CV joint boot, Replace???

**ericn33** · 06-02-2003, 07:11 PM

My driver side cv boot is torn, but the joint is fine (I think). I do not want to use one of those crappy replacement boots. Ya know those ones that bolt together. I want to put on the real boot. Is the out cv joint hard to take apart, and is it worth it. I have installed rebuilt ones before and they cost about 80 after core charge. I would rather save the money.

How do you put on a CV boot???

**easyryder** · 06-02-2003, 08:52 PM

You have to remove the axle to"do it right" BUT you should take apart the CV joint and totaly clean the bearings and races with solent.(If you leave foreign matter in the CV it will sooner or later destroy the joint) then re-pack the assembly with a high quality grease finally pull the new boot over .Get a manual to give you pic by pic step by step instructions

**ELM'sLX+CHL'sDX** · 06-02-2003, 09:18 PM

Don't bother with the CV boot. You have to remove the inboard CV joint to remove install the outter CV boot.

Buy an aftermarket axle that has brand new boots, already installed. A new axle would cost around $50-$70 from a parts store.

Claude

**cruznz** · 06-02-2003, 09:41 PM

i'd get the boot,...you can remove the c.v still on the car if you have a decent pair of vice-grips.......i've done it plenty of times

**AccordEpicenter** · 06-02-2003, 09:49 PM

if you know what youre doing and have the time and tools, id get the boot and fix it. You dont have to remove the inboard joint and take it all apart, you can take the outboard joint apart, but neither are immune to being a pain in the ass. If the joint is still good then just do a boot kit.. its 10x cheaper, $8 vs $80

**Trowa** · 06-03-2003, 06:45 PM

I did same as easyryder did when my boot broke
take the axel out, take the joint apart, clean it all and replace the grease and the boot.

**ACCORD EX** · 06-03-2003, 10:34 PM

out CV joint ? you mean at the wheels !? if so it can't be removed , you have to remove the whole axles , remove teh inner joint , then the slide the boot of the whole axle !

i did it on my car and it was a bitch !

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-04-2003, 10:01 PM

that's what the book says, but the freaking boot wouldn't slide of the axel, it was too damn fat, so we just knocked the joint out cleaned it and put it back in, and it runs fine =)))
that's actually the second time i did this, so i know it works

**ACCORD EX** · 06-05-2003, 06:18 AM

knocked the outer joint out !? you gotta be kidding ! or these are non OEM axles !

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-05-2003, 09:02 AM

nope, OEM axels

**ACCORD EX** · 06-05-2003, 01:13 PM

are you sure it's the outer joint @ the wheels ??

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-05-2003, 03:08 PM

yes i'm sure, did it 2 times........ it's the outer one at the wheels...

**ACCORD EX** · 06-06-2003, 12:48 AM

so how do you do it ! i'll be changing mine soon ! please tell me ! ? any clips to remove ?

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-06-2003, 04:12 AM

well we did it removing the whole axel cause we tried doing it ur way, but the boot just wouldn't fit through the axel, so just get a piece of wood, get a hammer, put it where the axel inserts into the join and hammer away, gently though LOL it should just pop off, then clean it REAL well, but some grease, put the boot, and pop it back in.

**2twisty** · 06-06-2003, 05:18 AM

Those bolt on boots are worthless. they're impossible to get them to seal properly, and eventually all the grease will come out.

Your best bet is to replace the whole joint with a new one, since it's quite likely that the boot has been torn for some time and god knows what kinda crap has gotten in there.

If you can't replace the joint, you can replace the whole axle, too.

I've found that you can buy a whole axle at a discount parts place like AutoZone for about the cost of one high-quality CV from an inport car parts house.

IMHO, the "better" option is to get the good joint from the import parts house and just replace it on the axle, especially if you plan to keep the car for a while.

If you're gonna sell it in the next 30-40kmiles, just do the axle since it will be an easier job, and a whole lot less messy.

Chad

**ACCORD EX** · 06-06-2003, 07:59 AM

a tool is avaialable for clamping the clamps of the boots !

Trowa : i don't thing this the right way of doin it !

i don't think the joint will be strong enough after you do that !

MIKE

**jigga89SEi** · 06-06-2003, 09:05 AM

i just changed the axle....it was a little more expensive...but 10 times easier......and alot faster we were only in the garage for like an hour.....

**Trowa** · 06-06-2003, 10:53 AM

well the other way the boot just didn't have an openning large enough to fit through the axel.... so that was the only way, we were there trying to slide it through for like 30-45 mins, got pretty mad at that point. But we did it twice now and the car runs fine.
I don't know, it was the driver side axel, and the boot just would fir through so it's not like i had a choise, i tried the other way and it didn't work.

**ACCORD EX** · 06-06-2003, 01:31 PM

thanx a lot trowa !
i will be doing my driver side soon , and see what happens !

thanx again !

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-06-2003, 02:41 PM

yeah, np
if u do do it "my way" don't hammer too hard LOL
but then after sitting there for 30 mins and trying to slide the freakin boot on the axel, u get pretty worked up....... if u know what i mean LOL

**ACCORD EX** · 06-06-2003, 02:51 PM

:lol :lol ! yeah i know what you mean

MIKE

**ACCORD EX** · 06-08-2003, 05:45 AM

now i got your point !

i went down today to see the drive shaft ( driver's side ) and it's fat as hell in the middle fot the boots to pass ! damn !

guys anyother ways without taking the outer joint out ?

MIKE

**Trowa** · 06-08-2003, 12:12 PM

i don't think it does anything when u take out the joint, it just snaps back in after u take it out, and i doubt that there is another way, unless u find a way to strech that boot to fit on the axel.

**3rdGenFanatic** · 06-08-2003, 05:56 PM

Oi vey... I'll have to do this soon.

**Brettmans5** · 06-08-2003, 11:04 PM

do realize that if the boot splits and the joint is exposed to normal road conditions you have approx. 24 hrs to get a boot back on it before it is ruined....at least thats what the books say, and i tend to agree, a minute amount of road dirt or sand or what ever and it will work that joint over something fierce. You can pop it off and clean it (use a brass drift to knock it off, using a steel drift and you risk damaging the cup or cage) but inspect it closely any scoring or unusual wear just replace the shaft, and mark the cup and the cage, sometimes if you put it back together in a different position you can get a clunking or odd noises. I usually just replace the shaft, quicker, easier, less likely to fail and less messy.