Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 08:29:04 -0500
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: No Go on CV Boot R&R
In-Reply-To: <664740.29468.qm@web51503.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Sorry to disagree with your shop, but they are either misinformed or
overzealous to sell you someparts.
The rubber boots you get today are crap. They last a year and a half,
maybe, at least the ones I have access to. Everyone seems to agree
that they are not as good as what you could get just a few years ago.
The joints go bad when the joints go bad, and that has nothing to do
with the life of the boot (though the boot life affects the joint, of
course).
There are many ways to extend the life of the CV joint. One way is to
get a needle that snaps onto a grease gun (check your parts store) and
shooting 12 squirts or so into each boot every year or so. This is a
good time to check your boots as I said they don't last too long. This
is not as good as taking the boots apart an cleaning them and lubing
them and reinstalling with new boots.
And speaking of new boots you have to pull the axle and pull the
joint to get the new boot on, which is an excellent time to lube the
joint, in which case they will last practically forever. In a combined
ownership of 26 vanagon years I have had to replace exactly two
joints. The rest of them have been kept alive by decent preventative
maintenance.
There are probably only two reasons to replace the axle itself: one is
in case of a collision that damages the axle, the other is that you
can often purchase a new axle complete with joints from the online
vendors cheaper than you can buy just the joints and boots
individually.
Call the vendors and they will tell you what comes with the axles and
make the best deal you can. But as for your shop, they should be able
to pack your joints and replace the rubber like everyone else really
does.
Jim
On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 7:54 AM, Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Greetings List,
> I noted that my front CV boots were shot so I bought boots (expedited shipping) from Bus Depot and took them to my normal shop. They told me that they (and according to them, no one) every replaces just the boots. They said I needed the whole new axle.
> This doesn't make much sense to me, because suppose I was off-road and just tore a boot on a new axle....would I then have to replace the entire axle again?
> Now assuming the outer CV joint was dry and bad, but the inners are good.....do you still have to replace the entire axle or can you replace just the outer CV joint?
> The whole thing is very confusing. I'm going to call Bus Depot later when they open, but they list an outer CV joint and boot kit for $211.38 and the inner for $106.70. Van Cafe has new front axle for $265. Do the Bus Depot products not include the axle, just the CV joints? And does the Van Cafe product include the axle AND the joints (picture would indicate so)?
> As I said, the nomenclature is very confusing. Please help me understand all the parts.
> Thanks, Anthony'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
>
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