Aww groan. I just did two boots on the passenger side with my Dorman pneumatic boot tool. It still was hard. I’ve done this half a dozen times but it still was work. The big problem is access. I cannot get the installer in close with the disk and the dust guard in the way. I do not take the axels off the car.

I tore one boot. It happens. I was careful not to touch my stretched boot on anything. It appears that it ripped where they always do which is right on the seam. I have 1 in 5 rip. It kind of sucks but given the price of the boots it still is a cheap repair if I destroy a boot. I’ll often bring in the old boot and exchange it for a new one. I get looks but on one occasion the clerk said I used the wrong tool and I showed him a selfie of me and my pneumatic tool. They just rip sometimes.

Well I have to say the Dorman 614-001 lasted for me. I have five years on one side and three on another on the SD. No cracks.

Maybe when I do the drivers side on the 300d I’ll remove the disk and splash guard. It will make access easier. You really need to get the spline deep into the little hole in the tools base or the boot won’t slip off. Add oil to the inside of the boot after it is in position to slip it off. Limit oil before or it’ll slip off when you’re expanding it.

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79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles
97 C280 147k miles