了。。。

 

[feels]

Don't change boot

The boot is cheap, which cost about $15/unit, $30/pair.

I assume you refering to CV boot at the front wheel, because normally the CV boot at the front wheel may crack after 8 - 10 years of driving. I'm refering to Japanese car, so don't hold my word for it.

It is possible to change the CV boot yourself, if you have the tools. If I estimate correctly, you may need to spend $100 - $200 for the tools, which are reusable in long run. Assuming you will continue to use these tools.

First of all, I don't recommend to change yourself. It is very greasy, and you need to jack the whole front wheels up. The struts, arms, ball joins, etc may have a little surface rust, which takes some effort to unassemble them (maybe 1 hr for each side). All the nuts at the steering system, and suspension are very secure as well. Again, it adds some difficulty to unassemble.

Secondly, it is highly advisable to it do yourself, because there is just less than 10 parts to unassemble, and you learn a lot of the front axle, and suspension assembly. This will help you to repair the front suspension system in the future. It is a must have experience for car DIY project, IMHO (in my humble opinion).

Thirdly, I advise you to delay replacing the crack boot. As long as you examine the cracked boot half yearly (or yearly if you dare), you know precisely when the grease starts leaking. If you identify and replace it early, it doesn't hurt the CV join. However, you MUST check the crack regularly, or the CV join will cause $300 - $600 to replace (base on which side). A crack can still last for 2 - 3 year, and the grease doesn't leak. So, you may be able to buy yourself a few years time. Remember do not touch your hand on the brake rotor, or the grease will degrade the brake pad efficiency, and slow in stopping your car. Use baking soda, with dish washer to clean it off the grease, if require.

Lastly, when you change CV boot, you can take the opportunity to change front brake pad, front rotors, suspension, steering rod, lower arm, etc. This job include unassembling most of them, and all components are easily assessible. It will save you 1 hr of labor cost to replace in the future, at least. Some of these parts are < $50, for example brake pad is $20/pair. Full ceramic sport brake pad is $70/pair. Rotor is $25/piece, slot or drill sport rotor is $55/piece. If you are sending to workshop, then ask them to examine, and fix together. If you replace yourself, it will takes you a few trip to part store to get the parts once you identify which part need to change.

Don't ask how to replace, but get a copy of the tecnical manual from dealer, or Hayes manual

 

[xyang98]

Thanks feels for your input.
I have the Haynes manual on hand. I think the big project is removing the driveaxle.
The tools are needed: jack and stands, long breaker bar and socket to loosen the hub but, jaw puller to seperate the stub shaft from whell hub, a prybar to pry inner CV joint housing and clamp tool to tight the boot clamps. Most of them I can get from friends and myself.
I had read some instructions from the internet also, for most cars, the relative position between the race and cage must be recovered as the original, and the balls must be same order as the original. For mine, the inner CV can be rebuildable, but the inner CV can't. Also, all nuts such as hub nut, circlips and fasteners like clamps can not be reused. Most important, I learned that not dirt the rotor and pad. However, I feel the disassembling the CVs is not too bad. I feel the removing and installing of the axle is difficult. Maybe I need to read other instructions for suspension, brakes to get more info.
One more thing, do you know the split boot or easy boot? Using it we do not need to remove the axle. However, since the axle is not off the car and the CV is not opened, we can not clean and inspect the CV. However, since the outer CV with cracked boot in my car can not be opened, I think the split boot is a good choice for me.
Now I am still thinking it. I may do it in the thanksgiving long weekend.

 

[feels]

Never use the split boot, but just checkout a homepage and get some understanding of the design. Either split boot and easy boot will do. If it is split boot, you may not need to remove so many parts. (http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repairqa/tires_wheels/ques111_0.html)

In this case, I recommend split boot. Fast and easiser to install. These rubber boot are normally high quality rubber, and can easily last for 5 years without question, 10 years is still possible. You may save the money of sending to workshop, and get a split boot.

Hub nut, circlips and clamps are technically re-usable. However, they are very cheap (< $10 for all est.) so changing them will give your car and yourself higher confident of these parts.

Hope you get things fix

 

[xyang98]

I got one split boot from CT for $25, but I have not started the work because I am still in researching. This split boot has two pieces, and needs solvent ( glue ) to get seam together. However I think it is reliable because it uses both male and female fitting and solvent. I searched the web and it says the split boot is not really reliable, specially the glue one because it is very hard to keep it very clear when installing it on the axle. The internet says the multi-bolt split boot is very good.

I am not decided using it or not. If I can get the multi-bolt one I would use it. Do you any other auto parts shop in Ottawa?
Thanks.

 

[xyang98]

Tried the left one (driver side). There is't much space around the left shaft, the work was not easy. The right side is much better, but since my left boot started to tear I decided to try left.

Removing the old boot was OK, cleaning the old greasy with brake cleaner was OK. I waited one night for it drying. I packed the grease in the CV, then put solvent in the seam, very carefully put the two parts of the split boot on the shaft, and I used ropes to tihgt the seam. I waited two hours for the solvent dry because it was not warm. The seam looked very strong like one part after the glue. I did not get greasy in the seam. However, I got problem when installing the clamp because there is no much room and the size of the split boot is big. Specially it is one inche longer than the old one. If I followed the instruction from the split boot, the small side of the boot exceeded the cave on the shaft for the boot clamp. I installed the clamp on the cave of the shaft, but this did not satisfy the requirement of the split boot (more 3/4 inche closer to the CV). I think it can not last long, but I think it can last months. If the split boot size was OK, I would have said the installation was successful. The split boot is for general use for most cars for the maker to make money.

One more problem was that when cleaning the CV, it caused the ABS speed sensor dirty, the ABS light came. I need to clean the sensor to clean the light. I would say that do not install split boot with ABS car. I covered clothe on the rotor, the brake did not dirt.

I will wait until the right side starts to tear then decide replacing both boot by a mechanic or replacing the right boot by my self.

It is very good to get such real experience from the real work. If someone intersted, I like to shared it with you.