Boot Slide mod. No more blowing cv boots.

Using the all rubber SDHQ 930/934 style boots and clamping them on the larger opening with the standard clamps supplied while running a regular size zip tie then clamping it down tightly on the smaller end of the boots usually keeps the boots happy enough to where they can slide up and down the shaft, yet still provide a very minute/ minimal amount of grease from getting out.

Speaking from personal experience here.

I don't like the boot slide mod. Especially on stock style boots.

 

So I got new OEM CV remans and also the SDHQ outer boots and those other longer inner boots (All Pro I think?).

Anyway I'm trying to decide if I should change the boots out now or hang onto the boots until something tears. I got the grease and its just the work of disassembling a new CV and swapping out the boots.

 

Close, the boot goes on the shaft first then the cut off small end of the old boot and c-clip gets placed in the groove where the boot originally sat and 3/8" not 3/4" slide is all that's needed. Gluing the boot is ancient history.

I originally created and further developed the process, I didn't name it or start this thread.

There is no significant advantage to manual hubs in terms of fuel savings or reduced wear. In fact the manual hub CV shafts are not as strong as ADD shafts. The strength difference is negligible, the issue is how the shaft fails. The weakest point of a man hub shaft is inside the hub assembly so consequently if a shaft failure (not the CV joint) happens there it takes out the expensive hub with it $$$. Further, the vacuum actuated ADD diff combined with a manual shift transfer case is extremely reliable. Far more so than the later all electric systems.

Larger boots? Yep, around 16 years ago Kartek started marketing Porsche 930 CV boots as "high angle" boots for the Tacoma. They were/are problematic from the get go because the OEM inner CV housing or "bell" is triangular and the 930 boot is round. This requires the big end of an old OEM boot to be cut off and left in place to fill the voids. The 930 boot is clamped on top of this old boot part. The old boot portion has a groove for the clamp and is not flat so you are clamping two irregular surfaces together. This set up was/is known for seeping grease and flat out popping clean off the old boot piece. Along with the "fit" problems I had one torn by brush (thinner material). The 930 boots hold a good bit more lube than stock so this makes about as big a mess as you can have on a Taco. Straight from SDHQ "getting a 930 Bates style to work is kind of a PITA". SDHQ also does sell aftermarket stock replacement inner boots for 1st gens. They are dimensionally identical to OEM, both are neoprene and OEM is thicker. They are made by Empi and have been sold thru many parts houses as service replacements for years. They are not "high angle" boots. Again straight from SDHQ "If you rub with OEM boots you will rub with ours".
I tried the 930's many years ago and developed the several BS methods as an alternative that also happens to be free.

Your call there but I would run them as is, at least for a while (they're paid for). Just keep an eye on the inner boot ribs. If they are going to rub thru you should see it in plenty of time to change them out at a convenient time/place. OEM outer boots are made of a harder material then the inners. This is where the hype about "stiff plastic" OEM boots comes from. In the real world, outer boots (due to shape) do not suffer as much from lifting and failure is rare compared to the inners. There are folks out there running extreme ride heights that will cause outers to rub, among a host of other problems.

"Slid" OEM boot looks nearly new after 200K lifted miles.


Original test bed shaft as a spare, stored behind rear bumper and mummified for posterity.

 

Hey @Dirty Pool I bought the SDHQ boots, these to be exact and since it does not come with a replacement C clamp, where would you recommend I source one for the mod? Do you know the size so I can just get it from a parts store? Or just get an assorted dorman kit? Thanks.

 

The I.D. of the OEM c-clip is 1 inch.


A plane old 1" I.D. "external" retaining ring as seen in the bottom of the pic below should due fine. It does not need to be a perfect fit, just not loose. When you cut the old boot shoot for around 3/8". More is not better.


The OEM band clamp for the big end of the inner boot is reusable so you can start your collection.

 

Awesome, thank you!

 

Thanks for the knowledge. I'd have to disagree here about reduced wear though. I rarely use 4WD. If my axles weren't spinning on the road then certainly the boots wouldn't be split open right now. A manual un-locking hub would not allow the shaft/boot to spin and wear out as fast.

 

Seems to me i am not the only one who's confused here !!!

 

Which part is confusing you?

 

How do you Get C clip around Axle?

 

Snap ring pliers and a whole lot of swearing worked for me. Though getting it off was the harder part.

 

Getting it off was definitely the harder part. It was a struggle to get on for me also. But I eventually found a quick way. I took pole from my jack which happens to fit around the axle perfectly and the same diameter of the snap ring. Spread the snap ring and then one quick bump with the jack handle it went straight down.

 

hmmm, subbed

 

I'm about to replace my CV boot since the lift kind of killed it.
But just in case I cut and use the end of the old inner CV (the flange if I remember right) and use the OEM band (that's inside the inner boot?) and use that to keep the flange in place?

 

You use the inner band of the boot. Once you take the axle apart, you will see a beefy snap ring. Reuse that snap ring to hold the old inner boot in place.

 

Alright that makes more sense thanks!

 

Looks interesting, I might have to try this.

 

Well I took out my CV out and got the wrong boot but I saw the beefy snap ring and moved it towards the bottom but doesn't moving that snap ring (C-clamp) have any effect with how the needle bearings sit?

 

You need an additional snap ring/c clip. The one c clip will hold the boot in place and the other goes in the original location. If you got an OEM reboot kit you will have new c-clips in the kit. If not you will need to source a new clip. I was able to use a 1" inner diameter snap ring to hold the boot and the c-clip stayed in it's original position since I did it with the DSM boot kit that does not come with new c-clips.

 

The C-clip should be going all the way over that bump. It should sit in the groove after that bump. Also, in that bump should be the left over cut out inner clamp part of the original ripped boot cut roughly 3/8". When I assembled mine. This is the order I put it back together: New boot goes on first, then the cut part of the original boot, then the C-clip. The cut part of the boot is what helps slide the new boot down and keeps it there. Also makes it harder for grease to pass and leak out. See below at dirty pool's pic.