CV Boot Replacement - '95 Rodeo

[MrMGA]

The outer CV boots on each side are cracked open and leaking. The dealer wants $930 to replace them. A local repair shop quoted me $500. Is this a repair that is worth paying extra to have the dealer do, or can a good local mechanic do it just as well?

Any other advice you have regarding replacing the CV boots will be appreciated.

[tmclaren]

i dont know how mechanicly inclined you are but there are universal cv boots called speedi boot made for replacement without the severe cost ...i never put one on a truck so i dont know how well it would work .but i did use one on my escort in 97 it worked well ...its time consuming took me a lil over 50 min to do but i saved in the long run ..not too complicated .jack up the vehicle cut the old boot off clean the cv joint (the speedi boot is split so it slides on) then pack it with bearing grease and tighten the little nuts and bolts it comes with then put on the new cv clamps ,i hope this helps .they run anywhere from 26.to 55. each,they should be available at any auto parts shop ..kragen, auto zone, ect, ect

[tmclaren]

oh they arent universal just made for certain applications ..my bad ,you may get lucky.hope this helps

[MrMGA]

Originally Posted by tmclaren

i dont know how mechanicly inclined you are but there are universal cv boots called speedi boot made for replacement without the severe cost

I read about these when I searched previous posts on the forum. They are referred to as "split boots." It's a great idea, but the feedback has been almost entirely negative. In any case, putting these on would be beyond my mechanical abilities.

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by MrMGA

The outer CV boots on each side are cracked open and leaking. The dealer wants $930 to replace them. A local repair shop quoted me $500. Is this a repair that is worth paying extra to have the dealer do, or can a good local mechanic do it just as well?

Any other advice you have regarding replacing the CV boots will be appreciated.

Does the $500 include new half shafts with CV's, or are they planning on just rebooting your exising joints? Sounds like just a reboot quote to me, but ya never know. As far as I know, shafts/joints & boots alone would be around $500 for parts. If you catch a cracked boot early, you can get away with just cleaning the CV joint really good & replacing the boot. I'd go with the independant shop if they are experienced with doing this kind of work on an independant front suspention 4x4. It's a time consuming, messy, knuckle-buster job even for an experienced wrencher.
G/luck
Joel

[MrMGA]

Originally Posted by rodeo02

Does the $500 include new half shafts with CV's, or are they planning on just rebooting your exising joints? Sounds like just a reboot quote to me, but ya never know.

The $500 at the independent shop is for boots & cleaning only.

In my search of other posts, I saw some claiming that it costs almost the same to replace both halfshafts. Do you know anything about this?

[rodeo02]

Originally Posted by MrMGA

The $500 at the independent shop is for boots & cleaning only.

In my search of other posts, I saw some claiming that it costs almost the same to replace both halfshafts. Do you know anything about this?

I think that $500 figure was for a "do it yourself" / parts only quote. New/reman half shafts are pretty pricey for 'zu's. I'd have no problems keeping your originals if they are still quiet & tight.
G/luck
Joel

[USMC1342]

I used the split boot from Advance Auto-the cheapest one they sold was under $10 per boot. They are a godsend if you're short on time and resources (ie tools and money). It took me longer to snip the bands on the old broken boots than it did to slide the new one on and cinch the bands down. There's no removing anything if you don't mind a little bit of tight space to work in. It took about an hour and a half to do them both from the time I put it up on the jack to the time I cleaned up the mess.

The split has a small lip-probably about 1/2 an inch-that one side sits on, and there are loops at every peak and valley of the boot. A small plastic tab fits through the loop, and a small ring slides over the tab and snaps into place. Snip off the excess tab after the ring and you're good to go. While it's up on a jack, the boots looks like it isn't going to work because the loop and tab on the fat end appear to rub on the lower A arm. When you drop it down and drive it, this doesn't seem to be the case. Mine are in great shape after about 3K miles. I check them periodically to make sure.

I DID get lucky on one thing though-I checked the CV's and there was NO dirt or grit in the grease. The truck has close to 130K miles on it and I only noticed the broken boots at close to 126K....who knows how long they were broken but I had recently taken a good 2K road trip prior to that.....hope this helps!!

[megavolt121]

I just got both of my CV boots replaced, along with an alignment @ Sears for $360 or so. That includes taking apart my hubs too.

[MrMGA]

Originally Posted by megavolt121

I just got both of my CV boots replaced, along with an alignment @ Sears for $360 or so. That includes taking apart my hubs too.

Is an alignment necessary whenever the CV boots are replaced?

[Cat Fuzz]

Originally Posted by MrMGA

Is an alignment necessary whenever the CV boots are replaced?

If you do it right and remove the axles to clean and regrease them, then yes. Its takes quite a bit of banging on the steering knuckles to pop the ball joints out and that can affect alignment. If you do split boots, then no.