CV joint boot, outer. doable on the drive?

[ThomasG]

Hi all.
So.. Today I decided to pop into my MOT station for a quick check-up of joints, bushes and whatnot that I can't check on my drive.

The only thing wrong that Simon (technician) found was freshly split outer CV boot. Just started to leak grease.

As the garage that I take my car into when I can't fix something myself is just across the road, I asked them for a quote.
£80.

Not bad.

But, if only for satisfaction and experience, I'd like to try to tackle it myself.
And after searching YouTube for instructions.. I'll be honest- this doesn't grow on me.

Is it at all doable on the drive, without impact wrench, without 4-point lift, and without removing the axle? I mean complete removal of axle. I read somewhere they can be right pigs to put back in.

Anyone tried?
I will either do it myself on Sunday, if I can, or drop car off to garage on Monday.
Opinions, ideas, guidance, all welcome.

[volvoid]

dont see why not. A faff, might be very tight nuts to undo etc.

Is there a split ? Can often be cleaned then superglued, much easier !

[gammakeith]

One thing to be aware is that the driveshaft splines may well be VERY stuck in the hub. Mine would not shift so to get the driveshaft out I had to take the whole hub and driveshaft out as one unit. Not the end of the world but that's quite a few more bolts to take out. That £80 sounds reasonable

Keith

[TiredGeek]

Mine needed a full refurb to get the cv off the driveshaft.
CV, driveshaft refurb and all labour = £386
I didn't think that was bad as Volvo wanted ~£600 for the driveshaft alone

[Father Ted]

Slightly different car, but similar job:
I've just changed the front O/S wheel bearing on my XC90 on the road. So I'd reckon CV boot on the drive is do-able. All things being equal.

[ThomasG]

thanks for replies

i`ve been doing some homework on it in the meantime

and i think i`ll pass

2 things i`m afraid of: removal of whole axle, and how to pull off the CV joint itself- even if not stuck, i`ve got no tool to get it done

so i`ll leave this one for garage one or other- i`m yet to call one good soul just around the corner from me.

i wonder, though: with gaiter/boot costing around £20, how do they manage to get it done within £60 labour?
either they shoot themselves in the foot if joint is stuck
or they go "cone" way- without removing neither axle nor joint at all

anyway- i`m off to much more unnerving assignment, only slightly car related- i`ve got to re-learn to use windows. i think my fresh install of winMX7 (XP based) goes ok, but it`s been few years as i touched this.. stuff.. last time.
i can`t believe that i`m actually doing this.. poor little laptop

[Montana]

I have just done my OSF wheel bearing which required the removal of the end of the driveshaft splines in hub - no issues, the 13mm driveshaft bolt ist overly torqued to a high nm like is normal on other cars- so i wouldnt worry about that.

My input though, i have replaced CV boots the correct way before - driveshaft off the car , remove circlips stripped down. However when i did my wheel bearing i had to replace my inner CV boot - i used a cone/neoprene universal CV boot which worked a treat (£7.99 off eBay) - this used the cone to get the boot over the outer cv boot and onto the driveshaft.

If i was to do it again and didnt need to remove the driveshaft at the hub side, i would use the glueable type CV boots, glue this in position BEFORE you remove the exisiting boot (it will make a mess) - let the glue set and cut the old one off and slide the new one on. Still a messy job but not too involved and easy DIY (just jack up/axle stand/wheel off)

As for removing the existing CV boot bands - there is no obvious 'joint' which you can get hold of and they are fitted tight - however a dremel tool on a low speed setting sorts this easily

[ThomasG]

OK.. Got it booked in for Tuesday, garage 5 min walk from home- neighborhood praises the place.

And as soon as I hat this sorted.. Bang.. Fixed penalty for cigarette butt.. £80down the drain. Or city coffer.. Same thing. I need to learn to be careful. Back to being afraid to walk the street that is. Somebody say it isn't police state- ULEZ, CCTV on every second lamp post, now one can't throw stub into rain drain on the street.. But no bins around. Movements tracked 24/7 by mobile, debit card, oyster card, mentioned CCTV...

Fall out of step and you're done. Thank you big brother!!

Its been bad week so far..

Rant end.

[volvoid]

you are quite right tomasG, its not a police state, its a revenue state.
Dont passively submit to state control
Pay cash for everything !
dont watch TV
you smoke - big earner for the government, serves you right.

[ThomasG]

Funny you say that

Its been years as I don't watch TV.

Well.. Maybe a glimpse when my other half is watching and I'm passing trough.
But then it wouldn't be something I'd watch anyway.

Paying cash is becoming more and more difficult these days, had to give in to inevitable.
So.. "Don't draw attention" kinda works for me. For now.

No bittorrent, no p2p file sharing, no Facebook or others, drive to the book..
Yup.. boring Volvo driver