Those CV gaiter repair kits- shit or OK?

[Split_Pin]

As above, has anyone used one before? Do they last?

 

Looking at the MOT history of my Renault and I noticed that one CV boot got an advisory in 2015 for being 'greasy' and damaged but not allowing ingress of dirt in 2014. No mention last year.

 

It got me thinking, seems a bit of a waste replacing a whole CV joint that makes no funny noises just because the boot is split.

 

Just doing some preemptive thinking here.

[Timewaster]

Replacement boot kits absolutely fine.

 

Split type glue up boot kits absolutely shit.

 

Hth

[beko1987]

I priced this up on the zx cos they were split/splitting, and the kits were £25ish per side, whole driveshafts with boots were £35 per side... Was going to replace them whole as I've heard CV boots are an arse hole to fit.

 

Then I sold it and the CV boots are mint on the new car, so woohoo! One went on the meriva too but the guy who replaced the steering rack sorted that so I didn't have to

[Split_Pin]

Replacement boot kits absolutely fine.

 

Split type glue up boot kits absolutely shit.

 

Hth

It does thank you 😀

 

Presumably by 'replacement boot kits' you mean ones where you have to disassemble the whole lot to fit it?

[HillmanImp]

whole driveshafts with boots were £35 per side..

Absolutely no question, would be the whole driveshaft every time. I hate fitting CV boots.

[Split_Pin]

Take it that's a quicker and easier option?

[AMC Rebel]

Replacement boot kits absolutely fine.

 

Split type glue up boot kits absolutely shit.

 

Hth

This, 100%.  Tried the glue together "universal" fit type - they were shit.

 

Changing the whole shaft's a good deal too depending on costs as you need to have the whole thing to bits.

[Dead_E23]

Anyone here tried the cone things for sliding a new boot over the outer joint without dismantling?   They look like they would either work a treat or require superhuman patience and strength, but I can't make my mind up which.

 

I have done CV boots 'the hard way' in the past, admittedly a long time ago, and don't remember dismantling the joint being particularly traumatic once suitably armed with circlip pliers.  Iirc the hard bit was disengaging the inner joint from the gearbox using a club hammer and big screwdriver, but you would have to do that anyway to replace the whole driveshaft.    (Tip: a slide hammer makes this part of the job piss easy and is a help when reassembling too).

[twosmoke300]

I use the stretchy cone jobs occasionally . They are ok but the universal ones aren't a great fit tbh . It's surprising how much force you need to push them over the cone too .

[Timewaster]

I've done a boot where you stretch it over the joint and it was tough to do but worthwhile.

 

Replacing the shaft seems a bit over the top.

 

Those split glue up boots that you wrap around the shaft, glue up the join and then fit to the joint are so shit you will be lucky if they are still on the car by the time you get to the mot station.

[fraser.innes.3]

It does thank you 😀

 

Presumably by 'replacement boot kits' you mean ones where you have to disassemble the whole lot to fit it?

You buy a universal boot and pop the driveshaft out of the hub. There is a lovely tool that looks like a big cone. Using silicon spray (furniture polish), you pull the boot inside out onto the cone. The cone then fits over the big end of the cv and the boot is pushed off onto the shaft. Once turned the right way round, it can be filled with grease and the ends clamped with metal cable tie things. Job jobbed. Takes about half an hour all in.

 

Edit - missed all comment above while writing this.

[Dave_Q]

Problem is those cheapo driveshafts are properly shite, just get a normal CV boot kit and fix the OEM shaft.

 

The stretchy boots don't generally fit well and you won't be saving much, if anything, once you've bought the cone.

 

It's a messy job but not exactly difficult if you have axle stands and some hammers.

[Kiltox]

Problem is those cheapo driveshafts are properly shite, just get a normal CV boot kit and fix the OEM shaft.

 

The stretchy boots don't generally fit well and you won't be saving much, if anything, once you've bought the cone.

 

It's a messy job but not exactly difficult if you have axle stands and some hammers.

Fitted a eBay (J&R) driveshaft to a Picasso and it was spot on for 30k miles until the car was written off in an accident (non driveshaft related) - can't complain for the money

[catsinthewelder]

I've got one of those cones after looking at the parts prices for a Mk1 Vito that had failed it's MOT on many things that weren't rust. It was a bit of a twat but I got there in the end, I think the Vito is still running too which is frankly astounding considering it was a rusty old shitter 6 years ago.

[jakebullet]

Having watched my garage man use an air operated stretchy thingy tool I'd get one of those if I was expecting to do a few.

 

[The Moog]

Plus elevnty on J&r driveshafts...seem to be ok

[Richard]

I can lend you a cone and clip pliers, and give you a couple of clips if required.

 

It might have been done though, some people do deal with their advisories.

[sierraman]

Get one of the neoprene stretch boots with the fitting kit or alternatively use an old pop bottle - the 1 litre ones you get lemonade in work best. The bailcast glue up jobs can be ok but given the location it's hard to make a reasonable job of glueing it together.

 

Undo the hub nut, bottom swivel joint pinch bolt and track rod end and pull the hub off the end of the joint and you can get at it then. I'd get the hub nut cracked off with the air gun if you've got one, it'll be fucking tight prob 200nm

[twosmoke300]

J and R driveshafts are bloody good . Fitted loads of them and no issues . Infact their boots stay on better than the genuine hilux ones

[Split_Pin]

I can lend you a cone and clip pliers, and give you a couple of clips if required.

 

It might have been done though, some people do deal with their advisories.

I'm hoping so however there is a receipt for work to the braking system last year in the back of advisories but not the CV boot.

[alf892]

Just split the joint.......easier to give it a good clean out that way. Mind you those inner ones used on some psa stuff can be a twat as you have to unpick the rolled steel edge. Luckily inners rarely seem to go.

 

If you really want to do the stretch thing you don't need a cone......just gaffer tape any sharp edges on the joint, turn the boot inside out and then put two pieces of cord through the boot. Tie these so you have two loops and you can use them to ease the boot over the joint.

[Slappy]

+1 on getting a new CV joint, and a decent one at that. Needed 2 for MOT in 2015, only to find that 1 of those new boots had split to buggery for the MOT this year too. Don't know the manufacturer though other than to be told it was "a better one"

[sierraman]

Is it knocking? If not I'd leave it. If the boots split I'd swap it with a neoprene stretch boot. I'd definitely not start throwing money at it given you've only had it a few weeks. The receipt for repairs to the brakes might be related. Once the boot goes, it flings grease all over the backs of the discs, hence they'd then need replacing once the pads had been soaked in grease.

[fordperv]

I've used stretchy ones loads and have found them nice and simple, they save a hell of a lot of messing about, the first time I used the end of a share size coke bottle to slide it on, i got a cone after that

[Split_Pin]

Is it knocking? If not I'd leave it. If the boots split I'd swap it with a neoprene stretch boot. I'd definitely not start throwing money at it given you've only had it a few weeks. The receipt for repairs to the brakes might be related. Once the boot goes, it flings grease all over the backs of the discs, hence they'd then need replacing once the pads had been soaked in grease.

Nah no knocking, just pre-empting stuff 😀

[Dave_Q]

Fair enough if people have had good experiences with the cheap driveshafts, to me a 35 quid driveshaft is less than the cost of 2 reasonable quality CV joint kits, corners must be being cut somewhere.

 

Also by the time you have bought £10-20 of gearbox oil to replace what you lost removing the old shaft, you've still made a cheap but messy and a bit fiddly job into an expensive, slightly easier but still messy job.

[sierraman]

Id check the boot, you'll see if it's a new boot. If there's no play in the joint I cannot see the point replacing it. Unless you were really good with Airfix kits as a kid is avoid the Bailcast ones. You should be able to get a new boot with the cone for £5-6 on eBay, no more than an hour to fit in the driveway.

[dave21478]

The last stretch boot I fitted was to the pickup which must have extra chunky joints or something as it was a right struggle to get it over. I havent seen a small hole dilate like that since that back street strip club and the woman with the half-sized rugby ball.......

[spike60]

The repair kits I've used didn't stay repaired, so a full shaft, joint or boot from J&R for me. Or don't buy FWD cars, I've never had a split boot on a RWD yet.