CV Boots

[Beau]

Well after 210,000 miles and 21 years BOTH side boots have torn and come loose on the outside clamp. Basically cut themselves off from the clamp clean. This pretty much happened a few days ago so I'm not worried about the CV's itself, plenty of grease still in there.

It might be usual wear, but I also think my recent 2 inch lift probably sped up the process. Now onto replacing them, should I go OEM or is there a good known aftermarket brand? Also what kind of grease goes into these CV's? And thirdly, what's the best clamps to use? I've heard stretching the booth a little more than usual helps to prevent wear.

Also did anyone else suffer from any boot issues after lifting there truck, like grease spitting out, torn boots, is it common?

 

[Shayne]

Think i used chrome moly lithium grease , or CV grease for short lol . I wouldn't worry about them splitting , you upset something once flexible now pretty dry and its not turning as it always did , they were due replacing anyway .

OEM or aftermarket would be decided for me on which is most readily available , as long as it keeps grease in who cares though OEM is likely to last longer .

I couldn't find a replacement clamp so so boiled a cable tie put it on tight and let it cool , its never come off or leaked .

 

[diggerdave]

When mine went all in quick succession they all went in a similar way (torn at the clamp). I think a 2" lift is enough for the angle to sufficiently tension the boots so that there is a small amount of tugging or shearing action from time to time

After various failed attempts to replace (with various brands of non-Toyota boots), only to have them tear again I found that the solution was simple but goes against all conventional wisdom: leave one end of the boot unsecured - no clamp, no cable tie, no nothing. I know this sounds mad - surely the grease will escape? But over the course of approx 20,000 since adopting this approach I have checked regularly. The boots have never shifted from their seats (they fit quite snugly - there's a sort of lip that they fit over) and there has never been a trace of escaped grease, nor when removed has the grease shown any contamination... and no more torn boots to suffer.

 

[Beau]

The reason I ask OEM or aftermarket boots is one, cost, and secondly quality. It's not like it's a 5 minute job re-booting the CV and it's quite a messy one too. So I'd rather replace them once and be done with them for years to come. Not sure on leaving the clamp off as when at severe angles surely it'll just want to pump the grease out? The only thing I've read to make them last longer is to stretch them a little so that the ribs don't touch one another and wear out. For now I'm going to try and cable tie the remaining piece and see how well that holds up.

 

[diggerdave]

All I can say is that my truck gets plenty of off road use, lots of front end articulation and no evidence of grease escape or 'unseating' of the boots. I just think the nature of the IFS limits the stress put on the boots. I understand why you would be cautious, but it works for me and it might be something you consider if you get fed up (as I did) of continually replacing boots that tear at the clamp.

I sort of evolved into it: I put clamps on, the boots tore. I replaced the clamps with cable ties (which itself is against conventional wisdom - 'they're not tight enough to prevent grease escaping'), and the boot still tore. So I put on a loose cable tie and then realised that a loose cable tie is really the same as nothing at all... so I left it off.

To be fair, I didn't try genuine Toyota boots (or the polyeurethane ones that Milner now advertise), so I can't comment on whether they'd be more durable but I suffered tears on at least two brands of aftermarket ones.

 

[Gary820]

When I had the Isuzu's I used the stretchy cv boots (you use a tool to stretch them over the cv rather then strip it off the shaft)
Had a load of lift and modified wishbones etc so really good articulation, lots of off road abuse and they didn't split or come off, clips at both ends.
Destroyed quite a few cv joints and drive shafts but the boots were good lol.

 

[SafariTecPeter]

I bought a lot of 10 silicone CV joint boots the other day
I was challenged by my supplier to try & rip them in bits. I couldn`t
He gave me a 10 year warranty on them. He said the alternative he had in where nitrile rubber & they are sheduled to last roughly 3 years....

Do You need a pair of silicone boots BEAU? They are fire red mind You................. :-0

 

[Beau]

Wouldn't mind checking them out Peter. Do you have a link? PM if you prefer. Maybe we can work something out

 

[SafariTecPeter]

PM replied to BEAU