Newbie CV Boot Question

[whitemule]

Hello,
I have a newbie question about a cv boot on my 99 100 series. I just had the cv axles replaced after tearing the old one post-lift. I noticed that the drivers side inner boot seems overly compressed and am worried its going to put added stress to an already angled boot. Would you guys mind checking out the pic attached and see what you think?

I'm worried that the clamp is going to dig into the boot. Seems like it should be clamped just a bit further down the axle. The passenger side looks like this:

Thanks in advance for any advice you all can give. I'm on the road headed to Colorado and am a trying to avoid any more surprises.

 

[spressomon]

Looks like aftermarket CV. Best advice: Stick with OEM CVs.

 

[whitemule]

Thanks Spessoman. I would have gone OEM but am in Taos and didn't want to drive it to Santa Fe with the noise the cv was making. I took what I could get locally. Wondering if I should re-clamp it or just hit the road. This is probably an easy one for a lot of you guys but I'm only five weeks into my LC journey. Cheers.

 

[sonofshin]

Diff drop with the lift?

 

[whitemule]

Yes, Slee diff drop added with lift. I was surprised at how much angle there still is with the dif drop. This is with the Ironman 2.5" constant load lift but without all the weight that'll eventually be added. Feel like maybe I should back off the torsion bars a bit until then.

 

[spressomon]

You may discover, as I have, lower suspension height pays dividends on the 100 platform as it relates to driveline wear...especially CVs! Of course with a lower suspension I use my bumpers and belly pans more on some trails...trade-offs

Related: 4Runners and FJ Cruisers come stock with negative CV angles. After a 2-3" lift the CV angles are still nearly horizontal. Whereas the 100 in stock height form already has CVs at a positive angle. It only gets worse as we raise the suspension which is why CVs and CV boots are such popular thread topics here.

But you will find, as some of us discovered, OEM cv assemblies, boot kits included, are the best overall choice for performance, durability and value for the 100 platform. No other CV product on the market today, that I am aware of, even comes close...

If you want to shore up your CVs for your trip/long haul I recommend, since you are close in proximity, take the rig in to American Toyota in ABQ...ask for Dan Busey in the parts department and he'll make sure the CV swap to OEM units gets done without drama. Then you'll have peace of mind for the remainder of your trip...

Lastly, many many threads here on same, for better CV performance/longevity keep your resting front suspension height to 20.5" or less (measured from the center of the hub straight up to the lower lip of the fender when the rig is on flat level ground). This is one of the reasons a 1" body lift on a 100 works so well...

 

[whitemule]

I really appreciate all that info, especially since it's already been covered here before. My bad for not doing more research on the lift issues. The diff drop solution had me thinking I'd be ok but I'm a good two inches above the 20.5" recommendation you mentioned. Thanks also for the Abq Toyota tip. Due to family scheduling obligations I'm heading north today so I'm going to keep a close eye on it and I suppose there's always the Toyota service in Durango if I need it.

 

[whitemule]

Ok, Spressoman, the trucks in for OEM cv axles at American. Dan's out of town but they're giving me the Mud discount on em anyway. The aftermarket's tore on the first day out and the drivers side was clicking and grinding on turns by the time I pulled into Alburquerque. Made for an interesting drive from Farmington. That's some uninviting highway to break down on. I plan to correct the cv angle pronto. Thanks again for the heads up on American Toyota!