View Full Version : Suspension Inner drive shaft - What are my options for rebuilding?
stevedmc
10-12-2011, 12:32 PM
One of the boots (transmission side) on my inner drive shaft (drive side) is torn and I suspect this means it is time to rebuild the thing.
It has been like this for a few months now and I just remembered about it today. The car seems to drive fine so I'm not sure if I should leave it alone or do something about it.
Hervey sells rebuilt ones for $130 + core. Not to mention I would have to pay shipping two both ways. The description for the rebuilt units says, "All parts including cages, balls are miked for accuracy and replaced if necessary". I'm tempted to just rebuild them myself but how on earth do I milk something for accuracy?
His boot kits are $13 which would cost me $26 per axle. I'm not sure what else I would need if I rebuilt them myself.
DMCH doesn't show a price on their website. They only list it as a rebuilt part for $0.
My other option would be to do nothing. I am tempted to do the work myself if it would only cost $26 per axle but I have no clue how to do the work. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I like Hervey's rebuilt stuff but if I can save some money I am all for it. I rebuilt my clutch slave cylinder a few months ago and I was amazed at how easy and cheap it was to do.
Dangermouse
10-12-2011, 12:37 PM
Just get the rubber boots and replace them, unless you are hearing some noises/vibration that would indicate wear in the joint. Do you know how long the boot has been ripped?
Plan on doing both boots on the same axle at the same time. (Possibly do all 4 boots, depending on what the others look like.)
edit,
for more and better info see here in tyhe "How To"s:
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1288-How-To-Rebuild-the-CV-Joints
Chris4099
10-12-2011, 12:50 PM
I agree, unless they are making noise, you can probably just rebuild them yourself as there's probably no damage to the joint yet. But I would do this sooner rather then later if the boot has been compromised. It's a messy job, but straight forward. Make sure you have a lot of paper towels and disposable gloves ready to go. I did all 4 at the same time just to get them done and out of the way. I figured I should be good for another 25+ years now. :thumbup:
If you order boots from John, go ahead and order new bolts too. Mine were looking kind of sad and he was selling them for less then the local hardware store.
David T
10-12-2011, 12:58 PM
You should not drive on torn boots. Eventually the dirt and water will get in and wear all of the parts out. You can replace the boots yourself but you may need a special plier to crimp the clamps depending on the type you buy. You should not have to replace the bolts. If one is torn and the others are old figure on doing all 4. Not a hard job, just messy.
David Teitelbaum
Byrne H&A
10-12-2011, 01:59 PM
Hello Steve,
Get the boots and I will walk you through the complete rebuild. Check seals at housing for leakage. Good Time to replace the seals, we have in stock if needed. Byrne
jawn101
10-12-2011, 03:53 PM
Steve - this is actually a pretty easy job. You will definitely need special pliers, but which ones will depend on where you get the boots from.
I prefer the band-it style ones to the crush pliers that Houston's clamps require. But Autozone loans both styles, so no worries there.
It's a messy job but nothing than an hour or two with a rag, some brake cleaner, and the right grease won't cure.
stevedmc
10-12-2011, 04:40 PM
Hello Steve,
Get the boots and I will walk you through the complete rebuild. Check seals at housing for leakage. Good Time to replace the seals, we have in stock if needed. Byrne
Do you sell the boots? I don't see them on your website. I've already replaced the seals and the flanges with upgraded stainless ones from Grady about a year ago. So far it is holding up well and my transmission is still drip free.
Oh, I almost forgot to say, thanks for the info everybody. I guess I'm going to go ahead and order the boots and do the work myself. Now I just need to figure out who am I ordering them from.
Oh, I almost forgot to say, thanks for the info everybody. I guess I'm going to go ahead and order the boots and do the work myself. Now I just need to figure out who am I ordering them from.
If you're bored next weekend you could always drive up to see us (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1890-SEDOC-Gathering-Tech-session-October-22nd.). We've covered boots a couple of times.
stevedmc
10-12-2011, 04:50 PM
If you're bored next weekend you could always drive up to see us (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?1890-SEDOC-Gathering-Tech-session-October-22nd.). We've covered boots a couple of times.
What city?
Dangermouse
10-12-2011, 04:59 PM
What city?
Dahlonega GA
right near here (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=30533&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x885f68cc9e343fa1:0xe66ebaa52a438be1,Dahlon ega,+GA+30533&gl=us&ei=KACWTv7AEIe4twfTs82BBw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAg)
stevedmc
10-12-2011, 05:27 PM
The drive would be less than 10 hours for me. I just might visit and bring along some boots as well.
It all depends on my work schedule though. I might be going out of town for work next weekend, but if the boss doesn't pimp me out that weekend I just might drive up there.
Farrar
10-12-2011, 06:37 PM
When I discovered my torn driver-side axle boot I bought boots for the axle from John Hervey, but I never installed them. Let me know how this goes. After looking at the procedure, I figured it would take me about sixteen hours to do the job, so I decided to put the kit in a box and just buy a new axle eventually.
Farrar
, I figured it would take me about sixteen hours to do the job,
naw, you're crafty enough to get it done in half a Saturday.
Farrar
10-12-2011, 07:10 PM
naw, you're crafty enough to get it done in half a Saturday.
Well, I heard that it's a four hour job. Given my experience, I always multiply a repair estimates by a factor of four to get the approximate amount of time it will take me to do it. Hence sixteen hours for axle boots. That includes losing parts, finding them again, and going to the hardware store at least once to buy tools.
Farrar
stevedmc
10-12-2011, 07:15 PM
Hence sixteen hours for axle boots. That includes losing parts, finding them again, and going to the hardware store at least once to buy tools.
If we figure out your engine running like crap issue Saturday you could just drive with me to their tech session. Its only 9hrs 30mins from my house to Sean's neck of the woods.
Heck, we might even find someone to do all the work for us. I estimate fuel expenses to be $130 round trip at 25mpg and $3.50/gal from my house.
If we figure out your engine running like crap issue Saturday you could just drive with me to their tech session. Its only 9hrs 30mins from my house to Sean's neck of the woods.
Heck, we might even find someone to do all the work for us. I estimate fuel expenses to be $130 round trip at 25mpg and $3.50/gal from my house.
I'll say this, if we are talking just boots it would take us about 2hrs or less per car from dropping the shafts to putting them back in. Add an hour if we need to disassemble and really clean.
Dangermouse
10-12-2011, 11:15 PM
It took me about 4-5 hours for both, never having done them before, including breaking down the joints and cleaning them. I can easily see them being done on a tech day with a couple of people in a couple of hours.
David T
10-13-2011, 09:54 AM
There are a lot of things that may seem good to do at a Tech session but I always worry about the car getting home. If you take a half-shaft apart and it has a real problem there is no way to put it back together so you can drive home. The better way may be to bring an old spare and work on it. That eliminates the R & R ing of it so you don't have to raise the car or take up time to remove and install. As with many jobs, they can be done fairly quickly until you run into problems!
David Teitelbaum
There are a lot of things that may seem good to do at a Tech session but I always worry about the car getting home. If you take a half-shaft apart and it has a real problem there is no way to put it back together so you can drive home. The better way may be to bring an old spare and work on it. That eliminates the R & R ing of it so you don't have to raise the car or take up time to remove and install. As with many jobs, they can be done fairly quickly until you run into problems!
David Teitelbaum
Tis true! And if Steve were going anywhere else I'd be concerned but as it stands I have three good used shafts on the shelf that we could install in the event that there is issue with his.
stevedmc
10-13-2011, 11:32 AM
Tis true! And if Steve were going anywhere else I'd be concerned but as it stands I have three good used shafts on the shelf that we could install in the event that there is issue with his.
Sean is awesome. I won't know until this Monday if I am going to be available or not but if I don't get stuck traveling for work that weekend I am definately making it.
Do you guys have any spare boots I can buy off of you? I have a feeling it would be difficult to get parts from Hervey in time as I am still waiting for him to respond to an email and DMCMW is probably busy packing up for the open house in Houston.
Do you guys have any spare boots I can buy off of you?
Sadly, no. I exhausted my stock a few months back. Been meaning to order some more but got lazy.
Farrar
10-13-2011, 03:55 PM
Do you guys have any spare boots I can buy off of you?
I do. You gonna be on the south shore before Saturday?
Farrar
stevedmc
10-15-2011, 01:58 AM
I got an email from my boss today saying I won't be traveling for the my company next weekend. As long as I'm still on good terms with Sean (I have a habbit of ticking people off) I'd love to come out for the tech day to get some free work done.
Now I just need to figure out how to get those boots from Farrar in time.
As long as I'm still on good terms with Sean (I have a habbit of ticking people off) I'd love to come out for the tech day to get some free work done..
If you travel this far we'll do it regardless, let's just hope we're in a good mood :deviltail:.
If you do come, bring a can of carb cleaner and a roll of paper towels.
stevedmc
10-15-2011, 10:13 AM
If you travel this far we'll do it regardless, let's just hope we're in a good mood :deviltail:.
If you do come, bring a can of carb cleaner and a roll of paper towels.
Is there any certain vendor you prefer using for the boots?
Is there any certain vendor you prefer using for the boots?
Nope, I think they all sell the same thing anyway. I don't have the boot clamp tool need to tighten some of the clamps they provide, Ron may or you can rent one from your favorite autozne type places.
For the one type, I cheat and use a modified pair of these (http://depositphotos.com/2445646/stock-photo-Pliers-and-wire-cutters.html).
BTW..can you squeal like a pig?
Chris4099
10-15-2011, 11:32 AM
Is there any certain vendor you prefer using for the boots?
I don't know what all the vendors sell, but you should get the boots made by Rockford. I remember the guy that did the 3-rotor engine swap saying that due to the extreme angles of his drive shafts, he tore several boots. He ended up finding that Rockfords were the only ones strong enough not to tear. I do know John sells Rockfords and I have them myself. They are very tough and appear to be very high quality.
Chris 16409
10-15-2011, 12:44 PM
It looks like RockAuto has them as well. I'm not sure if this kit comes with just the one boot. If it came with two, I'd be a heck of a deal. I'd email RockAuto and ask.
https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1312333,parttype,2284
stevedmc
10-17-2011, 12:02 PM
I just got off the phone with RockAuto and it seems the part number is for just one boot.
Here are my local options based on cross referencing to a 1980 Audi 5000 which is one of the cars RockAuto said RAYBESTOS Part # 8162141 would work on.
Autozone - $18
Doorman Part # 614-001 $18
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Dorman-CV-Boot-Kit/1980-Audi-5000/_/N-j0ekyZ6o1zt?counter=1&filterByKeyWord=boot&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=580339_173042_3550_&sortType=low
Advance Auto - $13
Doorman Part # 03680
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_CV-Joint-Boot-Dorman---Help_20830089-P_741_R%7CGRP60007_910769148___#fragment-1
Its tempting to go with the Advance Auto part but I'm not 100% sure it will work. RockAuto also lists their part as working with an 81 Porsch 928 yet Advance and AutoZone do not list their parts as working with a Porsch. Hmmmm.
jawn101
10-17-2011, 12:35 PM
I just got off the phone with RockAuto and it seems the part number is for just one boot.
Here are my local options based on cross referencing to a 1980 Audi 5000 which is one of the cars RockAuto said RAYBESTOS Part # 8162141 would work on.
Autozone - $18
Doorman Part # 614-001 $18
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Dorman-CV-Boot-Kit/1980-Audi-5000/_/N-j0ekyZ6o1zt?counter=1&filterByKeyWord=boot&fromString=search&itemIdentifier=580339_173042_3550_&sortType=low
Advance Auto - $13
Doorman Part # 03680
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_CV-Joint-Boot-Dorman---Help_20830089-P_741_R%7CGRP60007_910769148___#fragment-1
Its tempting to go with the Advance Auto part but I'm not 100% sure it will work. RockAuto also lists their part as working with an 81 Porsch 928 yet Advance and AutoZone do not list their parts as working with a Porsch. Hmmmm.
That AutoZone part is a QuickBoot (the one from Advance may be as well, but it isn't clearly identified as such), which I would suggest you avoid if you're going to clean and re-lube the joints anyway. Those QuickBoots are sort of like a band-aid fix in my opinion - they are 2 separate halves that you join together around the joint while it's still on the car. Good to replace a boot that was completely torn off during the Dakar rally and you just need to get home, but maybe not so great for a long-term rebuild, especially if you're taking the drive shafts off anyway.
FWIW, I got my boots from DMCH and they were nice quality and fit perfectly. I didn't end up liking the style of clamp they supplied and got Band-It style ones from the store, but those were all of a buck or so each.
stevedmc
10-17-2011, 01:45 PM
Julie from DMCMW just sent me an email saying they are open for business today. I'm just going to give her a ring and order the parts from them. I believe their price is only $15 per kit.
jawn101
10-17-2011, 01:46 PM
Julie from DMCMW just sent me an email saying they are open for business today. I'm just going to give her a ring and order the parts from them. I believe their price is only $15 per kit.
Right on. She's good people anyway.
stevedmc
10-17-2011, 03:21 PM
Right on. She's good people anyway.
Yep. I need to find the DMCMW thread so I can brag on them again.
Yep. I need to find the DMCMW thread so I can brag on them again.My experience has been the ol' right the first time, on time, every time!
(You can quote me on that ;-)
stevedmc
10-23-2011, 08:13 PM
Well my inner drive shafts are now rebuilt thanks to the generous help from Sean and Ron. The biggest thanks goes out to Ron for getting so dirty helping me do the work.
Had I gone with Hervey's it would have cost me $130 each, plus shipping the old ones back. Here is a breakdown of what the costs would have been with Hervey and what my cost was to rebuild at Sean's house.
Hervey's:
$130 each x2 =$260
$20 Shipping (estimated) both ways =$40
Total Cost: $300
My cost to rebuild this weekend:
$60 boots (including shipping)
$165 in fuel
$46 hotel (Sheraton in Atlanta)
$10 hotel parking
$10 dinner for Ron (he works for hamburgers)
Total cost: $291
Money saved: $9
Well my inner drive shafts are now rebuilt thanks to the generous help from Sean and Ron. The biggest thanks goes out to Ron for getting so dirty helping me do the work.
Had I gone with Hervey's it would have cost me $130 each, plus shipping the old ones back. Here is a breakdown of what the costs would have been with Hervey and what my cost was to rebuild at Sean's house.
Hervey's:
$130 each x2 =$260
$20 Shipping (estimated) both ways =$40
Total Cost: $300
My cost to rebuild this weekend:
$60 boots (including shipping)
$165 in fuel
$46 hotel (Sheraton in Atlanta)
$10 hotel parking
$10 dinner for Ron (he works for hamburgers)
Total cost: $291
Money saved: $9Priceless!
DMCMW Julee
10-23-2011, 11:03 PM
Good friends, hearty food, nice digs, cool car and you saved 9 bucks? Sounds like the best deal to me! :yesss:
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