I am going to check around our smallish town and see if anyone has the equipment to install new boots.

In Toronto, there is at least one outfit that rebuild axles. Will also check them out.
AXLES TORONTO | CV Axles Toronto | CV Shafts Toronto, Ontario Canada

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

I thought there was at least one of the Astoria Flexx Boot tools for rent. Buy you need access to an Air Compressor in order to use it.

Tool Rental List
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=291660

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Not only that, shipping back and forth to Canada probably costs more than buying the tool!

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

In the write-ups on removal of axles, they say to remove the calipers and the brake disks. Not a problem to do that, but just wondering why that is necessary.

They say to drive the shaft out of the hub bearing with brass drift or similar. Does the hub then need to be pulled outwards in order to get enough clearance to swing the axle to side for removal? Or is there some other reason to remove caliper/rotor that I am missing?

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

There is no need to remove the rotor. (Nor does the FSM call for its removal.) The caliper needs to be removed to provide room to maneuver to axle for extraction from the differential. The reason will be obvious when you do the job.

Not in my experience. Fully compressing the axle provides adequate clearance. Although just barely enough. Raising the differential with a jack also helps with axle geometry.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

Thanks Tango. Starting to get my head around actually doing job. But going to check with local shops first re re-booting.

In meantime, car is on jack stands and I have boots cleaned up. Only major cracking is near to band next to outer can. Driver side worse than passenger. The inner boots have almost no cracking. When I did a major rust prevention job on this car, I painted everything under car with a polyurethane product similar to POR-15. I had dabbed some of it onto the boots. It is still there and very hard to remove.

Want to get car back on road, so I am going to apply a flexible polyurethane adhesive/sealant to the cracked areas and see how that holds up for rest of summer. If it sticks as well as the paint did, it should be OK! I realize I will need to do a proper job eventually!

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

I found that thinking about the job was actually a lot harder than actually doing the job. Once I started, it took only a little over an hour to remove the axle shafts.

Now I am waiting on an Astoria boot tool to arrive. And I still have to make a decision on CV lube. My joints appear to be in great shape, so it appears that the original oil lube performed well. Problem is, I don't know for sure what type oil to replace it with. I bought some Redline CV-2 grease, which is reported to be great for CV joints, but at NGLI 2, it might be too thick. The other alternative is conventional NGLI 1.5 CV grease. I like the fact that grease won't leak rapidly in the event of a boot failure.

If anyone has any CV lube sea stories, I would be glad to hear them.

Also, any input on the Astoria 3000 boot versus the 3001 boot would be great.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

If someone wants to use aftermarket Axles my suggestion is to buy them locally so that the lifetime warranty can be had quickly and with out have to haggle over who is going to pay the shipping or having to wait for exchanges to be shipped to you.

The same issue with Cardone rebuits. I got the locally and could have tried for the lifetime warranty but 2 years after I bought the axles Chiefs Autoparts became Kragens Autoparts and is now Oreilley's Autoparts.

And I also just wanted to try changing the boots myself.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Way back years ago 2 Members on separate occasions had something from the Road get up under their Car and tear their new Boots. So it does happen.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

If I remember correctly it gives you more room to move the Trailing Arm around and to get the Axle out. Especially when it comes time to re-install the axle.


Once the rear wheel is off you might as well remove the Rotor and take a peak at the Parking brake Shoes. Even if it is not necessary.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Astoria say 3000 is for 17-24mm axles. Larger end cut at "A" fits 58-70mm so should be good for our ~2.5" (64mm) cans?

3001 says for 27mm & larger axles. I think ours are at most 25mm, maybe slightly less?

I found a local shop that has an expander and can install new boots for me. No price yet, but they said by the time they R&R the axles, cost of rebuilt or Asian new axles cost won't be much different.

In the meantime, my cracked but intact boots have received a coating of a tenacious polyurethane marine adhesive-sealant (3M 5200). I don't really think this will do much good, but seeing car was up on jackstands, decided to see how long it will be before cracks show up again!

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

Dorman and Astoria has 2 sizes of Boots One for larger axles and a smaller one. Either one will work.

Some have said the larger Astoria Boot has thicker rubber.

I have not read of anyone using the larger Dorman boots.

Members have said not to trim the excess off of the Boot until after they are at least stretched and in place because the trimmed area allows is more prone to splitting when they are stretched.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Problem is, some also say the opposite. That's why I am uncertain. I have the larger version (#3001) on hand, but don't have the smaller version (#3000) to compare.


My shaft measures 27.05mm at the point where the smaller end of the boot would reside.

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When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf jvyy unir cevinpl.

I just measured in place, so am probably wrong. Hopefully VSTech or someone who has used the Astoria boots will be able to help.

My local shop gave me a quote on new axles - I have a question, but will start a new thread.

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Graham
85 300D,72 350SL, 98 E320, Outback 2.5

The black CV grease sold at NAPA is great for cv axles that MB use, to fill an older style can you will need 2 or 3 pouches, blend it with some gear oil

On tripod style joints like on inners of FWD cars - use John Deere Corn head grease, its NLGI-00 and works great in them.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)