CV Joints - Replace Boots are Let Them Go (1 Viewer)

[Kigiin]

CV Joints - Replace Boots or Let Them Go

I thought I would ask for the board's thoughts on this.

Noticed, after 125k miles the CV boots were leaking significantly.

I had the dealer look at it while there asking about just replacing the boots and re-greasing. They didn't want to do that and quoted me around $1K to replace the joints.

I took it to my trusty independent (Yuri), and he quoted me around $120 to replace the boots, but suggested the external grease looked very old and crusty. So he suggested we clean the joints of grease and watch their leak rate. Regardless, he suggested letting them go until I heard a grinding and then he could replace them for $700.

That was two months ago, and there has been zero leakage of grease. I have no symptoms, other the the previously cleaned up grease, so am thinking Yuri was right.

Thoughts?

 

[100 TD]

Reboot now for $120 or leave and spend $375 per axle each side plus labor, start thinking $1000+, I know what I'd be doing...............

 

[Tinkerer]

Running CV joints with depleted grease and opened/split boots? Or were they regreased/booted?

If running them depleted/open, wow. Who is your mechanic, again?

If running rebooted, the only reason not to keep on like that is if you don't want to have them fail at an inconvenient time/place.

 

[2000UZJ]

If they are not clicking or binding, I would regrease them and re clamp, it would be cheaper and a possible short term fix. I have done it with hose clamps and 30K later no problems. They were leaking quite bad before and was quoted and told I needed to replace them immediately.


Do what you can at home, if all else fails replace them or take necessary actions.

 

[boombapslappy]

That was two months ago, and there has been zero leakage of grease.

There's your answer.

 

[Kigiin]

The boots are not split or open.

Probably best to re-boot but with zero leakage, even at just $100, I don't see the need to spend the money.

 

[100 TD]

Noticed, after 125k miles the CV boots were leaking significantly.

....... even at just $100, I don't see the need to spend the money.

Surely you are having a lend of yourself?
Each to their own though.....................

 

[Trunk Monkey]

If your guy will reboot and do a good job of it for $120 I would jump at that.

 

[Maniac]

My 2000 has 170,000 miles. Sometime since the last oil change the boots split and joints were dry, grease was all over the wheel well, starting to make slight clicking noise as well on one sid. My mechanic replaced both sides (axle shaft assembly) for a total of $728.

Vibration in the steering wheel that I had attributed to tires that are >50% worn is now gone.

 

[LSUfj]

My mechanic replaced both sides (axle shaft assembly) for a total of $728.

Vibration in the steering wheel that I had attributed to tires that are >50% worn is now gone.

Was that price for toyota parts? A few guys have used the Napa axle shafts which are less than half of the toyota part cost.

 

[Kigiin]

Surely you are having a lend of yourself?
Each to their own though.....................

Your right, but I am trying to spend less money these day

 

[sleeoffroad]

The catch is that the labor to reboot them is actually more than the labor to replace them. You have to R&R in both cases, but when you reboot you have to take the joint apart, clean it, repack and then reboot. This adds time, so if you are paying a shop, a lot of times this does not make sense, depending on the age of the axles.

So it is close to a wash to replace them with re-manufactured units, and a little more to replace them with oe units.

If you are doing the work yourself, and time is not $'s, then rebooting works.

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Slap new ones in, have your buddy re-boot the olds ones while they are still good and then you have two like-new trail spares and/or replacements for next time.

 

[scottm]

I'm at 100k, time to look at the boot that leaked briefly, and the others. I've cleaned and reassembled CV joints before, how are guys getting grease out of and into the outer joint without dissassembly? Soak and shake? Maybe I should just pump some fresh moly grease in all the joints, wipe up what comes out, and forget it. I know bearings can be overfilled, haven't looked into whether CV joints can be overfilled, doesn't seem likely as there isn't that much fast motion inside them.

 

[Maniac]

Was that price for toyota parts? A few guys have used the Napa axle shafts which are less than half of the toyota part cost.

That was the price for parts and labor; not sure of the parts source but doubt it was toyota. The shop said it was only a few more dollars to go with the full assembly replacement vs. rebooting and regreasing the originals. Since the assembly was dry and could be worn out, I went the replacement option.

 

[Kigiin]

The catch is that the labor to reboot them is actually more than the labor to replace them. You have to R&R in both cases, but when you reboot you have to take the joint apart, clean it, repack and then reboot. This adds time, so if you are paying a shop, a lot of times this does not make sense, depending on the age of the axles.

So it is close to a wash to replace them with re-manufactured units, and a little more to replace them with oe units.

If you are doing the work yourself, and time is not $'s, then rebooting works.

I bet my mechanic wasn't thinking of labor you describe. Certainly not taking the joint apart.

Further, I might be wrong, but to those who have re-booted, did you take the joint apart and clean it?

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Yes, that's the point of rebooting. The grease that's in there has been contaminated, either by water or dirt. It's 10 minutes and $10 more in the process.

 

[100 TD]

GSP North America CV's GSP North American were supplying Australia for the LC100, however do not anymore, IIRC their replacement shaft had a tripod inner joint, not the 6 ball type, and their Australian rep said they had stopped selling the joint in AUS as they were having too many problems with it.
Other shafts that I have rung up about also have the tripod joint and they won't warrant them for off highway work, that means they are crap. Not sure what you guys get but OEM are possibly the best, maybe Christo Slee can throw some more light on the quality of the shafts over there?

 

[rusty_tlc]

.... I know bearings can be overfilled, haven't looked into whether CV joints can be overfilled, doesn't seem likely as there isn't that much fast motion inside them.

Don't the CV joints turn as fast as the wheel.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I bet my mechanic wasn't thinking of labor you describe. Certainly not taking the joint apart.

Further, I might be wrong, but to those who have re-booted, did you take the joint apart and clean it?

You have to remove the axle to re-boot, no point not cleaning the old grease out. Besides by that point removing and replacing the old grease is a trivial part of the job.

The catch here is the "While your in there" syndrome. As long as you have the axle out you might as well replace the wheel bearings, etc......


I think some people have tried to repacked the CV joints on the truck and re-clamped the old boots. That would be a method of last resort for me.