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CV Boot: Universal vs Application Specific

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romeen

DSM Wiseman
2,531
37
Jul 12, 2006
Vancouver, Washington
Need to replace right outer CV boot (FWD). OEM boot kit from dealer is almost $80 :notgood:. Autozone has universal kits from around $20-25. Anyone have any experience with regards to fit, quality, etc of the universal ones?

I know it's easier to replace the whole axle but there is no joint damage as far as I can tell and I would like to retain the original axle. Mainly because the aftermarket/remanufactured axles (even Raxles from what I read) seem to have the smaller, weaker shafts.

Thanks.
 
Wonder if the universals are made out of different compounds from OEM.
 
Ive replaced a rear outer CV boot with a universal boot. Its not the clip up boot but the actually boot you slip over the axle shaft. I havent driven the car to test any durability but I can tell you it fits just like OEM. I would agree with Anthony though that the material is not up to par with OEM, but well see.
 
Main concern would be clearance of other suspension/underbody parts (no rubbing). I've also read a few posts about the clamped ends not providing a tight fit and allowing some grease to get out.
 
I had cracked boots on all four joints on my non-dsm. Pulling the axles seemed like a major undertaking so I tried some split boots from thecvman.com. He's got drawings and specs of about 50 different size boots. They use tiny screws to hold the boot together. I replaced all four. I inspect them frequently for leakage but so far they have help up nicely.
 
Try rockauto.com

I got one from there and it fit nicely. I wasn't really keen on using one of those split boots so I bought one of the solid ones. It looked a lot like the OE one. The material was different, but I think that it will still hold up fine.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I'm going to stay away from the split boots.

After using a universal one, I won't do that again. Thing was a bi*** to get on right compared to OEM. Has worked just fine but was a PITA.

Was the diameter too small or was it too short?

Try rockauto.com

I got one from there and it fit nicely. I wasn't really keen on using one of those split boots so I bought one of the solid ones. It looked a lot like the OE one. The material was different, but I think that it will still hold up fine.

I checked them out. Looks like they carry the same brand (Doorman) as Autozone. Do you recall if that's what you got?

Call up jnztuning.com and see how much they want for a boot.

Yeah, I actually emailed them yesterday (afterhours) and waiting for response.


One of the supporting vendors (dealership) wanted $115 for the boot kit.WTF
 
I've put quite a few of these boots kits on from NAPA. Unsure of the brand, but thats were they come from. Never had a problem with the actual boot fitting on.

I think the boots are decent quality and they come with the grease and clamps allready. Most of the time with having some grease escape under the boot is that the clamp is installed improperly, or the axle suface where it touches the boot isn't clean allowing the grease to get out.
 
I ended getting a universal fit boot from Autozone for $11. Clearly it isn't as thick and rugged as the OE boot. But it really isn't bad either. It looks and feels like it should hold up just fine. Hopefully it fits well.

The clamps that came with it don't need a clamping tool to tighten. They are secured by a locking buckle which is made tighter by spring tension. Initially I thought this wouldn't work well but having examined it closer they seem very tight/secure. The spring tension causes the buckle to lock down REALLY tight.

If anyone has used one of these and had it fail please let me know. Here's a pic of the locking mechanism.
 

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Was the diameter too small or was it too short?


It was a few years ago, but I remember it was a cut to fit sort of deal, you got a fairly long big boot with "steps" I guess you would call them, you just figure out what your needs are and cut off the extra. But the clamps were a PITA and soo was getting the boot on. As these steps were a decent change in size form one to the other the closest was a hair to small but works fine. Was just a big PITA to get it to stay while I clamped it down.

To me it's worth the extra bit of cash for the OEM.
 
If anyone is curious JNZ can get the OE boot kit for $54. This is by far the best price I have found for it. Of course you can get a whole reman axle for that price but you end up with a weaker axle.

Thanks again for the input guys.:)
 
I ordered a ineer and outer boot for my dsm from napa about a week ago after I made a post. The snap rings seems a bit too thick so I used the originals but the boot and the clams are as god as OEM. took 2 days to get them. both where about 20 bucks and were the same design as the oem.
 
do you have a part # for napa or did you just give them your year and model and have them match it? Was this a universal boot or car specific. I'm looking at fixing the lh inner boot but I don't want the split one and I want it to fit well. thanks
 
do you have a part # for napa or did you just give them your year and model and have them match it? Was this a universal boot or car specific. I'm looking at fixing the lh inner boot but I don't want the split one and I want it to fit well. thanks

They use your car's info to find the right one. I don't think they are specific to an exact make/model but rather a particular size boot is matched to several cars with somewhat similar specs with regards to the axle/boot.

From what I saw the inner boots tend to be a bit more expensive than the outers. I'm hoping I can just reuse my inner boot after installing the new outer since it is in great shape.

If you need a band clamp tool you can pay $10 at Autozone. You can use it and keep it if you like or return it for a refund. The guy called it the "Learn a Tool" offer. It's not the highest quality tool but it looks like it can get the job done.
 
So I finally have a chance to do the outer CV boot replacement today.

Since the inner joint and boot are fine can I just leave that side alone? In other words just remove/replace the outer joint and boot from the hub side of the axle and not mess with the other side. Or is it necessary to remove the inner joint too?
 
It shouldn't really be necessary to snap the other end out of the transmission. It only takes a moment though and it might make changing the boot easier.

It's kind of like saying you can't decide whether or not to take your shoes off when you change your pants.
 
It shouldn't really be necessary to snap the other end out of the transmission. It only takes a moment though and it might make changing the boot easier.

It's kind of like saying you can't decide whether or not to take your shoes off when you change your pants.

Hmm, that option never occured to me. So I can just remove all of the suspension components from around that end and then do the work on the joint and boot with the axle still in the transmission? Do you think it might place too much stress on the inner end which will be supporting the weight of the axle?

BTW, is there a trick to seperating the steering knuckle from the tie rod? Maybe turning the wheels one way or another to find a spot that relieves pressure off the stud/bolt vs using a rubber mallet from underneath to knock it out?
 
The clamp type separators often work better than the fork but they don't always fit.

You need only remove the outboard ends of the lower lateral control arm and fork to separate the axle. You might want to read up on the axle removal threads. It can be a pain without a hub puller. Depending on how it goes you may be left saying either "So what's the big deal?" or "Why did I ever get into this?"
 
Yep, you're right Ron. I used a puller device to remove the ball joint stud where there was room and a pickle fork for both lower control arms. The fork tore the hell out of one of the boots even though I had greased it. Oh well, ordered a new one (and a second spare one) from the dealer. Part number for the ball joint boot for both front lower control arms is MB808555.

The hammer on the axle nut to knock the hub free from the axle works but it ended up damaging the nut so that it want's to strip the threads on the end of the axle. So ordered a new axle nut too. Now I'll have a slightly damaged spare solely dedicated to future axle removals.

I cleaned all the old grease out of the outer CV joint (messy job). I noticed some heat marks on it. In the first couple pics you can see a few on the outer edge. There are marks like that all the way around it a symmetrical pattern. Also some heat marks just beyond the race ring.

Does anyone know of these heat marks are normal?

I am impressed with just how sturdy and tough the oem CV boots are. In the third pic you can see me applying equal pressure to both boots and the result. Also the oem boot has grooves and ridges at the ends which basically allows it to click in place when properly positioned on the axle. Frankly, if I wasn't strapped for cash right now (basically because of this car) I would have gotten the oem boot kit from JNZ for $54.

BTW, if you have an air compressor the air gun works great for getting the old grease out the joint.
 

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