CV joint boot fix

[juma33]

I looked under my '97 recently while doing a brake job and noticed the CV joint boots were totally broken in half. Still had grease up in there and I had no noise so I went out looking for fix's.

Normally, you have to take the whole think apart, axles out and everything, to put on new boots - probably $500 to have it done. Its not a shade tree job.

Instead I found this product by motormite - speedi-boot. They didn't have a number for the '97 but I looked over the rack and found a close fit - #03608. This boot is split down the side so you can replace the old after you just cut it off. no further disassembly needed. the new boot has screws that hold it together on the side. The directions are so-so crap but you can figure it out. Here is what I would do knowing what I know now:

use some silicone to lube the screws for the sides and pre-punch the holes that are not fully drilled through. using grease per the directions is a mess.

don't bother using brake cleaner to flush out the bearings - too hard to pack them right. just scoop out as much old grease as you can and pack in the new.

Instead of the banding system for the ends they provide, I'd just get some big stainless steel radiator type worm clamps at home depot. the inside probably need 1" clamps and the outside 4" or 5" - that will be a lot easier to put on.

a dremel with a cut off wheel was very handy taking the old off and trimming the bands for the new.

If your old bearings and stuff are really dry, its probably not worth trying to save it with speedi-boot.

Everybody go out and spray silicone on your boots both inner and outer right now. do that every 6 months and maybe they will last longer than mine.

juma