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Ok if you have read my recent post on CV boots failing you may understand where this is coming from. Basically I am now contemplating lowering the sucker back down. So that’s the reason to ask the questions.
Thanks,
Clint
P.S This may help Bart in his decision too....
I had to replaced my driver's side boot after Moab not this year but the year before. I did a lot stuff in Moab that year (Hells Gate and Hells Revenge) just to name a couple.
I think that comes with the territory if you play in Moab you might have to replace a boot every now and then.
Peace.
Tom
The fun factor out weighs the weekend of work changing a CV boot! I had both my outer boots tear and replaced the inner and outters while I had it torn down. Have had no problems since.
I'm just not a believer in this " lift tearing boots" theory. i worked as a undercar mechanic not to long ago, and I've changed a lot of boots and CV shafts. from what Ive learned is most split boots are from chemicals ( engine degreaser, carb cleaners, ect.) they get dried out and split. and there are a lot of different boot materials and each one has a weakness. CV boots are made to flex all the time, if lifting was causing failures then every time you turned a corner you would be killing your boots. I lifted mine 2.5" a few months ago, my boots were in perfect shape, I've been checking them ever month to see if they are cracking, so far no change.
I'm not lifted; but, I thought I'd mention that I spray my CV boots with Silicon Spray every now and then (especially spring & fall...just after & before the harsh elements of winter!) to help keep them soft & pliable and less likely to start splitting.
I've also heard of wheel weights that came off the rim striking the boots & tearing them...I believe SPAZZ had that happen if I 'member correctly.
My torn boots were definately dryed out and cracked! But I think pretty much any material will break after repeated flexing over time. Since a lift will cause the flexing to be a bit more extreme it would shorten the life of the boots. Also a possibility is that the boots were broken in and used to a certain "pattern" of flexing and the lift takes it out of that pattern.
Yes I believe they tear because of drying out more than the lift,after I replaced the originals(103,000 miles) They have been fine. :)
Mine's lifted & mine had problems.
I noticed when installing MecaTechs that they are longer than the stock. I think I'll take the middle road and say that boot failure is caused by a combination of factors: age, chemicals, flexing. Probably the largest contributor to failure after lifting a vehicle though is that the stock boot is not long enough and the harsher angle causes the boot to stretch to the tearing point.
I will be ordering the Mecatech kit from Indy4x, hopefully I will get to order them this week. I need to email them because one page for the individual boot said that their kit was 119, but when you look at the kit it says 134. Maybe I’m misreading it.
Call 'em up. They have a phone number if you click on the contact button. If memory serves, you only needed to replace the inners and that price sounds like you're getting all four boots. Of course it makes sense to replace all four while you're doing it.
Don't forget to stock up on brake cleaner to break down all the old grease so you can get them good and clean before putting it all back together (& lots of shop rags). If you're doing the job in your driveway or garage, you might want to put down something to absorb all that drips off.
BOL
Not lifted. Unless my garage suddenly grows a foot taller, it will not get lifted either, heh.
Hey man, I don't know if you saw my response in your previous post, but I have a brand new mecatech boot on hand that I was going to install in place of the one that had previously torn, but I really am considering an alternate solution right now. If you want, I can show you the brand new boot I have and a stock boot for comparison, but now that the boot on the other side has gone out, I am seriously shopping around for something else. I am not trying to badmouth mecatech, but 2 out of 4 on mine are bad and we all know they haven't been on there long enough to justify that. Personally a 50% failure rate within several months of install just doesn't sit right with me. I really think that am SAS is seriously on the horizon now.Quote:
I will be ordering the Mecatech kit from Indy4x, hopefully I will get to order them this week. I need to email them because one page for the individual boot said that their kit was 119, but when you look at the kit it says 134. Maybe I’m misreading it.
Yeah, and I am now not sure what I am doing, thanks alot... j/k. I wont have the funds to get this done until a few weeks any how.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ascinder
Lifted at around 24k miles 3+ years ago, 63K miles now with no related issues, original boots are still good.
Brian