CV boots

[fishnguy]

I have a 2008 4Runner. I replaced the first boot a few years ago (say 5-6, but I am not entirely sure). The original boots lasted about or over 200K km. I have been replacing at least one boot, but usually 2 every year since. Aftermarket boots seem to serve as long as the dealer boots, but dealer boots cost me $140 for the pair and that was about 4 years ago (in other words, the price is nuts and it is about $200 nowadays).

Anyway, I looked at the axles on the weekend and an inner boot is completely ripped and the outer on the other side ripped or cracked enough for the grease to be coming out. Pretty sure I replaced two boots last summer.

I, of course, would like not to have to do it every year as it is a dirty job that takes a couple of hours per side. So my question is: is there something I may be doing wrong during the installation (though I can think of nothing, lol) that shortens the life cycle of these things? Considering that I have to replace the same boot about every two years (just an assumption on my part since it is usually two boots per year), it is quite a reduction of life cycle from the original boots: 10 years, 200K km to 2 years and 30-40K km. I understand that the original equipment generally lasts longer, but this seems excessive.

One advice I was given is to just let her rip and replace the shafts when they go after the boots rip. First, that’s not how I roll, so to speak. Second, I would rather not scrap the original shafts that there is nothing wrong with.

Bought the boots at Rockauto and they were delivered today and will be replacing them on the weekend.

Thanks.

[Dean2]

I don't actually understand why you are having this many problems. I had a 1992 4Runner from new, never once replaced the boots or the cv joints the whole time we owned it. Just sold it about 2 years ago so over 30 years, no issues. I don't understand what would cause the rubber protectoer boots to rip every 2 or 3 years. Are you using some odd cleaning chemicals or an unusual wash system?

[huntinstuff]

My Dodge has a rip in the outer boot right now. I put the grease gun nozzle inside, pumped it full of grease, duct taped it shut and that is how it will be.

Each of those costs me $500 as it a one piece deal. I just replaced them 2 years ago and im not gonna do it again for another 3-4.....

But I have some class...my duct tape is John Deere green.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

I don't actually understand why you are having this many problems. I had a 1992 4Runner from new, never once replaced the boots or the cv joints the whole time we owned it. Just sold it about 2 years ago ao over 30 years, no issues. I don't understand what would cause the rubber protectoer boots to rip every 2 or 3 years. Are you using some odd cleaning chemicals or an unusual wash system?

Nope. The vehicle is all stock as well (Bilstein shocks/struts aside, but standard height).

Not sure what to say here Dean, haha. Nothing extraordinary here. By some standards it may be driven “rough” once in a while and place many others won’t go, but… No idea, really.

Here is the inner boot, completely ripped:



Here is the other, the outer on the other side:



You can’t see the hole, but you can see the grease there on the control arm below and on the shaft. There is a hole there, I saw, so it starting to go. You can also see that this one looks practically new and I am sure I replaced it last summer. Still feels and sounds like new rubber. Why the rip, I have no idea.

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

My Dodge has a rip in the outer boot right now. I put the grease gun nozzle inside, pumped it full of grease, duct taped it shut and that is how it will be.

Each of those costs me $500 as it a one piece deal. I just replaced them 2 years ago and im not gonna do it again for another 3-4.....

But I have some class...my duct tape is John Deere green.

Ouch! Paid just over $100 for four boots and I that is pricy, lol. Locally, they want $40+ per boot. Toyota wants $200 for 2 and sold in pairs (inner/outer type of thing).

Don’t think duct tape will work in my case. Even the green kind!

[huntinstuff]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Nope. The vehicle is all stock as well (Bilstein shocks/struts aside, but standard height).

Not sure what to say here Dean, haha. Nothing extraordinary here. By some standards it may be driven “rough” once in a while and place many others won’t go, but… No idea, really.

Here is the inner boot, completely ripped:



Here is the other, the outer on the other side:



You can’t see the hole, but you can see the grease there on the control arm below and on the shaft. There is a hole there, I saw, so it starting to go. You can also see that this one looks practically new and I am sure I replaced it last summer. Still feels and sounds like new rubber. Why the rip, I have no idea.


Ouch! Paid just over $100 for four boots and I that is pricy, lol. Locally, they want $40+ per boot. Toyota wants $200 for 2 and sold in pairs (inner/outer type of thing).

Don’t think duct tape will work in my case. Even the green kind!

Yeah replacing the boot isnt an option on mine. Full assembly has to be replaced.

[Trochu]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

.....John Deere green.

Probably cheaper to just replace the boot.....

[Dean2]

Something has to be causing the boots to rip, in stock height, they last nearly forever. The only time I ever heard of them having issues is when front wheel travel is increased beyond factory. Not sure exactly which Bilstien shock you put in, but that could well be the issue. You may easily have ended up with more travel or a lift you weren't expecting. I would measure the travel on a factory strut and compare that to the Bilstien spec for the ones you put in.You may have to go with the after market Control Arms for the longer travel 4Runners.

https://www.cvjreman.com/product-tag/9808/

[makin tracks]

clean the boot were it is split/busted, with rubbing alcohol till it is really clean no grease in the crack or outside of boot, can't stress clean, enough!
smear inside of of boot split with windshield sealer, press crack back together, smear all around split with more windshield sealer, let it dry before moving vehicle( the vehicle must sit till dry) you should be good to go, have done that for UTV,atv axle boots for years, still running, will split somewhere else on the boot usually! windshield sealer from windshield repair shop works best, but CTC product will work!
give it a shot less than $25 and about an hour and a half of your time!

[Drewski Canuck]

The problem with any repairs on a CV boot is the false sense of security.

If you are driving any distance or in a remote location and the shaft snaps on you then you may regret the patched CV boot route.

These boots are built to flex for years under pretty extreme hot / cold conditions.

There has to be a problem with the rubber on the aftermarket boot because these things are actually tearing. I went through 3 Alternators under warranty every 6 months like clockwork they would fail. Bad batch from China and all failed the same.

My bet is the rubber is low quality and is getting stiff in -30 C -- weather, and under flex they are tearing.

Because alot of these products are made overseas by the same factory, just because you change brands does not mean its not the same problem because it is the same supplier.

Do the OEM Toyota boots fail like this?

Other suspect cause, are you driving in heavy grass, or heavy clay, and either wrapping alot of crap on the boot or letting the heavy clay dry on the boot, and then when you drive again your boot tears. Swan Hills Gumbo is like concrete when it dries, and if left caked on heavy it will tear the boot when you roll forward after it dries rock hard.

Ask how I know.

Drewski

[urban rednek]

Don't know if this is true: I read on another forum that slightly worn CV joints can cause premature boot failure. The slop in the joint creates a torque that the boots are not designed to handle; they are meant to accordion (without baffles touching), not twist.

The picture of the inner boot appears to show rotational stretch fractures; I don't know if those particular fractures are a common occurrence? Could a difference in the clamping force between both ends create the same rotational torque effect as worn CV joints?
Are you using a proper clamping tool, and getting enough clamping force on both ends of the boot?

[makin tracks]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

The problem with any repairs on a CV boot is the false sense of security.

If you are driving any distance or in a remote location and the shaft snaps on you then you may regret the patched CV boot route.

These boots are built to flex for years under pretty extreme hot / cold conditions.

There has to be a problem with the rubber on the aftermarket boot because these things are actually tearing. I went through 3 Alternators under warranty every 6 months like clockwork they would fail. Bad batch from China and all failed the same.

My bet is the rubber is low quality and is getting stiff in -30 C -- weather, and under flex they are tearing.

Because alot of these products are made overseas by the same factory, just because you change brands does not mean its not the same problem because it is the same supplier.

Do the OEM Toyota boots fail like this?

Other suspect cause, are you driving in heavy grass, or heavy clay, and either wrapping alot of crap on the boot or letting the heavy clay dry on the boot, and then when you drive again your boot tears. Swan Hills Gumbo is like concrete when it dries, and if left caked on heavy it will tear the boot when you roll forward after it dries rock hard.

Ask how I know.

Drewski

sure repaired boots can fail, joint may also fail, don't really care, clean boot out and add some grease, carry on! been doing it long time, i'd bet UTV/ atv is harder on boots than your car! drive it till it fails replace with new one! still driving same axle with boot repair on an axle for years. what are you scared of? turn the lights on!

[makin tracks]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Nope. The vehicle is all stock as well (Bilstein shocks/struts aside, but standard height).

Not sure what to say here Dean, haha. Nothing extraordinary here. By some standards it may be driven “rough” once in a while and place many others won’t go, but… No idea, really.

Here is the inner boot, completely ripped:



Here is the other, the outer on the other side:



You can’t see the hole, but you can see the grease there on the control arm below and on the shaft. There is a hole there, I saw, so it starting to go. You can also see that this one looks practically new and I am sure I replaced it last summer. Still feels and sounds like new rubber. Why the rip, I have no idea.


Ouch! Paid just over $100 for four boots and I that is pricy, lol. Locally, they want $40+ per boot. Toyota wants $200 for 2 and sold in pairs (inner/outer type of thing).

Don’t think duct tape will work in my case. Even the green kind!

from the pics the shown don't think the top pic of boot can be repaired, looks like lost a lot of grease, likely let in a bit of dirt in! better to replace boots, but that top pics joint may not be long before it kicks the bucket!

[JBE]

Good old days with trucks that had solid axles lol

[Stinky Buffalo]

One thing that changed in the Toyotas in the last decade is that they stopped using CV boots made of Viton.

The material that they use now is more prone to cracking in cold weather.

I replaced the passenger-side axle in my Tundra when the CV boot cracked and made sure I got the cold-weather version with Viton boots. So far, no issues.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Dean2

Something has to be causing the boots to rip, in stock height, they last nearly forever. The only time I ever heard of them having issues is when front wheel travel is increased beyond factory. Not sure exactly which Bilstien shock you put in, but that could well be the issue. You may easily have ended up with more travel or a lift you weren't expecting. I would measure the travel on a factory strut and compare that to the Bilstien spec for the ones you put in.You may have to go with the after market Control Arms for the longer travel 4Runners.

https://www.cvjreman.com/product-tag/9808/

Thanks, Dean. I am not sure about the exact numbers, but judging by the ride alone, I don’t think this is the issue. Certainly could be the case, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I am also now wondering if the original boots went before I replaced the struts or after and can’t recall.

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

There has to be a problem with the rubber on the aftermarket boot because these things are actually tearing. I went through 3 Alternators under warranty every 6 months like clockwork they would fail. Bad batch from China and all failed the same.

My bet is the rubber is low quality and is getting stiff in -30 C -- weather, and under flex they are tearing.

Because alot of these products are made overseas by the same factory, just because you change brands does not mean its not the same problem because it is the same supplier.

Do the OEM Toyota boots fail like this?

Other suspect cause, are you driving in heavy grass, or heavy clay, and either wrapping alot of crap on the boot or letting the heavy clay dry on the boot, and then when you drive again your boot tears. Swan Hills Gumbo is like concrete when it dries, and if left caked on heavy it will tear the boot when you roll forward after it dries rock hard.

Ask how I know.

Drewski

The first time I replaced a boot, I put an aftermarket one mainly because that is what I had available. I went the same route with the second boot. Then I noticed that I was replacing the boot I already replaced, so I asked someone heading to Grande Prairie to pick me up an inner boot from Toyota. The guy came back with a box of two boots and handed me a bill of $140 something. Lol. I settled and installed the boot. Next year I used the remaining outer boot from Toyota. The interesting thing I thought was that the grease they provided was different for the inner and outer boots. Both of those boots have since been replaced with the aftermarket stuff because they lasted about the same.

Yes, I do drive in mud and grass (and other things) in the fall, while hunting, etc. And I don’t often wash it off if I am going out again in a day or two (which is often the case). There is an occasional run in into a hole when I wish I was going slower (notice the hole after the fact, for example); but I do not think that happens often enough. Certainly could be.

Thanks, Drewski.

Originally Posted by urban rednek

Don't know if this is true: I read on another forum that slightly worn CV joints can cause premature boot failure. The slop in the joint creates a torque that the boots are not designed to handle; they are meant to accordion (without baffles touching), not twist.

The picture of the inner boot appears to show rotational stretch fractures; I don't know if those particular fractures are a common occurrence? Could a difference in the clamping force between both ends create the same rotational torque effect as worn CV joints?
Are you using a proper clamping tool, and getting enough clamping force on both ends of the boot?

Interesting. I am not sure if a bit of a wear would cause the boots to fail. I would think there should be quite a bit of wear to make a difference that is significant. I will look into it more.

No, I do not use a clamping tool, but have no doubt I get enough force when clamping.

Thanks, redneck.

Originally Posted by makin tracks

from the pics the shown don't think the top pic of boot can be repaired, looks like lost a lot of grease, likely let in a bit of dirt in! better to replace boots, but that top pics joint may not be long before it kicks the bucket!

Yeah, silicone certainly won’t help in that case, lol.

What makes you think from the pic that the joint is about to kick the bucket? I am now wondering if I should through new axles in. But I am not convinced that the same thing won’t happen with the new axles in a year or two (boot replacement). Provided I still have the vehicle to begin with (which I probably will, unless something big happens).

Thanks, tracks.

Originally Posted by Stinky Buffalo

One thing that changed in the Toyotas in the last decade is that they stopped using CV boots made of Viton.

The material that they use now is more prone to cracking in cold weather.

I replaced the passenger-side axle in my Tundra when the CV boot cracked and made sure I got the cold-weather version with Viton boots. So far, no issues.

I did not know that, Stinky. I looked earlier today and saw that there are drive shafts for sale where they indicated temperature rating for the boots and grease (I saw -40C and -50C). Nothing I can find in the description for the boots alone though.

Thanks, Stinky.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Yeah replacing the boot isnt an option on mine. Full assembly has to be replaced.

Hate when things are made like that, unless they are bulletproof and forever type of thing.

Gotta be something cheaper found somewhere though?

[fishnguy]

Replaced the ripped boot yesterday (inner driver’s side, a note to self for later) before the smoke came in. Gave me a hell of a time. Took about 3 hours, lol. Going to wait for the other side until the smoke clears or even later.



I was actually planning to replace all four and see when the first one would go, but opted out. Mainly because I had to put it all back together because I need to have the vehicle today in the morning. And the outer boot looked like new anyway. I will replace both boots on the other side when it comes to it.