Fink

Awesome, I'll go there tomorrow after my calculus final.

Thanks everybody!

Fink

964runner

i had the same issue after i did my SAW's. Check your boots very carefully. Are they torn or ripped in any way. THe clamps will only be a temporary fix. After I get my new tires I'm replacing my boots with Downey's upgraded cv boots, which are twice as thick and made for lifted 4runners. Ill try and remember to tell you how it turns out. keep your eyes out for a writeup

midiwall

Riiiight, and I use these on air lines, but I've never seen this style big enough to fit around a CV boot. I guess they "should" exist...



Hey Chris... Three things:

1) You will need a total of 8 clamps, 4 in each of two sizes. Each boot will need one of two sizes - the boot tapers.

2) Also, if you're going to a dealer, then they may not be open to putting on parts that aren't from the Toyota catalog (i.e., the clamps)

3) Dude, you're gonna pay a LOT in labor for this work, you really need to get yourself a set of tools and learn about wrenching on your truck.


Good luck!

Fink

They usually don't have a problem doing stuff like that. They're the ones that put my spacers and rear coils/shocks on.

What sizes am I going to need?

I know nothing about CV's at all. I am just getting the boots replaced that are leaking grease right? Not the ones closest to the rim?

Fink

Fink

How long could I wait to get this stuff fixed?

Would I be better off just waiting until I could get some Downey ones rush shipped to me and then just have the problem fixed for good?

I doubt I'll be driving it too much between now and Monday or so...longest I'll be driving it will be 30-35 minutes to my girlfriends house and back.

Fink

Fink

Alright...I talked to David at Cornfed Suspension. I sent him the pics I had of the CV and he said he wouldn't worry about my CV going bad for a while but recommended that I use some radiator hose clamps versus the stock clamps. I'm assuming they're the same style as you guys have said.

He said he figured the small end was about 1.5" and the bigger end was about 4". Would you all agree?

It's going in the shop on Monday to get the driver side tie rod end and boot replaced and if I have the clamps by then I'll give the tech the clamps and have him inspect the boots and stuff and if the boots are in good shape I'll just have him replace the clamps for me.

Any suggestions?

Fink

midiwall

No time like the present to learn!

It's a messy job, and will take you a couple of hours the first time, but after that, it's like 30-45 minutes per side. But, I understand that starting from having no tools and such, it can be a bit of an expense to make it happen. You'll need jack stands, a floor jack and will want a start tool assortment.

I think I've asked you this before, but are there any local clubs or any buddys that know there way around a truck? Someone sitting with you for a couple of hours on a Saturday will save you TONS of money down the line.


You could get under there with a tape measure and check.

I think the 4" is close, but the 1.5" seems small. Just measure the diameter of the boot at both ends and shop accordingly at Home Depot or Lowes. A hose clamp will be adjustable across a good sized range so you've got some leeway.

You'll want to take off the old clamps first, and they can be a bit tricky. Usually I just cut off the "nubb" with a pair of diagonal cutters. It'll make sense when you look at it, or when the shop does it.

Fink

Alright, I will get under there tomorrow while I'm at my parents and can use their garage to measure the clamp sizes.

I guess so far the plan is, take it to the shop Monday to get the tie rod replaced ('nother story) have them inspect the CV boots, if they are in good shape then I'll just have them pop off the old clamps and install the new clamps that I'll get tomorrow, if they are ripped/torn/cracked then I will take it back to them sometime next week and get the boots replaced substituting the beefier hose clamps that I get tomorrow for the stock clamps and see how that holds up. If that doesn't hold up then I'll go with the Downey high angle boots (I heard from the main man at Cornfed that they are good).

Sound good?

Fink

midiwall

Sure. And yes, the Downey boots are "better" than stock. But your lift will settle, and the stock boots will "take it". The thicker Downey's will give you more "protection" from bouncing off of a sharp rock, but they won't help you deal with a CV angle that's too steep.

Fink

Cool.

Thanks for all your help man! I'll let you know what happens on Monday.

I really wish I had the time, space and tools to work on it myself as I want to learn as much as I can about my rig...but I just don't have the room right now.

Thanks again,

Fink

Joe

Lifting using coilovers/spacers will normally cause the CV's to spit grease. If you lift right at 2" they will spit grease usually within 150 miles. You don't need to replace the boots nor do you need to add more grease unless you've drove boo-koo miles. I've never seen grease come from the lower portion of the boot (smallest section closest to tire). Most just use 2-2" stainless steel hose clamps for each boot (tied together so you only have one band) - myself I used one as trying to connect the smaller clamps was getting to be a PITA, I think it was a three (3) inch stainless steel hose clamp and I snipped off the excess. You'll have to snip off the original clamp in order to get a good seal and be careful not to cut the boot - if you do snip the boot a little just put the hose clamp a little lower and all will be good. Clamp it real secure on the very top edge of the boot. (I don't know if clamping below the original clamp would work or not but I do know removing it and clamping at the top works.) After doing this you won't have the grease problem any more and when you occasional check under there and you do see grease - it won't be because the clamp came loose - it'll be because you somehow ripped the boot.

Fink

I'm a little confused on the whole tieing the two clamps together...I was just going to get 2 smaller diameter clamps, 2 bigger diameter clamps, remove the stock clamps replace them with the new clamps and be done with it. As long as the boots look like they are in decent shape.

Is that not what you are describing?

Fink

Fink

BTW, I went to the auto parts store and the only clamps they had were the standard ones. The kind you use for the back of the deckplate to hold the screen on it or you can use for the ducting work on the back of a dryer...I wish I could find some like Toyota put on the intake tube...the rouned ones, those would work PERFECTLY.

Fink

Joe

Yes but I wouldn't bother with the smaller clips. The reason for tying two hose clamps together is so the two screw bolts will be opposite one another and will be equal in all respects when spinning. That’s way to anal for me but ----. I’ve found most auto parts stores will have 3” stainless steel clamps or just go a local hardware store. In the one post they advised you would need 8 clamps - I'm guessing 2 on each boot. I sure wouldn't bother with putting clamps on the outer boot, as I've never heard of anything leaking from that boot. The inner boot (farthest from the wheel) is where the grease will be coming from and I’ve only known it to leak from the inner side of the boot. (large end of the boot) Job should take 5 minutes a side if you don't experience a slight problem snipping the original clamp.

midiwall

Nah, I mentioned 8 clamps 'cause I thought Chris was replacing both boots on both sides (4 boots total) and 2 clamps for each boot.

Thrillbilly

This happened to my runner, the boot actually tore. Be sure to get more grease up in there so that the CV doesnt go bad. It has probaly been said, but I just skimmed over everything.

Fink

OK...here's the deal. I jacked the Runner up and cleaned it up as much as I could...turns out not that much grease had leaked out, just a very thin layer on the lower a-arms and a thin layer on outside of the outside inner boot and a few splatter spots in various parts around there. The bigger side of the inner boot hasn't leaked at all, it feels completely solid but I wiggled the smaller end and I could see how it would leak grease. But it's not NEARLY as bad as I thought it would be.

I went to Lowe's today and got some industrial strength zip ties (175lb tensile strength) that are pretty much EXACTLY the same size as the existing clamps. I'm gonna take it into the shop tomorrow and go back in the back and talk to the techs about it and show them what I have.

Here is what I'm thinking, I don't think the standard size hose clamps that I have right now will fit on there without causing damage to the boot, they're too wide and I have had no luck in finding different clamps. I will ask them if they can replace the boot sometime later this week and instead of using the stock clamps use my honkin' zip ties on there instead; pluses of the zip ties, you can get them just as tight as the hose clamps, no risk in ruining the boot and are easily replaced...I also bought some thick rubber stuff that I found in the plumbing section that is used to go under toilets I guess, its pretty thick and very durable and I think it would be a good cushion to put underneath the zip ties.

So bottomline of all that is, have them inspect the boots tomorrow, run my ideas by them and see what they say. If nothing else, go ahead and replace the boots and put zip ties either OVER the stock clamps and maybe on either side or JUST use the zip ties and see how that holds. The ones I have now are obviously pretty warn and are pretty stiff, I'm thinking if I get them replaced the new ones will be a little bit more flexible and able to seal up better with the zip ties or with the zip ties AND stock clamps.

Whew, I'm outta breath...what do you all think?!

Fink

Joe

I think you're making this a hell of a lot harder than it should be. New boots is an added expense you really don't have to make but if it gives you piece of mind then it's worth it. I've never seen ties used so don't know how they will work. Good luck

Fink

LoL, I do tend to make things harder than they should be but...my Runner is my life and I just wanna make sure it's gonna stay in good shape.

My main point with the zip ties would be that the hose clamps that I have right now are very wide, wider than the stock clamps and I'm not sure they would fit on there very well. They are the clamps you can find in the plumbing section at Lowe's...like the ones used to secure the ducting on the back of a clothes dryer...ya know what I'm talking about? Are those the ones you would recommend?

Fink

PS: I REALLY...REALLY appreciate all of the help from every single person on this board, without you I would be freaking out 54567876545678987654 times more than I am, lol, thank you all very much!

Joe

That type of clamp is larger than what I've ever used but I don't see why it wouldn't work if you were able to get it "good an tight" - is that German for virgin? If that's all I had and I couldn't find any others, I think I would go with it rather than a plastic tie but that’s just me. If you look at the grease pattern you will be able to tell which end of the boot it came from. If the grease came from the small end of the boot - then yours is the first one I've ever heard of doing that. If it came from the large end - my advise would be don't mess with the small end.