Cracked CV Boot

[Barfoot]

I have noticed a slight grinding noise coming from the front at differing speeds during acceleration & deceleration. Had a look at the front axle and the drivers side CV rubber boot is cracked. There is a greeny/grey grease all over the boot and surroundings.

What do I need to do now? Just repalce the boot, or is a new CV part needed? The grinding type noise is intermittent and not too loud yet. Is the grease on the boot axle grease?

Problem is I had a good run on some gravel/sand/dirt trails over the weekend and fear that a bunch of grit, dust, etc may have got in there. Didn't notice the noise during the trip, but recall hearing/feeling it last week so must have been cracked prior.

Appreciate any suggestions

[pmac]

I don't know the answer to your question, but if it is just a boot, get one from ebay USA. $7 compared to about $90 genuine.

[glend]

At the very least your going to have to pull the wheel and expose the CV to replace the boot so you might as well clean it, inpsect it, and repack it (with the green goop provided with the boot R&R kit. The real concern is if the grit is in the CV ball race, and has buggered it, but a good clean will tell you alot.

[drover]

There are a few posts on CV Boots here somewhere with heaps of info, but Repco have a Boot that will fit about $22 but it isn't listed, Brumby boot is the same and Ebay has some CV joints usually around the $60 mark and they seem to have worked okay.
Pretty easy to change the CV Boot take about an hour just need a 34 or 36mm socket for the axle nut.

[pmac]

Originally Posted by drover

Pretty easy to change the CV Boot take about an hour just need a 34 or 36mm socket for the axle nut.

Easy to change? Mine wasn't. My mechanic said you had to take the axle out of the diff and get past the clip that holds it in there, or so I thought. It definitely wasn't the same as changing one on a "common" car where you put it on from the hub side. And I do trust my mechanic totally.

Mine's a 99 though so maybe different from Drovers?

[turbomart]

Sounds like your CV is probably shot.
You can get em from suburban imports for $155ea or $165ea with shaft.
Dont know what brand tho, probably omix-ada.
Changing em isnt hard, they dont have a clip inside the diff like front wheel drives.As long as youve got a big socket in 3/4 drive to undo the big nut in the centre of the hub the rest is pretty easy.

[Roachy]

Originally Posted by pmac

Easy to change? Mine wasn't. My mechanic said you had to take the axle out of the diff and get past the clip that holds it in there, or so I thought. It definitely wasn't the same as changing one on a "common" car where you put it on from the hub side. And I do trust my mechanic totally.

Mine's a 99 though so maybe different from Drovers?

I think that your mech is probably confusing it with something else. I have replaced my axles and CVs a couple of times and it is fairly easy. From memory it is just take off the brake caliper and rotor, undo the axle nut and wheel bearing assembly and pull straight out. Nothing that hard about it. You certainly do not have to get into the diff.

If the CV's are grinding they will have crud in them. You might be able to reco them but I found it was easier to do a full axle and CV repalcement but the exchange rate was slightly better at the time. Try Rock Auto ( http://www.rockauto.com/ ) - they were pretty good