replacing CV boots

[2020Tilly]

I am about to replace the CV boots on my 1971 sprint, the cv's are Sue Miller, can this be done without taking the hub/suspension apart?
Thanks Jeremy c

[RichardS]

Hi Jeremy
One of mine needs replacing as well. I have been meaning to investigate split CV boots. These can be fitted without removing anything, apart from the old boot. They are split and then glued into place. Don't know if anyone has tried them but look easy to fit and much less hassle! If you google split CV boots you will find plenty available. Haven't established what size we need but let me know if you have success!
Richard

[Mick6186]

Hi,
I've tried using split & glued CV boots is the past on different cars, with not a lot of success. They always seem to split again due to contamination of the joint surfaces in such a greasy location. It only needs the smallest amount of grease on one of the surfaces during the glueing process to introduce a failure area, and CV grease is messy stuff!!
I have seen a tool for fitting CV boots without dismantling the joint. The tool is a long cone which fits over the joint and the boot is slid down the cone, with the help of a suitable lubricant (washing up liquid). This process obviously means removing the driveshaft and I would think it would be just as simple then to split the joint to fit the boot.
Mick

[pharriso]

Compared to changing doughnuts taking a driveshaft off & changing the boots isn't so bad.

Do it once, do it right!

[Orsom Weels]

The drive shafts should be removable without too much extra work, at worst you may have to remove the two 'A' frame to strut bolts to allow the hub/strut assy to swing out a little to release the shaft.
As already mentioned, the split boots are a waste of time. It takes longer to clean everything up to a point where it MIGHT stick properly, you may as well do it properly in the first place. The 'cone' idea does work but you need the correct boots to work with it, they are much more flexible, or 'stretchy' than ordinary ones. You are trying to stretch a 1 inch hole over an approx 4 inch cone, an ordinary boot will split way before you get there. With the shaft out, it isn't that difficult to remove the joint, clean everything up, slip a new boot on & replace the joint. You can do both ends of a shaft with only removing one joint.
As Phil says, "Do it once, do it right!"

[2020Tilly]

Thanks Phil.
I have got the new boots from Sue Miller and will start when the weather in Kent warms up a bit.
Regards
Jeremy

[john.p.clegg]

No mention of the " lace-up " CV boots ?

John

[john.p.clegg]

No mention of the " lace-up " CV boots ?

John

[david.g.chapman]

I had a problem with the boots on my Mick Miller CV joints - the material of my boots is fairly stiff, so when the joint goes through its range of motion where is a fair bit of strain on the boot itself.

As a result the tie on the inboard end of the boots nearest the wheels started to slide about on the drive shaft, resulting in wear in that boot joint. If I had left it the boot would have split at that point. So after scratching my head a bit I look off the inboard tie completely and made up a second mini-boot from a sheet rubber strip, to form a 2 inch cylinder with one end cable-tied and superglued to the original boot (but not enough to pinch on the shaft), and the other end cable-tied to the shaft itself. The cylinder seam is then sealed with superglue.

What the second boot does is allow the original boot to move about on the shaft from side to side, so most of the strain is taken out of it. There is also not significant grease at that end of the boot, so the superglued joints do not get contaminated and so hold together. I have had these on now for several years at 10000 miles+ with no sign of failure.

I can try and take a picture if anyone wants to see it.

Dave Chapman.

[englishmaninwales]

As a slight deviation, as a matter of interest, what sort of mileage/age are you seeing the driveshaft boots fail? If they have failed, are you using droop limited dampers (or other means to limit the droop)?
Malcolm

[2020Tilly]

I have the invoice for mine from Sue Miller in 2007 before I owned the car, so not too bad on the wear front.
Jeremy

[Hawksfield]

Hi

I have recently changed my CV joints on mick miller shafts (circa 2002), the boots I removed were in perfect looking but I still replaced them as they had done 10k miles, they are now in the "spares box"
My boots are not split type but bonded to the retaining metal flange bolted to the cv see attached image. The spec for the joints are 100mm x 32MM. PCD 86, 8mm bolts, 25 splines and 8 mm plunge.
To remove the shaft complete is straight forward six bolts and its out, you will have to remove the cv to change the boot but again six bolts and its done.

I used genuine GKN replacement joints I would not advise cheap ones off fleabay

Make sure you replace the drive shaft in the same orientation as you removed it ie: diff cv to diff and nearside and offside side shafts to the original side, they must run in the same direction as before

This is as I found my MM drive shafts there may be variations

Good luck

[rgh0]

I have been using the same second hand VW CV drive shaft boots since the early 80's on my Elan and Plus 2 with only one boot failing out of 8 in use during that time. I also dont know how old they were when I got them them from the VW wrecker back then either.

I glued a rubber patch from a tyre repair kit on the one boot that split and its been fine since.

I have used droop limiters on my Elan (both cables and more recently limited droop shocks) but nothing special on the Plus 2

cheers
Rohan

[Orsom Weels]

I glued a rubber patch from a tyre repair kit on the one boot that split and its been fine since.
cheers
Rohan

Love it

True Lotus spirit