Axle Boots and CV joints

[sgraham602]

After 6 months of looking and a ton research I'm just a few days away from picking up my "new" (1975) Westy and driving it back up the coast (FL to NC). I know it needs to have the axle boots replaced, as I had a local vw shop inspect it. They told me it should fine to make the drive, but I should replace them once I make it home.

I searched the forum but couldn't find any related questions. While I'm replacing the axle boots, should I go ahead and replace the CV joints? As far as I know they are the original one

[Randy in Maine]

Once you get home you will be repacking your CV joints with nice fresh clean grease.

Buy 4 of these....

http://www.busdepot.com/251598201

[aeromech]

That's right. cV's usually stay in service until they fail in use or fail inspection. Good quality ones are expensive and cheap ones are junk so just clean, inspect, and reuse if they look good
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[Wildthings]

Take a grease gun with a long needle adapter and pump the CV joints themselves full of new grease, thereby purging any dirt and wear particles from the joints. If the boots are really bad get some tough cloth like nylon pack cloth and some screw clamps and make temporary boots to keep the dust away from the joints.

[sgraham602]

[Wildthings]

[danfromsyr]

unless you want to do it again in 12-24 months, go with Rockford boots.
the penny misers and VW flippers will tell you $13kits are ok..
but rockfords are superior..

http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?id=24374
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[Busstom]

sgraham602: Note that you are going to need the ridiculous 12-point socket bit in the size of 8 millimeters. And plan on bringing some tiny pick tools under the Bus with you, to clean out those ridiculous socket holes in the socket head cap screws that hold the CVs onto the drive flanges. Otherwise you'll struggle to get the socket bit into the holes before you attempt to break torque.

And as far as that bit goes, I bought one recently from my local Bugformance...it was the cheapo unit from Empi...that POS didn't fit either my Type-4 pressure plate screws nor the CVs on my '75 Westy...it is oversize by a few microns and is essentially garbage. Thankfully, I found my original one from many moons ago and was able to get my stuff apart, as needed.

And while I was at it, I called Weddle Industries and those smart guys had some awesome CV joint replacement screws that are standard 6-point socket head cap screws ("allen" screws), which require a 6 millimeter hex bit, not the ridiculous 12-point that requires the PITA bit. Smart upgrade! The Weddle screws are grade 12.9, which is the metric equivalent to America's hardened alloy screws, so a minimum tensile strength of 170,000 PSI (way stronger than Grade 8's), no strength or safety concerns there, these are equivalent to VW's original hardware spec. Consider that upgrade, then a standard 'L' wrench can get you out of a pinch if you can't find your bit and ratchet when you need them. By the way, the Weddle screws cost only an astounding $0.34 each, smart!

[Starbucket]

Just go to NAPA and buy the complete axel assy. ready to bolt in with a life time replacement warranty about $100. each axel. New boots, cleaning & repacking CV's is a nasty, dirty, and sometimes hard to do job. Make life easy. They will out last the van.

[Wildthings]

[timvw7476]

Everyone on here is telling the truth.
Have you re-greased a CV joint in the past?
If not, it's the dirtiest job you will do. (Gets way faster with practice)
Pick & brake parts cleaner required, either way you go. (Full axle/Boots only)