maxima2k2

well the guy who does state inspections told me that the cv boots are torn up in the rear or else i would have never found out. I don't even know how long it's been like this...whenever i go over speed bumps though, i heard small squeaks comming from the rear and that was about 5 months ago.

drivers front cv boot...

drivers rear cv boot...

its basically the same for the passengers front and rear also. don't see any oil at all. will i have any problems in the future if this doesn't get fixed? where can i buy new driver/passenger's front and rear cv boots cheap? how much to have a mechanic fix it? if i do get it fix will upgrading to aftermarket lowering springs and shocks be wise since the whole strut and spring assembly will be comming out? my max has 102,000 miles

cachejob

iTrader: (2)

if the inspector called those cv boots i have to wonder what his qualifications are. cv stands for constant velocity, and refers to the boots on either end of the drive axles. i believe those are just dust covers for the strut cartridges.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

n00b of the day...

Michael

iTrader: (21)

iblotsofflames

yeah those are just dust boots for your struts...cheap parts but time involved to change them.

aminus21

iTrader: (14)

yup. id just leave them like that... change them when u decide to change the struts/springs..

89blackse

iTrader: (2)

I didnt even bother replacing my fronts with duct tape boots, hell my car will die before the strut do from dirt and debris

Governor

>>> ....... CV Boots..ha ha ha ha I wouldn't let that "mechanic" work on my kids tricycle!

Pervis Anathema

iTrader: (8)

You say that but I recently tore down a set of rear struts that had torn boots. Been like that for at least a year. The was a lot of sand, dirt, and grime built up around the base of the piston and the seals. If the car had actually been driven a lot during that time, I am sure it would have destroyed them. And the really crappy part about doing that is that the Tokicos have a lifetime warranty but that kind of damage voids the warranty. I say spent ~$40 on new boots and take an afternoon and change them. Unless, of course, you have cheap crap in there and just don't care.

Loco7

iTrader: (1)

yeah mine went out about 3 months after i changed my struts (dust covers) really no biggie just kind of annoying. Of course my car sit pretty low so the struts are ok now but they sure as hell don't last long! Driving down the street in my city sometimes feels like off roading the streets SUCK here!!!

89blackse

iTrader: (2)

No, they are Tokicos, but the car they are on currently is a POS that needs so much work it's past not being funny and is back to being funny again in a kinda way.

I know this off topic a bit, but I wish they would make performance springs that were the same height as stock. I swear I'm getting tired of feeling my car bottom out on 'dips' in the road. I hope no Germans drive on what Kentucky calls an interstate.

BTW Pervis Anathema is correct and if you do care about the longevity of your car/parts, PLEASE do buy some boots and put them on the struts.

papasmurf

what is wrong with this world

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

Speaking of CV boots, I'm about to go replace my right front AXLE right now since the boot is torn and I'd rather replace the entire axle for 30 bucks more instead of just the boot. see ya

MrGone

iTrader: (30)

If you want a cheap bandaid "fix" just jack the car up and put some grease on the shaft, the lower the better. Heck you don't even really have to jack the car up but it'd help.


But that isn't really even a bandaid fix since that will only help the squeek and not the broken boots. The problem with the grease thing is grease have a tendancy to attract dirt and small rocks which can scratch the shaft and destory the seals assuming they are still good). I suppose a better bandaid fix would be the tape idea's I'm sure someone's already mentioned.

I have some spare boots in great shape with only 2-3 thousand miles on them I'll sell dirt cheap. I know the boots are rather expensive for what they are but at the same time it's the kind of work I prefer not doing so you may just want to use new parts.

kcidmil

This sounds like a job for... DUCT TAPE. Heck, you can even customize the color of the boot you want now.

Big_E-Dog

iTrader: (14)

goin on 15 years on mine its a 2nd gen and im shure that theyre never been changed 2XX,XXX miles i dont even worry bout em

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

I dont mean to hi-jack the thread but...
lol well guys I got everything out but the axle..since its the right side its the longer axle (on vg at least) and there's a support in the middle of the axle to hold it on to the car with 3 (12 mm)screws on and they're rather hard to get to due to the manifold..are these completely necessary to remove before being able to remove old axle or is there at least a special tool to get to them? I'll try to find a pic but for now I'll wait and see if my MyGreenMax94 busts out with his pictures like he usually does. Thanks in advanced.

kcidmil

Yep, you have to pull the bolts. It took me a little bit for mine, mainly because I was trying to get into a good position. Try aligning the ratchet handle just offset the manifold, and wrap your hands around both. This helps with the torque a little, and keeps you from busting knuckles.

ColombianMax

iTrader: (7)

Thank you sir, I shall give that a try...once those 3 screws are out I should just be able to pry it out and leak out a bit of DexronIII, then just pop in the new axle right?

kcidmil

Yep.

«§»Craig B«§»

iTrader: (5)

I'd drain the tranny fluid first and not just let it leak out of the seals there. If you drain it into a clean pan, you can reuse it if you're really against buying new ATF.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Just do it the right way and replace the fluid after you replace the axle..

kcidmil

NO NO NO... doing it the "right" way is to use the A/T for target practice, and stuff a 5 spd in there.

Matt93SE

iTrader: (44)

I'm not bothering with the whole thread, but here's my $0.02.

I ran a set of Tok blues on my car for 3 months without dust boots. at the end of those 3 months, both shafts were scratched and gouged up and no longer held pressure. one had lost almost all damping as well and was leaking oil everywhere because of the leaks.


strut boots are important.