[Shotimes] CV boot replacement

[George Fourchy]

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:04:48 -0800 (PST), Peter Chase wrote:

>My CV joints seem to be fine, other than the one split boot, so I'd rather not have to replce the whole thing.  FWIW, it's the outer LH boot on my 92 that's bad.

You can change the boots, both of them, without using split boots.

You have to take the axle out of the car.  Then you loosen the clamp at the big end
of the outer boot.  (Put the axle shaft in a vise with soft jaws.)  There is a
particular place you then hammer on the inside of the joint, to drive the outer part
off the inner shaft.  There is a snap ring you are driving the outer section
over....that snap ring keeps everything together.  There might be a snap ring for
the inside joint too (maybe not), but you only need to remove one of them, and the
outside one is larger, and is what the book says to go after.  After the outer joint
is off, you slide both boots (if you are doing the inside one too) off, after
cutting off the clamps.  Then regrease the inner joint with the grease provided with
the boot kits, replace the snap ring (supplied with the outer boot kit), replace the
boots, oriented correctly, and slide and tap the outer joint onto the inner shaft. 
Then you regrease the outer joint, and slide the boots in place, and finally tighten
the clamps.  There is a special tool you can buy at auto parts stores to tighten
boot clamps.

The Ford boot kits have better clamps, but the boot is cheap.  The aftermarket kit
that my NAPA store carries has an excellent boot, but the clamps are too narrow. 
They won't hold the outer large end of the outer boot in place.  I have told the
store, and they just gave me two clamps out of two kits.  The maker of those kits
has a phone number, but I haven't had time to call them and tell them their clamps
are no good.  A hose clamp won't work, even though it is the right width...the screw
part of it is too large, and will hit the knuckle and strut.  The NAPA boot kits are
about 10-12 bucks, and the Ford kit is 15 bucks with a 10% discount.

It is in the Helm book about how to separate CV joints.  I am making a video, later
in the spring, about how to do this as well as knuckle swaps and strut and spring
replacement.

Sorry it isn't ready yet.

George