Hello, my brother and I just added a 3" lift to my 98 4runner. After I took it out the first time after the lift, I checked it over to make sure everything was where it should be, nothing loose, etc.

I found white/yellow grease spattered from the inner side of the right CV joint boot. The boot itself appears to be undamaged.

With some research I found this is a common problem. Lift the 4runner, your CV boot leaks and then spatters.

So I ordered some Dorman CV Boot Grease.

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-614-06.../dp/B00IWS01Z6

Much to my surprise, it's black.

My brother said he thought he heard it's white grease on inner CV, black grease on outer CV.

Some quick research showed that there can indeed be different grease for inner vs outer.

When I slid the boot down, there appears to be quite a bit of grease in there still. Clearly some spattered out, but there seems to be quite a bit left.

All that said, think I should:

a) Mix the Dorman CV grease with what's in there to "top it up"
b) Find some "inner CV joint" grease
c) Leave it alone
d) Something else entirely

And in all cases, replace the clamp with something more sturdy (I already have).

Advice is much appreciated!

Thanks.


p.s. I don't know the history of the vehicle. I'm the 4th owner, and have had it for a few months. Based on what we've found so far with the vehicle, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the original CV everything (boot/grease/joint).

I would fill it with molly slip and then forget it.

The OEM uses a different grease for the inner joints (needle bearings) vs the outer Rzeppa joint. The inner uses a more oil-like grease whereas the outer is a moly based one for sliding forces.

That being said, all aftermarket re-boot kits give you a generic moly based grease and it works fine. Those kits never give you enough grease however, so make sure you buy more. I don't think I've ever heard of a lubrication failure on CV joints, provided that the boot is intact and the grease is clean. If you are putting new grease in there, I would clean out the old stuff first.

The inner and outer joints definitely have two different greases. The part number for the inner joint grease is #90999-94037, but I don't think you can find it other than as part of a complete reboot kit.

I just re-greased my CVs and I used a genuine Toyota boot kit which came with two different tubes of grease, both different colors/types. You can get the oem kits from parts geek.com. As far as the boot leaking, it could be due to not crimping the band clamp tight enough. If you tried to use a pair of dykes and not the special crimping pliers(they look like flat faced nippers), chances are that’s the case. Another tip is to make sure that the inner lip of the boot and the mating surface are free of any grease. Wipe them down with a shop towel and some brake cleen.

Thanks guys, you are great!!

The general consensus is do not mix the grease, which means I should either leave it alone (there's still a lot in the boot) or clean it out and put in new grease. Cleaning it out could be interesting with the boot still attached!

I greatly appreciate the input. Thanks!!

CORNHEAD GREASE | Hoober

I repacked both of my CV inner boots with a full tube of this in each. It's made to solidify when stationary and lubricate when stuff is moving. Its 0 grade which is impossible to find at most parts stores. I didn't mix the two together. Just cleaned everything out real good put a new boot on and put the tube in my grease gun and filled it up. You can also do the boot stretch mod so the inner ribs don't rub against each other and cause premature wear.

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