A noticeable sign of a broken CV boot is the knocking or popping sound when your car turns. Instead of completely replacing the old shaft, you can do the CV boot replacement without removing the axle.
In case you do not know how to conduct it, this article will come in handy. Let’s take a look now!
How To Conduct CV Boot Replacement Without Removing Axle
Before going into details of the repair process, it would be best if you take some time to learn about its function and shelf life. We will briefly summarize it in the next section.
What Is CV Boot?
CV boot, known as an indispensable part of systems with independent suspension, is attached to the CV joint and the axle shaft. In other words, a CV boot is a rubber boot that wraps around the joints to prevent them from grease, water, or any other dirt.
No matter how careful you are, CV joints can still puncture over time, and CV boot will be the first affected part as it is the outermost layer.
The cost of replacing the entire CV joint with a good axle can go up to $250-300. It even increases to 500-650 dollars if you need the help of a technician.
Checking your CV boots regularly (every 100,000 miles) can help you discover this problem early. As a result, you can install a new CV boot without removing the axle with a replacement kit for $15-30.
So what is the repair process? Let’s scroll down to find out step-by-step instructions.
Four Steps To Conduct The Repair Process
Step 1: Remove The Wheel
Before doing so, it is compulsory to put on safety glasses and gloves. You should place some cardboard or old towels under the car to avoid spreading the grease.
Ensure your vehicle does not roll backward by using some hard objects, preferably the chocks, to stop the rear wheel. You can loosen the axle nuts and the lug nuts.
For the latter, we highly recommend spinning it only a quarter of a turn. Doing it before lifting the car will help to reduce the drag.
We suggest finding jacking points on the body frame and placing the portable hydraulic jacks at these points to lift the car. Ideally, two stands are right where it needs to be removed and the opposite side.
Finally, it is easy to remove all the nuts and wheels.
Step 2: Remove Broken CV Boot
One piece of advice for you before starting is to keep the parts in groups in detachable order to avoid confusion, especially screws.
Many connections need to be removed in this step. Therefore, you should carefully follow the procedure below.
Firstly, find a threaded stud below the steering rod and use the needle-nose pliers to bend the pins. After they have slipped out, switch to the socket wrench to loosen the castle nut. The following action is to hit the threaded end with a plastic or wooden hammer until it is completely detached.
Secondly, we move on to the next stage: disconnecting the stabilizer bar linkage. Simply disassemble the standard bolts from both ends.
Next, you need to remove the lower arm bolt. Loosen a long, horizontal pin that runs across the small circular groove on the ball joint. Then you can use any hammer to tap on the lower control arm until the pin is released from the steering knuckle.
As soon as the pin falls off, the entire steering knuckle can move freely. Gently pull it out until there is enough space for you to remove the axle from the splined hole.
By now, it is empty to see the old boot. However, you still need to remove the old tape with a screwdriver or pliers in advance.
Finally, you can cut the old boot off with a razor blade or wire cutters.
Step 3: Clean The Axle And Joints
For debris outside the boot, use an old towel to wipe them off. However, the old grease is a little harder to deal with.
What you need is a cleaning solvent that contains acetone. You had better spray it to remove any residue completely.
Step 4: Set up New CV Boot Parts
The first thing to do is to prepare for a new boot. We suggest flipping it inside out and covering the wide end of a plastic funnel with grease covering over the axle CV joint.
Be careful that your hands are not clamped. You can cut off the top of the funnel a little if the ends do not match, and do not forget to remove the sharp edges for a smooth push-in.
Slide the CV boot upwards to the end of the hopper. It would be good to adjust the direction by grabbing the end of the boot and pulling back towards you. Once correctly positioned, apply grease on the bearing and also the boot section nearby.
Next, you should come up with two new bands, including both outside and inside. Pull them tight one by one. For the excess bandings, you can pull them in the opposite direction to create a bend. It is allowed to use the pliers to cut them off.
Now, we move to the stage: Cut the excess boot. This is an easy task. Do the same way as these pictures below.
You must re-install the separated parts in reverse order from step 2. Please pay attention to tighten all the nuts according to their specifications. Double-check to see if there are any remaining parts.
If not, re-insert the wheels and lower the car. Finally, you have completed the process.
However, it would be best to re-check your CV boot after 1-2 days of the trial run. You have to ensure that there are no clearances between the connections.
Conclusion
This article has just shown you a detailed guide to CV boot replacement without removing axles. We hope that the above method will save you time and money.
Lastly, remember to check the CV boot before starting, as you might have a full replacement for your safety if the axle is worn out!
