Stumped: Toyota CV boot clamp

[TwoC400s]

Bottom line: I received a Toyota branded CV boot kit today and it had a style of CV boot clamp I had never seen, and can't find anything about it on the internet.

Back story: While doing the front breaks on my daughter's 2008 Prius last week, I noticed the passenger side boot had split. So I googled around, found a couple of decent tutorials (Shout out to Car Care Nut on YT), and figured I'd jump in.

I was expecting one set of Oetiker style cv clamps (usually outer boot) and one set of of foldover band clamps for the inner.

What I got was a set of foldover clamps (expected) and another *different* style of clamp that looks like a foldover clamp (it has a tail and the two side tabs to tap down, but it also has a locking mechanism... I can't find anything like it on the google machine.

Is there a tool for these so I don't screw it up?

 

[JohnnyG]

They look identical to me. Both seem to have the locking mechanism you mention.

 

[TwoC400s]

They look identical to me. Both seem to have the locking mechanism you mention.

Yes, this is one set for one end. The other end has the normal Toyota fold over style.

 

[JohnnyG]

Yes, this is one set for one end. The other end has the normal Toyota fold over style.

I suppose I missed something in your original post. Never having owned a FWD Toyota, I can't help much. Are you afraid that they won't lock when you fold them over?

 

[TwoC400s]

I suppose I missed something in your original post. Never having owned a FWD Toyota, I can't help much. Are you afraid that they won't lock when you fold them over?

Yeah, I'm just worried when I fold them over there's some secret handshake (so to speak) to get them to lock in before I fold the tabs over

 

[benjamming]

There's a number on the old clamp signifying the length. Have you matched that number with one of the new clamps in the kit? And then that style on the new one doesn't match the old style? There will be more clamps than you need in the kit to fit other applications.

 

[TwoC400s]

There's a number on the old clamp signifying the length. Have you matched that number with one of the new clamps in the kit? And then that style on the new one doesn't match the old style? There will be more clamps than you need in the kit to fit other applications.

I was planning on removing the axle tomorrow. I haven't gotten under the car to see what each band length is. It came with a few extra smaller clamps, but only two of the larger clamps, so I will have to use the larger clamp in the picture at a minumum. I'm assuming it's the inner clamp, but will confirm before I cut the old one.

My main question is how this hybrid (for lack of a better word) clamping mechanism works. I've used Oetiker style clamps many times, and I've seen tension / fold over clamps before as well, but I've never seen a foldover clamp with a retention mechanism like this.

 

[The_Eric]

I don't understand.. you can't just fold the long tab over center and then fold the shirt little tabs to retain it? Folding it over center should make it so that there is little to no for e required to retain it with the short tabs.

 

[TwoC400s]

I don't understand.. you can't just fold the long tab over center and then fold the shirt little tabs to retain it? Folding it over center should make it so that there is little to no for e required to retain it with the short tabs.

Initially that's what I thought as well, but the more I look at it the more confused I get. It has *two* sets of tabs, the tall ones like you would normally just fold over and tap down with a hammer, and a second smaller set that almost looks like guides. And the tail has some kind of hump that looks like it should lock into the smaller hump that's just past the tall tabs.

Just doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before.

 

[The_Eric]

Can you get a pic of the clamp in question?

 

[TwoC400s]

Can you get a pic of the clamp in question?

it's two clamps up above, here's a close up of the locking mechanism.

I'm assuming I fold the blue side back towards red, and the small hump past the tall tabs (red side) locks into place in the cutout of the blue "tail".

 

[nobb]

I've done Toyota CV boots before and I always thought that style needed a special tool. IMO it's easier to just buy standard CV clamps and squeeze them the normal way instead.

 

[The_Eric]

Ohhh... I think I've come across one of these before? If the large clamp is the same as the small clamp in the photo, then IIRC the blue side folds down then you pull it tight using the bumps. They're square edged on the opposing side, correct? I don't think that the notch in the back side of the blue tab is made to fit over the bum on the red side.. I think it's just part of the manufacturing process to get that "tooth" to pull with? To me it looks too far away to be feasible?

 

[TwoC400s]

OK, hear me out.
This is my working theory:
The yellow line is the fulcrum point that cams the tail over, the blue line is the side of the notch that interfaces and locks over and onto the red line (they're both straight cut faces where the lines are drawn).

But somehow I've got to get the end of the tail (purple line) under the two smaller tab guides (green line).

I guess I should measure and see if that's even possible.

 

[TwoC400s]

Ohhh... I think I've come across one of these before? If the large clamp is the same as the small clamp in the photo, then IIRC the blue side folds down then you pull it tight using the bumps. They're square edged on the opposing side, correct? I don't think that the notch in the back side of the blue tab is made to fit over the bum on the red side.. I think it's just part of the manufacturing process to get that "tooth" to pull with? To me it looks too far away to be feasible?

So you think the bumps are just to give you a place to set your pliers to pull it tight?

[rant]Why do auto manufacturers have to come up with new confusing ways to things we've been doing for decades???

I have never seen a properly squished Oetiker clamp fail, they're nearly fool-proof. Why deviate?[/rant]

 

[D60]

I have never seen a properly squished Oetiker clamp fail, they're nearly fool-proof. Why deviate?[/rant]

I tried vids for you last night. To no avail. One vid insisted the Toyota specialty tool is an absolute must. It's just the mini-vise tool for crushing Oetiker-esque clamps but it REALLY REALLY REEEAAALLLY crushes them (giving you the really tall, awkward looking crimps you sometimes see).

But I agree -‐ I've never seen a basic Oetiker have a problem. If anything, I feel it's often possible to overtighten -- esp with band clamps that you wind and then fold over. The clamps are so thin they'll tourniquet (can that be a verb??) the rubber and look like they wanna cut right through

Anyway, I had the same thought on your colors. I think the two smaller tabs live in the cavity and just help keep it in place until you fold the ears down. Maybe.

 

[D60]

Honestly I'd order an assortment of generic clamps on Amazon and scrap these next time.

 

[The_Eric]

So you think the bumps are just to give you a place to set your pliers to pull it tight?

[rant]Why do auto manufacturers have to come up with new confusing ways to things we've been doing for decades???

I have never seen a properly squished Oetiker clamp fail, they're nearly fool-proof. Why deviate?[/rant]

Maybe? Do the open sides of the bumps oppose each other? It seems like if they did, then it wouldn't be practical to use them to lock the clamp at a certain tension as one would act as a ramp? Maybe I'm not seeing it correctly. My take is that if they oppose each other, then you would use a (specialty) tool to latch on to them and pull the clamp tight. Like I said, I'm near certain that I had to deal with one of these on a job a while back - I fought it but didn't have the specialty tool to tension it so I used a different style of clamp.

Definitely do some measuring but I think that trying to get the bumps to align may result in the clamp being uber tight. Plus what would you use to draw the clamps tight enough to get the bumps?

 

[D60]

Plus what would you use to draw the clamps tight enough to get the bumps?

That was my million dollar question also. But not having it in-hand to fold, spindle and mutilate....well, I'm just guessing with BAD (brain aided design)

 

[TwoC400s]

I tried vids for you last night. To no avail. One vid insisted the Toyota specialty tool is an absolute must. It's just the mini-vise tool for crushing Oetiker-esque clamps but it REALLY REALLY REEEAAALLLY crushes them (giving you the really tall, awkward looking crimps you sometimes see).

But I agree -‐ I've never seen a basic Oetiker have a problem. If anything, I feel it's often possible to overtighten -- esp with band clamps that you wind and then fold over. The clamps are so thin they'll tourniquet (can that be a verb??) the rubber and look like they wanna cut right through

Anyway, I had the same thought on your colors. I think the two smaller tabs live in the cavity and just help keep it in place until you fold the ears down. Maybe.

I appreciate the effort. Yeah, at this point I've watched about a dozen videos or more trying to see what the clamps look like, and I've yet to see this style clamp anywhere. Google AI thought it was a band clamp from a chainsaw