CV boot leaking

[Drew99GT]

My inner boot (for the passenger side axle going out of the transaxle) keeps throwing grease everywhere. I've had it to two independent Toyota repair places AFTER I tried tightening the clamp. Apparently, the clamp only has a fixed amount of tension you can put on it. This is a 94 Corolla. Both places said the clamp and boot are in perfect condition, and so is the plastic cover thingy that covers the CV joint that the boot attaches to. They both said it is normal for Corollas to leak CV grease. The last place I took it to wiped up all the grease and said not to worry about it. I checked it again today, and there is still grease coming out of it

They said that for them to take everything aparts and check it out, would be a couple hundred bucks becuaes you have to completely remove the axle to even look inside the boot to gauge how much grease is left. Anyone have any experience with this conditon? I don't want to burn out the CV joint but I don't want to pay $500 bucks to find out it is indeed perfectly OK.

 

[Bob Woods]

Thats the problem with CV joints, if you throw all the grease out water and dirt gets in and ruins the joint. The only way to service them is to remove the half shaft, disassemble the joints, clean and relub and replace the boot. Those cheapo boots they sell that can be put on without taking the thing apart are a waste of money. If you do the work youself you can have a rebuilder do both half shafts for less than 200.

 

[got boost?]

a cv joint will go for a long while even without a boot. if the boot is okay, and everything is tight you're fine. I can buy new axle/joint assemblies for my accord for ~$100 each.

 

[Drew99GT]

quote:

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Originally posted by got boost?:
a cv joint will go for a long while even without a boot. if the boot is okay, and everything is tight you're fine. I can buy new axle/joint assemblies for my accord for ~$100 each.

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Even without grease?

 

[pacem]

I would think it is easier and cheaper to replace the whole axle rather than messing with CV boots.

 

[porterdog]

All these guys are right, IMO, but a trick I've used before to save money is to get a tube (like a toothpaste tube) of CV joint grease and a length of plastic tubing that you can thread onto the grease tube. Pull off the inner clamp (small end) and snake the tube into the boot cavity. Squeeze. Use a wire tie in the last corrugation in the boot as a new clamp.

If you're leaking out of the big end, dunno what to tell you- I have seen those crimp-on clamps that have multiple pre-clamped tightness adjustments. Perhaps on install, yours wasn't set as tight as it could go still leaving some slack once crimped?

Robert

 

[labman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Bob Woods:
snip.... Those cheapo boots they sell that can be put on without taking the thing apart are a waste of money. snip....

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I put one on my daughter's Beretta in the late 90's, and it was still working fine as long as she had it, 100K and 4 years. For anybody that needs to change one, it is certainly is worth trying. Follow directions, and you may avoid a major project.

 

[Ken4]

quote:

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Originally posted by Drew99GT:
My inner boot (for the passenger side axle going out of the transaxle) keeps throwing grease everywhere.

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It is quite unusual for the inner boot to go first, usually the outer boots are the first to go. But in any case, I would recommend that all the boots be replaced on both sides, the lifespan of these boot covers are usually around 2 years. A toyota dealer is not the place to go to for these repairs, they are $$$. You need to find a shop specialising in driveshaft repairs. They will be much cheaper. Usually they will replace it on an exchange basis. i.e. they will take yours, and give you someone elses reconditioned shafts. Or if you are willing to wait, they will recondition your own shafts. Over here where I live, it's pretty cheap. I remove my own driveshafts, bring it to the shop and it costs me only S$120 (US$70) per driveshaft for new boots, new straps and new CV joint. The amazing thing is that they can recondition both shafts in 1 hour flat!