Whats the best CV boot material?

[tj90]

Wife drives a 03 montero with 160k miles. 4wd with 4 half axles. All drive axles are original except the front left. I noticed a torn boot during oil change so I replaced that axle back in 2011 with an EMPI axle. Knowing that the EMPI was a chinese axle I held onto the OEM axle (NTN). Fast forward to last weekend -
Instead of buying another chinese axle, I did some research on replacement boots. I found some threads discussing silicone, neoprene, rubber but never could get definitive answer on the longest lasting boot material. I ended up buying some precision driveline boots that were neoprene which I read on some jeep forum are supposed to be long lasting. I have since read that silicone is heat resistant.

Unfortunately, the choices for boots - and materials - are limited. Its probably due to the proliferation of cheap chinese axles on the market. I can finally say from first hand experience that its probably better to replace your OEM boots if the rest of the axle is sound versus being tempted to go the replacement axle.

One more thing, the EMPI axle had bad surface corrosion where the OEM axles have decent finish after 12+ years of service...

 

[NHGUY]

I had bought an EMPI axle and it vibrated as it was shorter than original! Shame the guy that owns EMPI now has sullied the brand,which dates back to Joe Vittone in the late 50s.

 

[Quest]

For aftermarket CV boots, I'm still buying EMPI after 2+ decades or so.

They are mostly neoprene based, and can last an easy 10+yrs of service or more.

2 things of note:

(1) do not try to reboot a chinese remain shaft with factory-spec'ed replacement CV boot. many a times, it will fail due to slippage or grease oozing out from the gap.

(2) do not assume all chinese remain shafts come with the same kind of quality as the OEM units does. Whenever possible: I'd either re-boot an original OE CV shaft, or replace a worn outer CV joint and then reboot them. I try to keep them as much factory units as possible.

Only OEM units come close in terms of original fit and finish. 1/2 of the reman I used before somehow missed something along the way, i.e. either too short, or something been shortchanged, etc.

Lastly: I don't buy cheep chinese CV replacement boots on line. (*don't trust them)

Q.

 

[tj90]

I just checked EMPIs online catalog and they only sell neoprene for my montero. I suspect that is what was on the replacement axle back in 2011. [censored], I might have just spent all that labor putting on more cheap boots...

I wonder if the OEM NTNs are silicone?

How much money is the aftermarket really saving by using cheaper rubber that has nowhere the service life of the OEM axles?

 

[Quest]

OEM NTN boots are neoprene also.

I won't go with silicone boot (if they ever make one).

Lastly: don't assume that the boots are cheep plastic. Currently, on a very limited types of polymers can be used as CV boots, due to abrasion resistance, longer wear life and oil/grease resistance.

Q.

 

[Quest]

Lastly: nothing lasts forever. Most NTN OE boots lasts around 10yrs and that's just about right. Replacement aftermarket neoprene boots lasts around 7~10yrs tops.

I know silicone material may last significantly longer but since no-one I'm aware of outside of the OEM realm has used silicone boots long enough to give me an objective report, I'd stay away from it for now.

Q.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
I had bought an EMPI axle and it vibrated as it was shorter than original! Shame the guy that owns EMPI now has sullied the brand,which dates back to Joe Vittone in the late 50s.
Didn't they once make VW performance parts?

 

[Quest]

to me, EMPI is more like a Reboxer these days.

Just like Beck-Arnley.

Q.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
I had bought an EMPI axle and it vibrated as it was shorter than original! Shame the guy that owns EMPI now has sullied the brand,which dates back to Joe Vittone in the late 50s.
Didn't they once make VW performance parts?
They did, now it's all garbage

 

[Trav]

Thermoplastic boots are the way to go, their lifespan is 15+ years, neoprene is cheap $hit that has no place in a modern automobile.
Call Rockford boot and ask them if they have them for your vehicle, you might have to send them a sample (just buy a cheap new boot and send it to them).

http://www.rockfordcv.com/rcvboot.htm

 

[TiredTrucker]

For those that worry about Chinese made CV axles and components, I regularly haul Chinese made CV axle components to OEM supplier Neapco in Belleville, MI for Ford, Mopar, and GM production assembly plants. I pick them up outside of Chicago, take the components to Beatrice, NE for final production, then take them to Neapco in Belleville for distribution to U.S. OEM assembly plants. Just like I have hauled truckloads of Japanese wiring harnesses, made in Mexico production facilities, to OEM production plants in the U.S. and Canada. Think we might be better served moving beyond the issue. Most folks are getting Chinese in their vehicles whether they want to deal with that or not.

 

[larrymoencurly]

The GM X cars had blue boots on the outside and grey boots on the inside, or maybe just one grey boot, and the blues and greys used different grease. Why did they do this and why did GM go to black boots, supposedly neoprene?

 

[Trav]

Back in those days almost everything was neoprene. It is available in other colors than just black. Whether stripping was also neoprene of some other sort of sponge rubber and was terrible stuff with the durability of a wet noodle.

I know OE replacement CV boots for VW are now thermoplastic, i just bought some, my old Pontiac GP has them OE and its 15 years old and still in nice shape. Neoprene is cheap, has a short lifespan and is not very durable.

Many mechanics are still stuck with the mindset that plastic is somehow inferior and rubber or steel is the only way to go. Nothing could be further from the truth in fact many times its just the opposite.
Some of the new thermoplastics are unbelievably good and have properties that cant be duplicated using natural materials. Course the first A Hole manufacturer that cheapens out on a plastic water pump impeller that fails all over the place give all plastic impellers a bad name.

 

[seanf]

I rebooted my OEM Audi axles and lost one outer boot in 2 years 20k kms and the other boot was so badly cracked I changed it at the same time. The EMPI boots look to be neoprene, I like rein cv boots, they usually have the Audi pn ground off and look to be real rubber.