How tough is it to replace a ripped cv jt boot?

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Old 04-20-2009, 12:11 PM
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let us know when you are selling. As for a late model mustang...different bag of bolts I guess.
Old 04-20-2009, 01:03 PM
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Default Ya' gotta look at the bright side

A] I assume you're healthy, that is huge!!!!!
B] No work equals more time to work on the car
C] You'll find work eventually, things work out, just don't get too down!!!
D] You've got a cool car! Nothing against American muscle, but anything you have is going to break, anything. At least an Audi will come apart without too much torch and drill, BTDT with Fords.
E] You've got friends here. Albeit, internet friends , but friends.

Let me know if you get in a cat jam, I've got an aftermarket exhaust {Stroumung] and have the OE cats and pipes attached to them in my garage. I suspect shipping them to you would cost more than you getting new welded in where you live
Old 04-20-2009, 03:01 PM
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YEah mon. Just kidding about 'let us know'... (although I threw in the towel on my first oldskewl 87 coupe). Seems so far that 90% of the repair is getting started ...the rest is just fun puttering (and cursing, and cleaning, and well...you know) ..good times. I was out of work for ~1 year and puttering with that Coupe helped me out somehow. get er done dude.
Old 04-20-2009, 07:13 PM
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Nut style, VAG has a special tool IIRC to pull the CVJ off the axle, I'd have to look it up again. The bolt style is pretty easy. I just use an axle bolt and my large 1/2" breaker bar and crank on it until it hits the retainer clip, then it gets HARD but just keep cranking down. It eventually just pops off. I cut the bad boots off the axle first, and get rid of some of the old grease.

I used my dad's bench and vise, however his bench is only anchored on two sides so I nearly pulled it apart!! I haven't built my work area in my garage yet, but it's on my list for this summer with more car repairs up coming.

I actually think if you have a large 3-jaw puller you could get the CVJ off a nut style axle once you remove the boot and clamps.
Old 04-20-2009, 11:40 PM
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if your car is a 5 speed ill buy it from you in a heart beat and do the cv boot. first time is a little bit of a pain but i wouldn't say any more difficult than any other car on the road. just make sure the joint is lined up before putting it back on the axel or youll be in big trouble. grind grind!
Old 04-24-2009, 11:59 PM
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Originally Posted by RB-200 20v
A] I assume you're healthy, that is huge!!!!!
B] No work equals more time to work on the car
C] You'll find work eventually, things work out, just don't get too down!!!
D] You've got a cool car! Nothing against American muscle, but anything you have is going to break, anything. At least an Audi will come apart without too much torch and drill, BTDT with Fords.
E] You've got friends here. Albeit, internet friends , but friends.

Let me know if you get in a cat jam, I've got an aftermarket exhaust {Stroumung] and have the OE cats and pipes attached to them in my garage. I suspect shipping them to you would cost more than you getting new welded in where you live
Thanks for the positive words. It's been a tough haul. I bought her 2 years ago after selling my S-4 V-8 '04 Avant and '02 Ford Lightning PU to live. Declared bankruptcy and our economy has only tanked more. I have always wanted to really detail her out and have a sweet fast 200 but the construction management industry is zero right now so the jobs I have had haven't even been in my line of work, just minimal pay gigs to keep the lights on. Forgive my rant. I will keep on pushing and sooner or later I'll get it all back. I was just bummed to see that rip in the boot. --Best
Old 04-25-2009, 12:20 AM
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Originally Posted by RussB
Budget less money for parts and more time for labor.

Orfsadoy has the parts cost about right. Manual transmission cars, because of the narrower transmission case, have longer axles (or half-shafts, if you prefer) and are easier to r&r than those on automatic transmission cars.

I've found that occasionally I simply can not remove the outer CV joint from the axle. In those cases, I remove the inner CV joint (which is always easier), then cut off the outer CV joint boot, wash out the outer CV joint with solvent, repack it with CV joint grease, and (this is sort of a kludge, but it works) then heat the outer boot's smaller diameter, grease the axle's high points with silicone grease, and pull the outer boot on from the inner CV joint end. With some struggle, it can be done. Then reassemble the inner joint, etc. . .

In other words, I always make certain that I have both a new outer and a new inner boot before starting the job.

Special tools needed:

1. A very stout breaker bar (I use a 1/2" drive Mac. It or Snap-On are fine. I've broken a Craftsman breaker bar on this job.) and socket to remove the axle nut (27mm? on 5000s). These things are really torqued on tight with a self-locking nut and requires lots of torque to remove.

2. A pliers-like tool to spread the outer CV joint's clip (it expands when you squeeze it.)

3. A pliers-like tool with pins to spread the 4nner CV joint's circlip

4. A pliers-like tool to crimp the boot straps.

5. A way to r&r the inner CV flange to the transmission output flange. I use a pair of long 3/8" drive extensions and a triple-square socket. You need a 3/8 drive torque wrench to torque these to spec. Do not over-tighten! They will break. (I learned the hard way.)

6. A torque wrench capable of tightening the axle nut to 207 lb-ft.

7. A sturdy bench vice to hold the axle during assembly and reassembly. An extra pair of (latex gloved) hands during this operation would be VERY helpful.

8. Lots of latex gloves. CV grease is thick, black, and messy.

Before removing the six inner CV joint bolts, spray brake cleaner into each bolt's socket head and use a flashlight to make certain that it's clean -- you don't want to strip out these bolt heads.


A few years ago, Pep Boys sold the pliers and triple-square socket, but I don't think that they do now. Don't start the job until you have all of these tools. And budget closer to 4 to 8 hours for your first one.

Once you've done a few, it's not a big deal.
RUSS B---WOW thanks for the blow by blow! I will copy it for when I do the work. It fills in the spaces that Bentley's misses. I need to do both sides since the animals that did my front end brake conversion pinched the edge of the large side of the CV boots edge against the control arms and put holes in them. They would'nt admit it at the time but could'nt explain how, previously clean wheels, got grease spewed all over the inner sides of them. That was also after they lowered my car down onto the top of another 200 parked under the lift. I can only suspect that is where my cats got pulverized into powder. I do all of the work on the car myself now.
BTW---Can I use a air impact wrench to loosen the axle bolts and not damage the cv joints?
Old 04-26-2009, 03:21 PM
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Default A big stout breaker bar works best on the axle nut (or bolt, on 100s/200s)

BTW---Can I use a air impact wrench to loosen the axle bolts and not damage the cv joints?[/QUOTE]

I've used a big bruising impact wrench (900 lb-ft max torque) and 150 psi of air on this nut, but now I prefer to use a big bruising breaker bar -- it just seems nicer to the CV joint. Wimpy impact wrenches won't cut it. BUT, I think that I can deliver more torque to the axle nut with a breaker bar. If the nut refuses to loosen, pull a 3 or 4 foot pipe over the breaker bar handle to lengthen the moment arm and stand on the pipe. (Yes, I've seen good professional mechanics do this.) In any case, make certain that you use a six-point (not 12-point) socket: you want to be certain that there is no possibility of the socket rounding the nut.

IMHO the problem with impact wrenches is that I have very little feel or control over the socket to nut interface. With an impact wrench, I've had nuts and bolt heads round in a heartbeat just because I didn't have the socket squarely seated on the bolt head. A breaker bar, IMHO, gives me greater control.

Oops -- I just remembered: the 100/200 cars have axle bolts -- not nuts. I'm sure that the same principles apply. Double check my 207 lb-ft torque spec on the axle nut -- that's for the 5000s. I don't know what the axle bolt torque spec is for the 100/200 cars.

One last item that you'll need: a thread sealant such as Loctite blue. The Bentley manual wants you to apply a little ring to the outside axle splines just before you replace it in the hub.

The first time that I did a CV joint boot replacement, it took me close to 12 hours: I really had to struggle to remove the outside CV joint from the axle. These days, if the CV joint doesn't want to come off, I don't fight with it, but rather keep it on, thoroughly wash it with (mineral spirits) solvent, and replace the outside boot by pulling the new boot on from the inside axle end as I described earlier, packing the joint with CV joint grease before finally pulling the new boot on over it.

Last edited by RussB; 04-26-2009 at 03:26 PM.
Old 04-28-2009, 04:22 AM
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BTW---Can I use a air impact wrench to loosen the axle bolts and not damage the cv joints?[/quote]

i guess you could but a big breaker bar works just as good and is less harder on your expensive impact gun. were talking like 120ftlbs of torque plus an aditional quarter turn. dont know what kinda tools your working with buy my sears craftsman has a hard time taking off lug nuts let alone an axel bolt :P
Old 05-02-2009, 08:59 AM
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Originally Posted by RussB
BTW---Can I use a air impact wrench to loosen the axle bolts and not damage the cv joints?
I've used a big bruising impact wrench (900 lb-ft max torque) and 150 psi of air on this nut, but now I prefer to use a big bruising breaker bar -- it just seems nicer to the CV joint. Wimpy impact wrenches won't cut it. BUT, I think that I can deliver more torque to the axle nut with a breaker bar. If the nut refuses to loosen, pull a 3 or 4 foot pipe over the breaker bar handle to lengthen the moment arm and stand on the pipe. (Yes, I've seen good professional mechanics do this.) In any case, make certain that you use a six-point (not 12-point) socket: you want to be certain that there is no possibility of the socket rounding the nut.

IMHO the problem with impact wrenches is that I have very little feel or control over the socket to nut interface. With an impact wrench, I've had nuts and bolt heads round in a heartbeat just because I didn't have the socket squarely seated on the bolt head. A breaker bar, IMHO, gives me greater control.

Oops -- I just remembered: the 100/200 cars have axle bolts -- not nuts. I'm sure that the same principles apply. Double check my 207 lb-ft torque spec on the axle nut -- that's for the 5000s. I don't know what the axle bolt torque spec is for the 100/200 cars.

One last item that you'll need: a thread sealant such as Loctite blue. The Bentley manual wants you to apply a little ring to the outside axle splines just before you replace it in the hub.

The first time that I did a CV joint boot replacement, it took me close to 12 hours: I really had to struggle to remove the outside CV joint from the axle. These days, if the CV joint doesn't want to come off, I don't fight with it, but rather keep it on, thoroughly wash it with (mineral spirits) solvent, and replace the outside boot by pulling the new boot on from the inside axle end as I described earlier, packing the joint with CV joint grease before finally pulling the new boot on over it.[/QUOTE]

I agree with your method of doing the outer boots this way, I have done that many times myself...However, in 20+ years of servicing Audi and Vw, I have NEVER applied threadlock to the cv splines, only to the axle bolts themsleves..I really don't see the point in that, it just makes it harder to get the cv out of the housing next time...Also, the breaker bar method works just fine, however there is no problem using an impact if you have have one that up to the task (and an air compressor to run it)..If you have the socket on correctly then the nut won't round--you can round the nut with a breaker bar as well if the socket slips..But I digress, I use both methods..


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