# torn cv boot?



## jlee1469 (Dec 4, 2003)

last night i took a turn, not too hard, and suddenly heard a pop. got out of the car to see if i damaged my rim or something and found a greasy mess all over my wheel.

pics taken today...


















would jus like to confirm if it is from the cv joint, and any suggestions of fixing it (DIY, parts & price, etc...) thanks


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## NissanGirl2ooSX (Mar 15, 2004)

Theres no doubt in my mind that you messed up the CV boot. When your boots are broken your going to have grease thrown around the inside of the front tire area and on the tire itself. If the grease if also on the inside of the tire area, the axles might need to be replaced as well. If you want to test it out turn the wheel all the way to the right and accelerate slowly, you do the same with the other side...if your axles are messed up to your going to hear a bad clicking noise from it. Dont know how hard of a turn you made but if you say it wasnt that bad then this was bound to happen sometime..I guess what you did provoked it. Prices I cant really give you, but I heard replacing these things is a bitch and it is kind of expensive..someone else on here might help you out with the prices cause Im clueless on that. :thumbup:


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## jeffinbham (Nov 1, 2003)

same thing happened on my se-r, i ended up just pulling the whole axle and replacing it. i think it cost about 120, with a $50 core charge that you get back when you return the busted one. which side is it? driver's side is a bitch, passenger side is very easy. good luck.


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## Zombie Elvis (Jun 21, 2004)

jlee1469 said:


> last night i took a turn, not too hard, and suddenly heard a pop. got out of the car to see if i damaged my rim or something and found a greasy mess all over my wheel.
> 
> would jus like to confirm if it is from the cv joint, and any suggestions of fixing it (DIY, parts & price, etc...) thanks


The CV joint itself won't be damaged right now, but from now on, without enough packing grease, and with dirt getting in, the joint is going to get damaged over time. The first symptom of that will be a clicking from the joint as u do a tight parking turn. Later it will tick when turning at normal driving speeds, and then it'll click in a straight line. Then it will start to sound evil, and with prolonged neglegct it'll shit itself.

Many people go a few months without realising except for the clicking noise when turning, and they have to get the joint replaced.

If you get the joint cleaned out (gets rid of any dirt) and the boot replaced and re-packed with grease, you'll not need to replace the joint because it won't be damaged if you act in the next few days. Leave it longer and it might get a mild flatspot, but even if it does it'll probably take months or even years before it starts clicking. The boot is more likely to split again than needing to replace the joint if you act NOW.


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## jeffinbham (Nov 1, 2003)

i would reccomend replacing the whole axle, b/c i think you have to pull it anyway to replace just the boot, and since you have it out you might as well replace the whole thing, but that's just my mode of thinking.


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## jlee1469 (Dec 4, 2003)

hey guys, i really appreciate your suggestions and would like to thank all of you, i'll most likely get the boot replaced as a temporarily solution. i'm thinking of swapping a sr20det within the next year or two, requiring a new front axle i believe correct? (GA16 owner). thanks again guys! err would can i find the parts? sorry i know i can search the internet but i hardly have time to look with all the work i have.


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## Zombie Elvis (Jun 21, 2004)

jlee1469 said:


> hey guys, i really appreciate your suggestions and would like to thank all of you, i'll most likely get the boot replaced as a temporarily solution. i'm thinking of swapping a sr20det within the next year or two, requiring a new front axle i believe correct? (GA16 owner). thanks again guys! err would can i find the parts? sorry i know i can search the internet but i hardly have time to look with all the work i have.


If you replace the whole axle you'll be spending more money than you need to. The joint is not damaged just because the boot splits, but only if you neglect it. You are lucky you heard the bang and saw the splattered grease - that's quite unusual to catch it so early.

Honestly, it's just going to be a waste of money. On my 92 Pulsar (N14 with SR20DE) i had to replace four boots, but only 2 times did I have to get the CV replaced because I only knew about it once it started ticking. The current boot in it has lasted two years, the joint is still perfect, and I think it will last a lot longer now that my wife is driving it normally instead of me driving it "enthusiastically"

If you replace more than you need, you'll probably swap it for a reconditioned old one, plus pay the extra money for their profit; your axle will be examined and probably will not even need any work and it will be sold onto the next person who needs a joint or the full axle. You will be throwing away money on a perfectly servicable item. Don't replace a part that is not showing symptoms of damage, unless you are rolling in money and can afford to burn it. I wouldn't even call the replacement "good insurance" because how do you know the replacement is in any better condition than the current one? You risk being ripped off by a dodgy re-seller.


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## sercool (Feb 26, 2004)

If you replace just the the boot though, prepared to get even messier! You'll need a slide hammer, some mineral spirits, clamp tool, vise, etc. If you have the tools go for it, but also most places the boots are $20, I got one at oreilly auto for my se-r, but turned out to be for a 1.6L, so after all that work, had the wrong f'n boot.


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## Zombie Elvis (Jun 21, 2004)

sercool said:


> If you replace just the the boot though, prepared to get even messier! You'll need a slide hammer, some mineral spirits, clamp tool, vise, etc. If you have the tools go for it, but also most places the boots are $20, I got one at oreilly auto for my se-r, but turned out to be for a 1.6L, so after all that work, had the wrong f'n boot.


LOL - <voice impersonation="drunk">I hate it when that happens</voice>

Good call about the necessary tools - it's a bitch to be geared up enough. It may be cheaper to pay a mechanic the 15 minutes it takes them to replace the boot, instead of the extra cost to be tooled up and replace a much larger piece (ie whole axle) and the time it takes.

If you are keen to do the work and can take as much time as it needs to get it right then good luck and have an awesome good time doing it. Let us know how it goes.

I guess you need to research all the options including the procedures, the costs and the costs of any tools; don't forget to check out the cost a competent mechanic will charge. Don't count on doing it as quickly as they do, unless you've done some serious mechanical work. I remember the first time I swapped the rear shockers on my 180B took a few hours, simply because I had to try to understand the procedure from the book etc. And that was a _simple_ process...

By the way, look to see if you need to get clamps for the springs. Whatever you do, don't try to do anything that will free the springs without clamping them first. They will kill you and anyone in a 500 metre radius if they get loose on their own.


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## Zombie Elvis (Jun 21, 2004)

jlee1469 said:


> would jus like to confirm if it is from the cv joint, and any suggestions of fixing it (DIY, parts & price, etc...) thanks


Hey, nobody has mentioned how to confirm it's the CV boot. They are piss-easy to see from underneath if you jack up the car. Put the car on stands before you stuff your head under there. Cars falling off jacks kill quite a few people each year. All jacks supplied with passenger cars are CRAP and cannot be trusted except for changing a tyre with outstretched arms.

You should be able to see the boot from thru a gap in the engine bay if you get your head in just the right space, and I'm not talking about the drugs that *BlankgazeX* uses...


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## STRATTON (Sep 10, 2003)

ha my me and my boy were in the a rim shop the other day and he was saying how he really liked those konigs... and there they are on your car, got any far away pics ? sorry its off topic


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## Catman (May 21, 2004)

My mechanic charged $70 to replace the outer boot.


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