Inner CV boot ripped

[shadow247]

throw in an OEM set. You don't have to drain fluid: jack up the car, loosen the boot clamps on inner boot. remove the upper ball joint and place something to catch grease from the boot and just pull the CV with the inner tulip joint and shaft: the CV housing stays in the diff. Using a circlip plier pull the tripod joint and remove the boot. Install the new smaller clamp and then the boot, add grease, place the circlip and put all back in together.

I had never thought of doing it that way, but after pulling the boot off on my Avalon a few months ago on accident, it was pretty easy to just push the boot back on and reclamp it without removing the whole cv. May have to try this if I get in a bind and need to do just an inner boot.

 

[at84lp]

Hi. I’m new here. Because of the 15-post requirement, I am asking the following question at various threads dealing with cv boot problems. I am not a mechanic. I only do easy stuff, like brake replacements and oil changes.

I have owned since late 2016 a factory-standard ’07 SR5 with no lifts. I have a chronic cv boot issue, and am on my third set of the higher quality NAPA axles, The boots keep breaking. I see from multiple threads where breaking boots are very common, but I haven’t found the answer to my particular question. It seems most of the issues are either because of lifts or hard off-road driving. I have and do neither.

I vaguely recall when I first started searching this forum at the start of this issue that someone suggested that the NAPA boots might not be manufactured to the same specs as OEM. Even though I have learned that replacing the whole axle takes as much time as just the boots, why keep going through that if the problem can be solved by getting different boots? That’s too much of a hassle. Sure, I can get the axles replaced, but I have to pay for labor every time the boots break. Also, because I purchased the NAPA axles personally, I’d have to each time return them myself to get the replacement credit.

So, is there a better, more reliable boot?

When I lifted my 3rd gen, I proactively rebooted my gem axles with OEM Toyota reboot kit since everyone starts tearing after a lift. its been 4k miles so far with no issues. I believe Toyota rubber is just better quality.

 

[nissanh]

I have done this on my Land cruiser 100 at one point, then on the 4Runner both sides. I realized how quick, less mess and less work to just replace the boots. Do you not need to buy new oil seals and oil for the diff as well. You also does not disturb the oil seal at the spindle. When I did the front suspension on my 4r, I did reboot both inner and outer on driver side but only reboot the inner on passenger side following the same simple procedure, never touched had to pull the entire CV out of the car.

Aftermarket CV's are JUNK! don't waste your money. They cause vibrations: splines and the ball bearings wear out causing a play at the spider gears and inside the tulip in less than 10000 miles (happened to LC) , so save your OEM CV, that lasts easy 500K miles if driven with grease in the CV (undamaged boots)

 

[brillo_76]

Sadly, Lots some of the CV OEM boots are on back order at the moment. I run into this on my brothers 03 Tacoma, So I was force for the time being to use an after market one. I used NAPA and I will see how that inner boot holds up.

In any case, I know you werent trying to spam but the mods and lots of users don't care for it. So I was just trying to introduce you to the forum rules and that one is a no no.. You know and I didnt want you to get banned.

As for any Toyota no matter make and model. The Toyota OEM cv axles are the best quality out there. They are designed to last the life of the vehicle. ( with the exception of heavy off roading) So its always best, Unless the CV joints are completely destroyed or full of rust from a boot that wasn't fixed timely. You always want to just reboot them with the OEM boots kits.

You can if just the inner boot rip mark the position on both sides and change the boot without pulling that out of the front differential.

However, its always recommended to just change Both boots and re-grease the joints while you are changing one. While that is what the Toyota Master Technicians suggest you do.

 

[phattyduck]

This makes me curious: why does it seem most people then say when a boot is defective one might as well replace the whole axle because the labor ends up being the same and the axle assembly doesn't cost that much? The mechanic I plan to use (who has a great reputation) says the same thing.

Most cars out there aren't Toyotas, and even fewer are 3rd gen 4Runners... *Most* of the time, it is better to replace the whole axle - not so on the 4Runner or many other older Toyotas. If you still have OEM axles on your 4Runner, keep them!

-Charlie

 

[Yes and]

Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated! I needed to get some kind of direction since I had a window of opportunity to get my runner to a mechanic. It's our only vehicle but due to my son's broken leg I can use his while ours is in the shop!

And yes, I know I really should be in the 4th Gen forum, but I imagine the difference between these two generations for something like this is minimal, and the original thread seemed to go where I was most needing to look for answers.

I dropped the vehicle off last night so we'll see what the mechanic says. I'm sort of stuck on this one, since the original axles are long gone. Here's what I told the mechanic: "Interior CV boots are again broken. I have used Napa axles and bought them myself. Each time they failed I had to bring back to Napa for warranty replacement. I don't trust the boots and would prefer just to replace the boots with OEM if there's no obvious damage to the axles. If you suggest new axle assembly then do the entire assembly with OEM and return the old axles to me so I can try to get a refund."

I don't know if that's realistic though. Can you get OEM axles? If so, would they be from a salvage yard—and how does one know for sure they're OEM? I did check with our local Toyota parts store. They can get OEM boots at least.

Also, I am going to pass on your suggestion, [MENTION=85046]nissanh[/MENTION]