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2000 OBW with 206k and original CV axles. I rebooted them once before a long time ago but noticed the drivers side is starting to fling grease. 
Should I reboot these again (not sure if these can be reused indefinitely) or buy new? 
What's a good aftermarket OE alternative to spending $600 at the stealership?

Edited by 211
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If there are no other symptoms, other than flinging grease, then by all means re-boot them.

You could try a different make of boot, if you suspect that the old ones were sub-standard.

No other symptoms.

 

Is it worth it tho? I dont have access to a parts washer anymore nor the time really.

 

That being said, I do have more time than money so depending on the cost of a good OE alternative I would find a way to re-boot.

Edited by 211
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Aftermarket absoluteky suck. They fail all the time. Complete waste of time. Originals last the life of the vehicle.

 

www.car-part.com and find some $15 OEM cheap ones. Get one in good condition and run it as is or reboot before jnstall and save the down time.

 

It's much less annoying if you just have everything ready toake it easy. have a box to work over, lots of rags, nitrile gloves and just wipe them down with a ton of rags and throw your gloves away.

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Put a new boot on it. Aftermarket boots don't hold up very well. I've found that boot kits from the dealer are better (assumes that the parts person is smart enough to know how to look them up)

 

You can get boot kits from SPFY. They cost a bit more but last a lot longer.

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Yes. Reboot them all with Subaru boots is the best simple approach

 

More specifically, here are some details and why it's more complicated than you might think:

 

If you're paying a mechanic you probably don't want to risk paying all that labor twice per axle.

 

Then again if you or said mechanic is gonna throw away a much a newer 2000+ outback style outer boot and install a lesser one (see next comment) - then you could be loosing money to replace both. But if grease is old/high mileage it gets watery anyway.

 

00+ Outback axles (and others) have the new style boots with more durable material and more convolutions. They last much longer than previous boots. If you have those in excellent condition they're perfectly fine to leave after inspecting. If they are old/high mileage they should be regressed though so again - might as well replace

 

If you're buying used axles sometimes it's okay to replace one on a case by case basis, though not often. Usually those boots I just mentioned.

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OK

So OEM Subaru boots huh?
They're not terribly expensive $10 and $15 for inner and outer. 

Does anyone know if these come with they're own grease pack? IIR the last set of axles I rebooted came with its own grease and clamps. 
The Subaru parts fiche shows the clamps as a separate piece but no part number so I cant tell if it comes with the boots or not. 

BTW 2000 OBW 

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Thanks grossgary--good points.  I was asking with the assumption that DIYers would be doing it for themselves.  Paying a pro mechanic for the work would be a losing proposition--if they'd agree to do it at all!

 

Anyone know the answer to 211's question--does Subaru sell boot "kits" or do you have to buy all the parts separately?

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$10 - $15 seems too cheap? Are you sure they're Subaru boots?

 

I always just buy the boots. Grease - just use or get a tub of high quality CV and wheel bearing synthetic grease.

 

Bands you want to match whatever tool you have. There's so many different kinds. Buy the tool then the clamps to match.

 

But yeah the Subaru boots are notably higher quality and last longer. Maybe there's other boots that are as good but I haven't seen them. The beck arnleys I've used were fine, not bad, but seem more prone to fail earlier than OEM. And beck arnely can change supplier/quality.

 

There are mechanics that do it and will reboot. Some might be busy and not want to deal with it, that's understandable when you know the quantity of customer diagnosis and dialogue they have to endure. But If they hear and understand you're well advised on subaru axles and reliability as being superior and not just trying to be cheap or tell you your cousin Ben's plumbers suggestion - they'll usually like the idea. It ends up benefiting them as as a better end product - though they do have to make the quantum leap to trusting customer advice - which is terribly hard for them to do sometimes and for good reason. "My dad thinks it's the fuel pump". Eyeroll.

 

What is unfair to mechanics is someone trying to save a buck with too much extra needless work - talking, discussing, providing own parts, phone calls...ends up costing them time and $ to try and save $13. Avoid sounding like those people when discussing.

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Thanks for the info and good call on the tool/clamps. I'll have to look into that more. 

But to answer your question..

OEM???

http://www.subarugenuineparts.com/auto-parts/2000/subaru/outback/base-trim/2-5l-h4-gas-engine/front-drive-axle-cat/axle-shafts-and-joints-scat

I have spoken to several Subaru Master Techs,they say the aftermarket axles will cause vibrations because they are not as refined as Subaru ones..

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tell you your cousin Ben's plumbers suggestion

It's hard not to laugh sometimes when customers tell you these things! People are so ready to hand over that sixth-degree-of-connection diluted misinformation! And they'll trust anybody EXCEPT their mechanic.

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It's hard not to laugh sometimes when customers tell you these things! People are so ready to hand over that sixth-degree-of-connection diluted misinformation! And they'll trust anybody EXCEPT their mechanic.

If it's any consolation it's how most people operate, they don't only treat mechanics that way! I'm astonished how much low grade advice people offer, listen to, and take. It's the norm and really bizarre to me.

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Subaru sells reman axles and they will be cheaper than what you will pay a qualified mechanics plus parts to do a reboot. Remember the axle has to come out either way. And a reboot is a super messy and annoying job. Labor is expensive....

 

Subaru reman's are $193 each.

 

Concur with Gary on customer diagnosis.... please don't provide me with this. Just a simple explanation of the symptoms please. You will most likely just look like an idiot and I'll have to chase tail at your expense and my frustration.

 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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  • 3 weeks later...

It really is a tough call sometimes. Obviously, the best case scenario is to keep an eye on your boots and replace when they first fail with OEM boots. The stainless boot clamps they used to sell at the dealer, that wrapped around twice, then went through a cinch band and folded over, were the best by far and required no special tools. I used to use a gasket scraper braced against the cinch band and pull the tail tight with linemans pliers, then fold over and stake with a center punch, just for good measure. And that was back in the days when EACH JOINT was $350 at the dealer, and there was no aftermarket. But when you buy a car, or repair one that has had the boot ripped for who-knows-how-long, you run the risk of rebooting joints that are too fargone and will continue to click on sharp turns... don't ask me how I know. All I can say is it sure is depressing to remove, clean, reboot and re-install, just to have the same horrible noise when you are done. And I never figured out how to tell when a joint was too worn to make that call. My personal experience has told me that, once they start clicking, they're DONE! I have had good luck so far with the aftermarket replacements from Rock Auto. And for $60 for a complete axle, shipped... it's hard to argue. But if any of you in the midwest run across CV boot bands with a center punch mark on the boot band, that was me  :D , I did thousands...

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