CV Boots Torn - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lrg · #16 10-26-2004, 12:56 PM

Why even replace them if you don't need to, especially with cheepo rebuilts. If it's worn then obviously replace it but if just the boot is split and leaking then replace the boot. Anything more is a waste of time and money.

boneheaddoctor · #17 10-26-2004, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lrg

Why even replace them if you don't need to, especially with cheepo rebuilts. If it's worn then obviously replace it but if just the boot is split and leaking then replace the boot. Anything more is a waste of time and money.

At the very least he is going to have to pull the joint, clean out ALL the old grease and repack it, and if the wear was minimal then MAYBE it would work. Otherwise how do you know how much sand , dirt and grit has gotten mixed in with the old grease.

tomm9298 · #18 10-26-2004, 01:30 PM

That's just it. I have no way of knowing how long the boot has been torn. Rather than spend a lot of time replacing the boot, I would prefer to put it to bed by replacing it. I have NO clicking or popping from the rear during turns, so I assume no damage yet. If this car is like front wheel drive vehicles, you can drive many miles before the CV joint fails, after it begins to click while making turns. I drove a Honda Civic with clicking CV joints for over a year before I had them replaced. Thanks for all of the input, I learn more and more here every day.

lrg · #19 10-26-2004, 01:45 PM

Maybe I was just lucky but the oil splatter from my old boot was pretty obvious so I caught it early. Similarly, when I opened it up it was obvious that no dirt had gotten inside. The original CV joint has more of a liquid oil lubrication than a packed greese so it was pretty easy to repack it. Again maybe I got lucky but so far I've got about 40,000 miles on it without a problem and money in the bank. Works for me.

Hatterasguy · #20 10-27-2004, 01:45 PM

Once the dirt gets inside them putting a new boot on is only buying a little time. Besides the cheap ones seem to have a lifetime warranty so who cares if they go bad? Besides these aren't high horsepower cars they are not really stressed that much.

boneheaddoctor · #21 10-27-2004, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Once the dirt gets inside them putting a new boot on is only buying a little time. Besides the cheap ones seem to have a lifetime warranty so who cares if they go bad? Besides these aren't high horsepower cars they are not really stressed that much.

I agree, long enough the surfaces get scored, and really getting it squeaky clean is critical. And nearly impossible under the car.

lietuviai · #22 10-27-2004, 08:15 PM

Back on Monday I got a call that one of my CV axles came in, ONLY ONE. The Autozone I was dealing with didn't know why only one came in. They checked and checked and finally today I get a call from them that the other one got cancelled and that they were out of stock with no idea whn they'd get ever get another one. So I have to go back to the store and get my money back because they can't issue me a credit unless I am physically there. Same BS when I ordere. d themWhat a big &^&*% waste of time! My 230CE has been on jack stands for 2 weeks now! Screw Autozone! I'll never do business with them again! So much for trying to save a few $$. It looks now like I'll probably go and order a set from the parts place I usually go to for parts for my MB's, though it'll roughly cost $150ea! At least with them I can get them in 2 days.

Hatterasguy · #23 10-27-2004, 08:20 PM

Thats why Autozone's prices are so low, you have to put up with the crap service.

flash123 · #24 10-27-2004, 10:09 PM

I buy from a local independant, Inaba, in Riverside, CA. They beat Autozone and Kragen consistantly, and have better service.

Local Kragen sucks. Used to be a good store. Chain stores don't know how to hire people. I never worked in a parts house, but I probably know more than 90% of the chain store employees. They would never hire me because I have no experience. I spent 10 years fixing cars for a living, most of it in some sort of manager position, but never worked in a parts house = no experience.

While you're waiting for parts look through old threads on how to change the axle halfs.

rmmagow · #25 10-27-2004, 10:28 PM

I did the autozone deal, 99.95 each. Did them both. Car sits much more evenly and is nice and quiet. Will they last, who cares, they are so easy to do and will be free next time. It's actually an easy job. let me know if you need any guidance regarding the job itself. You do not have to remove calipers and don't worry about the tight drain plug. Use an ELECTRIC impact wrench on the plug to remove it. They are strong enough to do the job without being so strong they rip out the threads. Small set of picks with a hook type pick to yank out the clips inside the diff. Messy but easy job. Would be sweet on a lift. Good luck and skip the boot fix, you'll be back under before spring.

tomm9298 · #26 10-28-2004, 06:18 AM

RMMAGOW, you say I don't need to remove calipers? Anything to make it simpler is good. Let me know how you did it. Thank you.

The Warden · #27 10-28-2004, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomm9298

RMMAGOW, you say I don't need to remove calipers? Anything to make it simpler is good. Let me know how you did it. Thank you.

Very carefully.

At least if his experience was anything like mine was. On my car, with very careful up-and-down maneuvering of the differential and the hub assemblies themselves, I was barely able to get the old axleshaft out (and the new one in) with the caliper in place.

The second time I did it (one of the rebuilds failed), I pulled the caliper...removing the brake caliper involves removing two bolts (if you do it carefully, you can even leave the brake pads on!), and IMHO really makes the job easier.

FWIW, I have CarQuest axles under my car, and they've been there for about 25K miles now. One of them failed after about 4 months, and was replaced under the lifetime warranty. The replacement, and the other side (replaced them both because the price was good), have been working perfectly ever since. I paid about $65 each in late '02...I guess they raised the price?

lietuviai · #28 10-28-2004, 10:47 AM

I found the same axles at Schucks online so I'll see if I can another one from them. I've decided to take the one from Autozone so I'll just have to wait for the axle to come in from Schucks. Same lifetime warranty, same rebuilder.

odie · #29 10-28-2004, 01:11 PM

I would vote Autozone. Just because lifetime warranty and they seem to be the most wide spread auto parts place in the US.

I seem to relocate every 2-3 years and travel a lot too. Kinda nice to be able to get warranty service in about any town.

tomm9298 · #30 10-28-2004, 01:19 PM

How about CarQuest, they seem to have good prices and warranty?