Did Les Schwab Ruin my outer CV Boot?

Does this shop actually have them? All the ones around me show stock online that they don't have...

That part looks new? Or is that the link to a reman...

 

I ordered a reman for my FJ Cruiser, but I couldnt find a reman on there for a Tacoma ....just the new-new ones.
My point was the dealer had told me they were heavily backordered (for remans) and voila, this place sent me one quickly despite that. You may have same luck with a new OEM one from them. It may be worth contacting them.

 

Is your truck lifted at all? I have the dobinson's boots - or had - on my CVs. When I had some trouble I replaced the whole axle with a CVJ - which comes with good, excellent quality boots. They are the next best thing to OEM quality CVs but with better boots - and you can send your current axle (if it's OEM) as the core-charge.

https://www.cvjreman.com/product-category/toyota-truck-axles/tacoma/2005-2020/

 

Roger that, thanks!

 

Yea my truck is slightly lifted. 1.75" in the front, 2" in the back.

It's only been lifted for maybe 100 miles, hence the alignment and the situation I am in now.

If I wasn't trying to get Les Schwab to make it right, and this was a natural occurrence of wear, I'd be going with CVJ. You think 1.5" is worth the lifted version of their boots?

 

I dunno, really. You'll want to keep the pleats on the boots from touching one-another. That's probably as important as anything regarding boot longevity. If you want to ensure, I think it's just $50or so for the dobinson boots. If that's worth some piece of mind.

https://www.dobinsonsdirect.com/products/dobinsons-4x4-high-clearance-inner-c-v-boot-kitcv59-557k

If you were local I'd loan my CV Boot Stretcher-tool thing.

 

Ah! I've heard of the stretch method, but only know how to do the conventional method... Maybe I should look into that tool...

 

First - That's what SHE said.

Secondly - I got if for, i think, $180 from Amazon. I brought it and boots to a shop and they said it worked fine. I haven't made my money-back yet, but it was cheaper than what most places wanted to fix the thing, because most folks would ONLY do a straight CV axle replacement.

$188 Dorman 614-030 Uni-Fit C.V. Joint Boot Air Powered Installation Tool Universal Fit

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CIV4KA?ie=UTF8

 

The saga continues. They dragged their feet getting the boot kit, which is readily available.

Finally I get it done today.

Before I even go talk to them I check their work.

They did do both the inner and outer boots, on my stock axle. But the second I check to make sure the large band on the outer axle is tight, it starts to come off. Neither the axle nor the boot is grease free at the clamping area.

I tell them hey wtf. He spends over 30 minutes with it in the garage, and comes back and says sorry but I don't have another band.

Turns out he put bailing wire on it and says don't worry it'll hold and it won't ruin the boot. He said he'd order a band today or tomorrow.

Oh and on top of that I asked him if he pulled the axle from the t case or from the inner CV. He says T case, and I might want to check my t case coil.

Lol, what?! They should check and top it off, not me!

What a bunch of BS. They drag their feet, don't check their work, it's constantly untrustworthy, and they want me to top off my own fluid?

Anyways, I drove 2 minutes down the street, got a band, and have a tool and some more bands ordered (OEM Toyota style and the nifty tool). I'll be checking and replacing any and all bands on that side, and I won't be going back to have them do another goddamn thing on my truck, ever.

 

That's embarrassing, my boss would kick my ass over that.

You'd be better off with burn marks lol

 

As a former tech, I fully comprehend that it is bad practice to bad mouth competition, but based on all prior knowledge and experience with the company, fuck Les Schwab. They are the anti Christ of automotive establishments.

 

For the love of God, All I wanted was an alignment.

 

Omg, I just replaced the clamp and this boot is suspiciously shit. Compared it to the passenger side, and it's not even an OEM boot. I called and the tech admitted it.

Seriously F*** these guys

 

When do I charge back/dispute for the alignment? Maybe I already should have...

 

What a nightmare

 

That is like criminally bad work.

You have to wonder what else these morons are fucking up.

I would like to add that there’s a 100% chance that baling wire would eventually cut through that boot.

 

I would just order used OEM off flea bay and be done with it. Lots of good, read to go units on there for not much cheddar.

 

Those mother fuckers broke a tie rod on our 4Runner after I put new coils upfront and had it aligned. Tried to charge me $139 to replace it. Told them to get fucked and eat it. The alignment was 1.5* off on caster side to side on the print out and it tracked to the ditch. I drove around the block and came back. They spent an hour and a half trying to align it. Still couldn’t get it right. Blamed it on the steering rack and wanted to replace it. It drove fine before I lifted it a little with 882’s. Told them well if you can’t align it give me back my money for that too.

 

Flea bay or Amazon? Which is less likely to be counterfeit?

 

Sounds about right. They did a toll on my tie rods too.