Help with leaking CV/axles

Well I knew this was going to be an issue but I didn't think I'd need to sort it out so soon. The slimeball dealer I bought the VX from used a rank shop to replace the torn outer CV boots but obviously was a hack as they are leaking already.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...26/ppuser/3836

So my question is how much trouble am I risking by continuing to drive the VX until I get to fixing it for good? Was planning to take a 4 hr drive this weekend and there is nothing I can do about this until next week. I'm not experiencing any problems/noises but I'll be p.o.'d if I wreck the OEM cv's if I haven't already.

The leak is hard to see, just leakage at the green race portion... the new cv boots look fine. Its only leaking on the drivers side. Its hard to say how much has left the system. There is some grease splatter on the inside of the rim.

well.... if you arent hearing any sound than you havent done any damage yet.

there are a few people who have completely removed their boots and just greased their joints on a regular basis (ask ascinder about this). he claims that he has been driving years with no boots on the CV's and he just greases em if he goes in water or a lot of dirt.

i would think with the minimal amount of leakage you have, that your ok for now. but im no mechanic :) so dont hold me to it!

maybe someone more technical will chime in

He is not the only one, Big swede is rolling with torn boots, just routine greasing, and no problems. Several other folks on the Planet do the same.
Of course, trooper CVs are a lot easier to find than VX CVs.

i was told by matt at indy4x that the 97 trooper CV will fit the VX.... just some info incase you need to replace it...

I would just order the Mecatech boot kit, and maybe wrap some duct tape around the torn boots to help keep dirt out, and unless you want to make a habit out of replacing CVs an boots, I would get the boots replaced soon. But regular daily driving shouldn't cause much of an issue. Lots of 4lo and dust will eventually kill the CV though if you let it go.

Any tire/suspension shop should be able to do it, or if you have the desire, it's not to hard to do yourself, provided you have the basic tools that you will need.

I just changed the entire CV out on my Trooper for the first time. It's messy, and I did have a lot of questions along the way, but now that i have done it once, I can easily do it again.

Bart

It looks to me from the pic that you just need to re-band the boot. Looks like the band just wasn't tightened enough. A lot cheaper and easier than replacing the boots too!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Triathlete

It looks to me from the pic that you just need to re-band the boot. Looks like the band just wasn't tightened enough. A lot cheaper and easier than replacing the boots too!

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i think billy's right on this one...

Buy a split CV boot, it's an easy DYI project and takes about 30 min w/o having to remove anything :bwgy:

Yeah, I didn't even realize you had a photo up there. It doesn't even look like your boot is torn. If not, then you are really not in bad shape at all. The main reason the CVs fail is because the boots tear, the grease eventually gets sprayed out and the CV gets dry and then friction happens. That, plus dirt will get in and make matters worse.

But in your case, like Billy said, you probably just need to get a clamp and re-do it. Were these CV boots replaced in the past?

Bart

BC2K,

Take a deep breath, Triathlete is right. You prolly just have a loose band. In fact, the band may not even be loose, the installer may have just put in too much grease. I overpacked mine & just used heavy duty zip ties instead of the bands. I still get grease coming out of mine.

Try moving the boot on the race. If it moves at all, then the band wasn't installed tight enough.

As long as it's tight enough to keep dirt out, then you're fine. The amount of grease you've lost isn't going to make any difference. When I replaced my boots, it looked like they only gave 1/2 as much grease as what you'd need so I just used my own and over packed them with results much like you're seeing.

Some say that the loose band is actually a good thing, causing less flex to the boot and making it last longer.

I don't recommend the split boot approach. I have no experience with them but have never heard any good reports.

If you decide to replace your boots, you can do it yourself. Look in the How2 section for the instructions. It's a full day job the first time you do it & you'll get REALLY dirty ... but you'll have a lot of satisfaction with doing it yourself & saving much $$$.

If you use the search function on 'CV boots' or 'MechaTech' you'll find a lot of good reading.

BTW, if you try to remove that band yourself, be very careful. It's very hard to cut through and you don't want to damage the boot in the process.

Tom

Breathing easier. I plan to pop the wheel/tire off and get in there to tighten the band if I can.

Will update with results.

Jeff

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BoarderCROSS2000

Breathing easier. I plan to pop the wheel/tire off and get in there to tighten the band if I can.

Will update with results.

Jeff

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Without a band clamping tool, tightening the band is going to be pretty difficult. I highly recommend picking one up. Typically about $30 from most auto parts shops.

Bart

You may be able to borrow one from Checker auto (or whatever they are up there) for free.

After doing the CV Boot replacement 5 times now, it looks like from your photo the yahoo's who did the boot replacement did not realize that there is a groove on the Green Cup itself that the band around the boot fits in. From the photo it is VERY CLEAR to me that they simply pushed the boot on to far. What I would do, and I have done this a lot, would be to cut that band off, and use 2 HD black zip ties to secure the boot, but make sure it is in the groove on the cup that it is meant to seal the boot with. No need for the metal clamps or band clamp tool, I have about 15 bands and 2 band tools, and from my experience this is not necessary AT ALL. Just use HD zip ties and some pliers to get them tight.

Unfortunately, once the band is installed, it can't be tightened. Once the band is pulled tight, the collar is crimped down to hold the tension on the band.

It's not likely that you'll be able to get it any tighter yourself without that special tool. You can take it to an axle shop & get'r done right or run zip ties like LittleBeast & tom4bren (kinda puts you in a special crowd:))