CV boot replacement on rear axles

[Jonathan]

Was under my car earlier today and noticed some of that grease goop spilled out of one of my CV boots. It's the inner one on the passenger side. It's torn slightly and needs to be replaced.

So... question... how much of the rear axle needs to come out or off to get this replaced?

I will buy the boot kit from DMCH that shows one boot, two clamps (or zip ties), six bolts, six lock washers and three lock plates. I will probably buy enough for all four boots even though only one is ripped. I had this done soon after getting the car in 2007, although a mechanic did this for me as it was when I still paid someone else to fix my hobby.

Has anyone put a how-to together with pics or a short video showing the boots getting replaced? I can see a few different videos online replacing the entire shaft and rebuilding the CV joints themselves, but if I don't need to take all this out, I'd rather not. Just not sure what awaits me if I take the six bolts out and those lock plates come off. Does that then let the shaft come down and out enough to get the old boot off and the new one on? Can you pull the shaft out from the joint and just as easily insert it back in when you're ready?

Just trying to better understand visually what is necessary to replace a single boot. Thanks.

[WHO1DMC]

Was under my car earlier today and noticed some of that grease goop spilled out of one of my CV boots. It's the inner one on the passenger side. It's torn slightly and needs to be replaced.

So... question... how much of the rear axle needs to come out or off to get this replaced?

I will buy the boot kit from DMCH that shows one boot, two clamps (or zip ties), six bolts, six lock washers and three lock plates. I will probably buy enough for all four boots even though only one is ripped. I had this done soon after getting the car in 2007, although a mechanic did this for me as it was when I still paid someone else to fix my hobby.

Has anyone put a how-to together with pics or a short video showing the boots getting replaced? I can see a few different videos online replacing the entire shaft and rebuilding the CV joints themselves, but if I don't need to take all this out, I'd rather not. Just not sure what awaits me if I take the six bolts out and those lock plates come off. Does that then let the shaft come down and out enough to get the old boot off and the new one on? Can you pull the shaft out from the joint and just as easily insert it back in when you're ready?

Just trying to better understand visually what is necessary to replace a single boot. Thanks.

Go to www.tn-dmc.com. Click on downloads there will be a pdf for a how-to on the axle.

The axle does need to be fully out from the car.


Dave B.

[DMCMW Dave]

Was under my car earlier today and noticed some of that grease goop spilled out of one of my CV boots. It's the inner one on the passenger side. It's torn slightly and needs to be replaced.

So... question... how much of the rear axle needs to come out or off to get this replaced?

Just trying to better understand visually what is necessary to replace a single boot. Thanks.

Take the axles off the car. One at a time is fine. No fluid will leak out anywhere. I had an article up online a long time ago but I can't find it at the moment.

I looked at the article on TN-dmc and it's way better than the one I wrote!

[iflights]

I followed the TN DMC removal guidance when I did both of my axles earlier this year. I cheated and had a vendor complete set of reburbs for the replacement operation. I felt if I had a split boot on my originals they should probably be cleaned and re-packed with grease and I didn't want to go through all that.

[WHO1DMC]

I rebuilt my axles a few years ago mainly to replace the old grease. The 40 year old grease is some nasty sticky stuff. In places where it doesn't have a chance of getting sturdup it was hard. I also put on new boots might as well there all apart and powder coated the shafts.



Dave B.

[Jonathan]

Thanks guys. I found the PDF. Great write-up and great collection of other downloads on that club site too. Nice!

And just to not be too much of a dumb dumb, but the first step that isn't mentioned about removing the axles from the car... am I to assume that if you do nothing other than remove the six bolts on each end, that the whole thing will just come out as one assembly? And that's the point where you can start with the write-up? I guess it's just not clear to me what is left on the side of the transmission when the axles are out. Anyone have a picture showing this?

[WHO1DMC]

Thanks guys. I found the PDF. Great write-up and great collection of other downloads on that club site too. Nice!

And just to not be too much of a dumb dumb, but the first step that isn't mentioned about removing the axles from the car... am I to assume that if you do nothing other than remove the six bolts on each end, that the whole thing will just come out as one assembly? And that's the point where you can start with the write-up? I guess it's just not clear to me what is left on the side of the transmission when the axles are out. Anyone have a picture showing this?

You need to just unbolt it and your good to go. The transaxle flange should remain on the transmission.
Another tip is being able to rotate the shaft so you don't struggle with getting to bolts. Putting the shafts back in is just use a couple bolts on each end and rotate the wheel so you can make sure there's no binding.

Dave B.

[David T]

You need to just unbolt it and your good to go. The transaxle flange should remain on the transmission.
Another tip is being able to rotate the shaft so you don't struggle with getting to bolts. Putting the shafts back in is just use a couple bolts on each end and rotate the wheel so you can make sure there's no binding.

Dave B.

Another tip is to not let the half-shafts "hang" or you bend the flange where the boot attaches.

[Jonathan]

You need to just unbolt it and your good to go. The transaxle flange should remain on the transmission.
Another tip is being able to rotate the shaft so you don't struggle with getting to bolts. Putting the shafts back in is just use a couple bolts on each end and rotate the wheel so you can make sure there's no binding.

Dave B.

Right on, thanks. And rotating the wheel means trans in neutral? Works the same on an auto as it does on a manual?

[AugustneverEnds]

It's the same on an auto.

The original hex bolts are easy to remove but take a while to tighten since there is only enough space to get an open-ended wrench on them. I replaced them with this, https://www.deloreango.com/us/upgrad...bolts-kit.html

Depending on how much refurbishing you plan on doing this isn't a really hard job just messy. If you plan on taking the CV races totally apart it helps to have a pair of snap ring pliers and new snap rings (I lost 2 of them when they flew off the end of the shaft)