ULTIMATE EASY DIY OEM CV Boot replacement guide
 

Hi,

I made a small video on how to replace your CV boots with OEM Mercedes Benz boots,

No stretching required
Easy as hell :D

Sorry the audio went very slightly out of sync after I edited the video but there's lots of annotations to guide you along you should have no problem at all

This car was a 1975 240D W115
It should work for the W123, W124 ect

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnww_xC1c_c&fmt=18

Hope this works the whole idea is to encourage ppl to use Mercedes Benz Boots and not have to use a stretch-gun ect... all you need is a hammer and a punch

PS: the camera made me sound all weird LOL thats not how I sounds when I say "Brass Punch"

I'm guessing you have a fan running in the garage?
also the video being out of sync with the audio is odd.
I have not heard that this was possible...
I thought the assembly was crimped into place...
WHUNTER!!! VERIFY THIS FOR ME!!!

No it was raining... the audio being out of sync is not such a big problem there are annotations to help

Its removable like a tie-rod I have done this many times and there has been no problems

why else would they sell MB boots if they cant be replaced ? ;)

CV Replacemet
 

Great video. Thank you for going through the trouble of posting it.
This makes me rethink my axle repair.

Just to be sure. You knocked off the differential side CV spider joint right?

The rain in the background was a nice touch actually, given that you are in Sri Lanka.

Thanks

"Just to be sure. You knocked off the differential side CV spider joint right?"

Yes its the side that goes to the differential that comes off the other side doesn't

Correct
 

Crimp clamps are used to avoid balance issues and boot damage.

I will make a video documenting this procedure in a slightly different manner, and showing an axle that will not separate short of total destruction.

You MUST use a Heavy Brass drift to drive the joint off, and get the impact angle/pressure just right, a steel drift will wreck the spider, balls or race/cup.




.

What, exactly, keeps that spider joint in place on the shaft? He shows tapping it off and lightly pressing it back in place...........???

Answer
 

A very clever/nasty snap-ring.

total destruction ???? our car has been running for 11 months now almost an year with four brand new Mercedes Benz boots

yep steel would be a bad idea and by they way even with the brass drift you don't want it to touch the balls or anything and cause scratches that might wear them out so its important to keep the drift firmly on the spider and make sure it doesn't drift about

However, the video doesn't show the snap ring removal or installation............???

is there really a snap ring?
I didn't find one in any of my two joints :confused:
maybe its in the other side of the joint, the other side (side that goes to the wheel) is not removable maybe thats the side that has the snap ring ?
when I removed both of my joints I didn't find one (I even made sure to look in the inside of it/shake it after I removed it) there's no grove either in the shaft for a snap ring

Hunter or Brian are the innards of an Axle different on a 1975 240D W115 different from a 123?

On one hand if it works it works on the other hand will it work for everyone?

I say that not to be negative but as an example the simple job of removing the small Oil Pan went well for Me but another member sheared of one of the Pan Bolt/Screws; most likely due to corrosion.
So if someone ask me if it was an easy Job I would be saying yes. The other Guy would be saying the job was easy until the Bolt sheared.

If I was going to do it as in the Video I think I would not order the Boots until I knew I could get my own Axles Apart.

This has a lot to do with experience. After many years, you know just how much torque you can apply to a given fastener..........above which, you'll snap it. You can actually begin to feel it twist before it fails. At that point, experience tells you to stop.

You must heat it...........apply penetrant...........repeat..........and have patience..........until you can remove it without breakage. Now, I won't claim to be totally successful with this approach, but I do have a photo on here of a nut that secured the sway bar bushing to the body stud on the SDL. The nut was below the battery and so badly corroded at the top that the threads of the stud were visible.

It took about one hour with penetrant, heat and shock...........but I removed that nut without damaging the stud. I have no idea on how to repair a broken stud as it's buried in the body.

The 123 Body and Chassis FSM mentions the lock ring only being installed on 1st version axles and the lock ring being no longer being installed after Jan 1973.

Thanks.

That begs the question of what retains the joint if a snap ring is not utilized..........it cannot be a simply light press...........??