anyone have any ideas what causes cv boot deteriation? you think wd40 or the like will deteriorate them?

 

no just wear and tear, after couple of years or couple of miles the boots just go. i mean they are putting out all the power to the wheels

 

my boots seem pretty good as of now. a lil dry on the edges, but pretty good shape. i bet they go on me soon now, because i posted this ****. (knocking on wood)

 

Age, temperature extremes. They are rubber, and all rubber loses elasticity and toughness as it ages.

 

Ahhh yes, the CV boots. No matter what you do, there in a nasty location and take a lot of abuse, there going to ware out. The trick to saving your axles is to replace the boot before it breaks open. The boots are a ware item, more so then the joint they protect. Check them at every oil change or every 3 months as your car gets older. If you catch the boot just when it starts to tare open you can save the CV joint. Just clean and regrease the CV joint and install a new OEM boot and your axle should last another long life. It's a messy but easy job with the right tools. A boot goes for around 30 bucks while the whole axle might run you over 200 bucks.

 

I have a ripped boot right now. Its been like this for nearly 3 months, maybe more. How can you tell if it is damaged besides obvious metal chunks missing?
Are there any subtle things I might not notice?

 

If your boot is ripped, I recommend replacing it immediately. My boot ripped and within a couple of weeks, I finally got to fixing it, I had to replace my whole axle too. A $400 mistake!!!

 

ok - this is the one thing that has me a bit worried... I don't think my CV boots or joints have ever been replaced. Is there anyone in Northern NJ that would be interested in helping me with looking at, and maybe replacing the boots? I'm pretty sure the boots are gone or really bad. I only know this because the last time I changed the oil, I noticed it but didn't address it. OK - I know that is not smart, but hey - I don't find any problems with the drive of the car! Thanks!

 

Any good tire/alignment shop should have no trouble changing them. Just make sure they pull the axles to change them - those two-piece boots are very hard to install correctly, and when they are they still don't last long.

Dave

 

Never use a two piece aftermarket boot, always get an OEM boot kit from Nissan. The two piece setup is a temp. fix and probably wount last more then a few months. The OEM kit is the way to go.

You don't have to pull the axles to change the outter boots, the CV joint has a snap ring that holds it onto the axle shaft. If you hold the axle in the tranny and give the outter joint a wack with a puller it comes right off. All you have to do is break down the lower strut mount, remove the brake caliper and the axle center nut. The hub will swing away far enough to get the axle out, then you can replace the boot.

If the CV joint has gone bad you can replace just the joint this way as well. The hard part is finding a place that will sell you just the joint. If your local auto parts store has a machine shop service, they should have access to CV joints and could probably sell you just the constant velocity joint. At that point you've rebuilt your own axle for probably under a 100 bucks.

 

I didn't make that clear. It's cheaper to do the 2-piece boot since you don't have to pull the axle on either end, but they aren't worth much either, so don't use them. Have them pull the axle and install new OEM-style boots.

Dave