well i just noticed that i effed up my driver side inner cv boot! i hadnt unlocked my hubs after wheelin. i then drove to the other side of our island! i noticed grease around the boot and then i found a hole about a quarter of an inch. AHHHH! another headache. can i replace just the boot or should i replace the entire cv axle? a friend of mines SASing his toyota and im sure he still has the ifs setup. THANKS!!

 

Those cvs are tougher than you think. My buds 84 Yrs. young. Hes had a few of these trucks, {HES ALSO CHEAP} hes cleaned em, boots em & Drives em. Then he replaces when THEY GET BAD. like i said hes cheap, & those cvs lasted alot longer than you would think, & he didnt clean or lube right away. P.S He lives in the desert, & his current mileage is 450K, or thereabouts. But if the boots cost a few bucks less than the whole thing , why bother.

 

for how much of a pain it is to take a cv out I would just replace the whole thing. They're about 60-70$. I had a totally ripped open left side inner cv boot that I drove and wheeled on like that for over a year and replaced it when I did a side axle shaft seal on the front diff. Even after all that it still wasn't causing any problems though.

 

My outer blew open when I had no cash. Drove for 3 months, no problems. Greased & booted... same axle a year later.

 

I typically replace mine when either boot is torn. It's not hard to do, and takes very little time. I suppose I'm just over cautious about particles and debris getting into the CV, so I figure why not just change out the entire thing? Then, at the very least you have a trail spare or two.

Really, it's your judgment call

 

how hard is it to just replace the boot?

 

joshuapc wrote: how hard is it to just replace the boot?

Not that hard. You have to remove the half-shaft, which strictly speaking can be done with the wheel still on. (Though it's a lot easier to get at with the wheel off.) You remove the locking plate (that holds the axle to the wheel) at the outboard end and the 6 nuts on the inboard end, then rassle it out.

NO, you do not have to remove the ball joints or the tie rod or anything else (but you might take out the stabilizer bar bolt for a little extra room).

Now here's the secret; if the tire is off, you must support the vehicle by sitting the wheel (brake disk) on a jack stand. If you let the wheel hang, or even if you lift the wheel by jacking under the lower control arm, you will not be able to get the half-shaft out -- the angles are that close!

The boots are about $16-$25 each. A rebuilt half-shaft (with the boots on) is around $70. If you need to replace the outer boot, you have to remove the inner to get to it, so the price starts to get close. You need a tool to tighten the clamps on the boot, about $10 (but get the boot first! There are two different kinds of clamp, each with its own tool). The only hard part of replacing the boots yourself (instead of buying the rebuilt half-shaft) is removing all the grease from the joints. But you're going to get pretty greasy just from cleaning up the frame from all the grease thrown out of the broken boot.

So if you like doing your own work (which is why you're reading this forum, eh?) replace the boots yourself. If you're in a hurry, pay a few dollars and get the half-shaft.

- Jeff

PS I doubt driving it with the hubs locked had anything to do with ripping the boot. Even with the hubs unlocked the boots flex every time you turn the steering wheel or hit a bump, so I don't believe unlocking hubs makes the CV boots last any longer (but others disagree...)

 

you got the grease part right!! thats how i noticed the damn problem. seen all that grease all over my lift and control arms. im thinking about just askin my friend if he would give or sell me the half shaft. save the trouble of changing the boot. looks like its on there pretty tight. and like DCYota said, i could have an extra trail replacement. thanks everyone for the help! YOTA TECH is the next best thing to google!!

 

Better I would say. google doesn't offer the option of asking follow up questions.

 

yup..yota tech is so better. i could ask the same questions on yota tech at home and wouldnt get an educated answer! now if only yota tech could help me with college research....

 

you be surprised at the off topic chat