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CVJ boot help


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Ok so I cranked up the height adjustment on my front suspension and as I was crawling underneath yesterday I noticed the the p/s inner CV boot and the d/s outer boot have ripped all the way through.

I am not sure how long the boots have been torn, but they are both completely torn all the way around and the d/s the grease is almost completely gone. :(

 

Looks like I have to do a complete replacement of my front drive axles.

 

There was a thread that someone mentioned you can get axles for 55 dollar each. Does anyone know where this place is?

What is an average price for CVJs?

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www.cvaxles.com, if I remember right.

 

I've picked them up from Advance for something like $80 w/ a $30 core charge, if I remember right.

 

There are a couple good threads on replacing them... do a search or two. I'm in the camp that likes to swap the axles, rather than replace the boots. May as well.

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The_bard. THanks for the info. I called them and it's 55 a pair w/shipping.

 

I am guessing that all said and done, it will be just about the same to but them from Kragens for 70 bucks.

 

Now here is a question. I need to go scouting for my May trip this weekend and I need to have the BRAT to come with. So....

AS AT TEMPORARY FIX for the CV boots, could I repack the torn boots w/grease and take a whole roll of saran wrap and wrap it up. Then take Duct Tape and duct tape the whole thing together. I will also use foil tape for the inner boot to protect it from heat. I will need it for this weekend and probably May 22nd as well. But them I can take the time to do it proper. At this time there is no clicking or noises coming from the front axles.

 

Thoughts comments, concerns?

 

BW

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sko,

 

That is alot of trouble to go through...

all that wrapping........... If you're gonna rig it.....

I have seen split boots....... They sock (u) but,

I think it would be more effective......... also, those joints

are spinning and mashing anything that gets in there way......

So I think you can stuff some grease in there and put the

split boot on and zipp tie it up....

I remember once I had a joint go bad on a 3 hour trip....

heard it on the way there....... forgot about it till I had to

drive back. after 2 hours driving I was pouring engine oil on the

joint ocassionally..... turned into a 4 hour trip...

 

micky

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It's not hard to install a new boot on a used axle. Takes me about 30 minutes to swap out an axle, and boots are really easy to put on. Just use regular hose clamps from the plumbing isle of your home depot. The inner joint can be removed no problem with a pair of snap ring pliers, and a boot + grease kit is less than $10 per boot. So that's less than $20 for both your axles, and when you do replace the axles, you'll have two replacement boots you can use as spares, and also experience in removing and replaceing axles!

 

When you do get new axles, GET NEW AXLES. Screw all the remanufactured junk out there. I will NEVER buy another remaned axle. You can get lifetime warrantee axles from Autozone brand new for $90. There's no core charge because they are not remaned. Made by a company called GCK.... you can order them right on Autozone's web site. I am very impressed with the quality of the ones I have from them. And they ARE 4WD axles - bigger joints, and thicker shaft than the 2WD shafts...

 

GD

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hmm... didn't realize that it was that simple.

 

So here is another question. I think that since I raised up the height adjustment all the way, that is why the tears happened. Since I am disconnecting the axle anyways, should I just replace all four boots. This should give me some time until I can get new axles.

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You could, but I would carefully inspect the boots and see if they really need it first. Look for cracking of the rubber in the valley's. The iner boot on the pass. side usaully goes because of heat from the exaust. Yet another reason to have a good working EGR valve. Also I don't think that raising the height another 1" in the front would have caused the failures. They just tend to rip all by themselves. My Brat isn't adjusted up, and I know the boots were good about a month ago.... I just recently looked, and found that another one has torn. But I have tons of spare axles lying around with a torn boot on one side, so I'll just steal another used boot and slap it on there.

 

Remember that the outer joints do not come apart, but the inner's do. If you have an axle with a bad inner joint, often times you can replace just the inner joint with the joint from a JY axle. The ONLY reason a front EA81 axle is really bad, is if the outer joint is failing (clicking loudly, sloppy, both!). The boots and the inner joint are easily replaced, so a good outer joint, is a good axle in my book.

 

GD

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