Lower ball joint boot ring

[DEF4Runner]

I got the replacement boot on, but I'm having a hell of a time getting that metal ring to spread/slide back into place. Any pro tips out there to get this done without tearing the boot again?

Thanks

 

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There you go:

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[DEF4Runner]

There you go:

Thanks! Having it off the vehicle makes it a horse of a different color...there's more control and flexibility to see all the angles at once, but that's similar to how I eventually got it done.

Trying to expand it from the two edges forces the inner ring to contract, making it impossible to get it in place. I wound up using two small 4 inch flat head screwdrivers on opposite sides to expand the entire ring to the point where I could get one edge to seat, then slowly walked/turned it back into place, very similar to what that guy is doing in the video. Just have to make sure the ring isn't trying to slide off again on the other side of your line of sight. That's where having it off the vehicle would be an advantage. It's definitely a slow and stready process.

Thanks again for the reply!

Dave