Has anyone here had any luck with the cv boot repair kits that use a seam? I need to fix one outside boot and need to do it myself - money is tight.

I've never personally done it - but I've heard conflicting opinions on whether it is worth the trouble or not...

 

On one hand, it is a way easier fix than replacing the entire thing...

 

But then again, how long has it been torn? Do you really know? Because if it is already torn, there is already grime and dirt in there...so it could be too late.

not that i would recommend this....but i once new a guy who wrapped like a half of a roll of duct tape around the whole joint because the boot was torn....he said it worked until he could get money to fix it properly......

It seems to me the duct tape method would be a difficult one...you would have to clean the area very well to get the tape to stick...what a PITA...but to each his own, I guess.

As mentioned, if there is still some grease inside the existing split boot, and you think not much dirt has gotten inside the bad boot, then maybe a split cv boot may work for a while. However, I wouldn't trust using one for an extended period of time. Once installed, I would keep a constant watch on the integrity of the split boot to see that it doesn't come apart.

 

Years back I installed a split boot on a VW. It didn't work well at all, but I think the size I used may have been incorrect. No matter how I installed the split boot, I could not get it to fit well. However, that was just my bad experience. Within a week, I took the car to a shop and had the boot replaced with a non split unit.

 

What ever you do, it is important to get that boot repaired. Driving with a bad boot will wear out your CV joint in no time flat. A bad CV joint will start making clicking noises during a turn. Then you run the risk of breaking down with a siezed bearing. Then, the repair gets more expensive, as the entire half shaft will need replaced.

I've used one before on my daily driver just to get through the winter months so I could replace the joint myself once it warmed up outside.

 

It's a temporary fix that works if you catch the rip before you lose the grease and contaminate the joint with grit. Consider it like driving on a doughnut tire....it'll get you around but it's not something you want to take a 400 mile vacation on.

I would not even consider it. Axles are easy to change, do it right the first time.

they don't last worth carp

Has anyone here had any luck with the cv boot repair kits that use a seam? I need to fix one outside boot and need to do it myself - money is tight.

Only once! Never again! Lasted a week. Less trouble to pull the axle and replace the boot with a quality boot. Napa sells a pretty decent kit.

you have a few options at your disposal and i don't consider split boots and option, they suck.

 

$25 used axles > split boots.

i looked up used axles yesterday for a friend and found plenty in the $20-$35.

 

or you could just wait a year...or three to replace the axle. the CV joint won't fail anytime soon. i've put 50,000 miles on front axles after they started clicking (granted lots of highway miles). you're not even starting to click yet so sounds to me like you got a good number of years left on them. of course sand, rock or hard core stuff will ruin the joint quickly. but if a few dollars is tight you shouldn't be driving offroad or in rough terrain anyway.

driving around over coal shards and debris my broken boot axles only lasted a few months. but doubtful you'll be driving over crushed coal?

 

earlier this year i ordered 3 used axles for $75 w/$25 shipping. that's worth it to me and all the boots are in great shape and the rubber is not dried and cracking one bit.

I used one, it was ok. The car went another year before it was scrapped. I forget the car i used it on.

 

Unless your stuck for time or something, i would recomend replacing the axle.

 

 

nipper

Never used the cv boot repair kit, but I am currently conducting an ad lib experiment on the durability of Subarus CV joints. My drivers side outer boot has been torn for over 3500 miles, no clicks or anything....that being said I have a replacement axle I purchased from M?E in CO. It rides along at all times.....I feel embarrassed in telling the story, I just haven't had time to replace the axle. My two cents.

Never used the cv boot repair kit, but I am currently conducting an ad lib experiment on the durability of Subarus CV joints. My drivers side outer boot has been torn for over 3500 miles, no clicks or anything....that being said I have a replacement axle I purchased from M?E in CO. It rides along at all times.....I feel embarrassed in telling the story, I just haven't had time to replace the axle. My two cents.

 

Winter is almots here. Road salt sand and snow will quickly end your experiment. Its always fun chainging an axle in the dead of winter.

 

 

nipper

My drivers side outer boot has been torn for over 3500 miles, no clicks or anything...

oh man, you're just getting started! i've done this many times and put 50,000 miles on a front torn CV axle before. that one was clicking while driving straight (driving through sand really did a number on it) when i finally replaced it. i've put 100,000+ miles on rear torn boots/axles, i never replace those and have left them torn on cars i've bought and driven 100,000 miles. funny, the rears never even started making noise.

 

road salt/snow never seemed to bother them but sand (driving in south georgia close to the gulf) and driving in WV - where they used crushed coal in the winter in my area, both will destroy an axle quite quickly. so it depends what they use on the roads and where you take the car.

 

the only bad axles are aftermarket store bought crap, i've seen those break in less than a mile, right after replacing.

I may try the split boot but i'm considering first cleaning with degreaser, etc... the exposed` joint well before putting the new boot on. Any comments?

Don't clean inside the joint. Washing the grease out will cause the joint to fail. 

 

A split boot is only a temporary fix. Meant to last a couple weeks at best. Truthfully, I wouldn't even bother. If the joint 's already clicking, you need to replace the axle. If you need a couple weeks, just keep driving it until you can get a new axle. If the boot has been split so long that dirt and sand have got in the joint, packing new grease into the joint and sticking a split boot on it will only shove the dirt and crud further in and will cause even more wear. 

the split boot I tried decades ago on a Honda failed quickly. maybe they're better now?

just forget it and keep driving it. Read my post above, it won't fail. If consider a split boot a waste of time. Maybe worth installing to pass inspection but otherwise pointless.

On my old GL wagon that had a split boot I repacked it a little then took a piece of heavy plastic  then zip tied it on to keep grease from flying all over. Drove from AZ to PA like that then put 10k more on it before I changed it.