CV Boot Question

[WBBulldogs]

I was checking my mom's 1989 Ford Festiva for her and I noticed on the driver's side there is a crack about 1/4-1/2 inch long on the bottom of the seam on the CV boot. Should this be replaced immediately? Also how hard is it to replace a CV Boot?

[mechanicaldj]

yes, it should be serviced soon

and the easiest way to service them is to replace the entire assembly with a re-manufactured unit and to save you any problems down the road

[WBBulldogs]

How much is this going to run me by the way? So what should I ask for at the parts dealer.

[mattswabb]

$70 for a manual transmission and $65 for an automatic.

http://www.autozone.com/home.htm

[Hodag'stiva]

$70 for a manual transmission and $65 for an automatic.

http://www.autozone.com/home.htm

I replaced the rubber boots without replacing the joints themselves and have never really been happy with the result. If you need more excitement in your life then you already have, let the guts of a CV joint spill out across your workbench - that's excitement. :shock:

Listen to the man, buy the replacements from the store and trash the old ones.

When you're pulling out the old ones, you really will have to pull like a son of a b*tch - they're in there good.

B

[Pgh5spd]

If the boot's only just starting to go, like yours sounds like it is, or has only just recently split completely, changing the boot yourself is a lot less work than getting to the point where you pop the shaft out. I've done it at least three times, and never had a problem with the result since the balls were still all in good shape. If they're pitted/scored etc, get a rebuilt axle, but if not getting the old grease & dirt washed out is critical, of course, and getting the band tight can be a problem without the tool to tighten them (I inherited mine from an old-time mechanic, who made it himself. Since he's no longer with us, it has an added value). Use a BRASS hammer to knock the end of the halfshaft off.

But, before all that, probably the first question is how far you've ever gone pulling the front end apart on a FWD car.

[David88]

Listen to the man, buy the replacements from the store and trash the old ones.
B

Don't do that! Most places charge a $30 core charge on rebuilt axles that you get back when you bring in your old one.

[WBBulldogs]

But, before all that, probably the first question is how far you've ever gone pulling the front end apart on a FWD car.

I've helped my dad pull the front end off of a '91 Hyundai Excel with an auto transmission. We needed an impact wrench to get the damn axle bolts off.

[Pgh5spd]

Some people seem to have more trouble with the axle nut than I've ever had. I just use a LONG breaker bar, and have someone stand on the brake if necessary. Since you're in CO, your front end probably isn't all rusted together like they are out here in the salt belt, but before you get started, put some lubricant of any sort on the top of the lower balljoint, so when you get to that point it'll come apart easier. After the axle nut, everything else has either a 12, 14 or 17mm head.

There are (or should be) a couple little stainless slippers that cradle the inner brake pad that you might easily lose if you're not expecting them.

Everyone has their own technique for getting the halfshaft out, but I like to get the tie-rod detached and remove the two bolts holding the strut to the knuckle. Then take the pinch bolt out that clamps the knuckle to the balljoint and make sure the connection to the balljoint is loose enough that it will come off. Then slide the pinch bolt back in the hole and with the axle nut still on by a few threads, use the whole knuckle like a slide hammer pivoting on the ball joint to jerk the halfshaft out (vs. using a prybar on the trans case). You can't take the halfshaft all the way out of the transmission yet, but it gets the C ring pulled out of its groove. At this point you can either take the nut off the axle and take the knuckle/rotor assembly off by itself and then remove the halfshaft, or take the whole arrangement out in one piece and separate the two afterward. (After 16yrs of driving Festivas, I've done this enough times to have tried a bunch of different approaches.)

[gdawgs]

As mentioned above, if you catch the cracked boot right away, you can get away with just changing the boot which only costs about $12. On my first Festiva, I changed at least 6 boots out and never replaced an axle. That car now has over 300,000 miles on it and still has the factory axles.

I check the CV boots every time I change oil, that way you always catch them in time.