CV boot replacement without removing axles?

[snowblind]

Hi,

I noticed that my rear CV boot on the transmission side has a small crack and started to throw a little bit of grease. I have never replaced a CV boot, only a whole axle on a toyota truck. So I am wondering how much work is involved to just replace the boot? Do I need to remove the wheel and hub and slide the axle out to be able to replace boot? or do I just remove the 6 bolts going through the boot and then there is enough clearance to get the boot out and a new one in?

thanks!

[Wildthings]

Always nice to know what you are working on, a Saab maybe? But since you are on a Vanagon forum I will assume its a Vanagon. You need to remove the 6 bolts that hold each CV joint to their respective hubs and then remove the joint from the axle. There are two different style bolts used to attach the CV joints, you may have only one style or both. Make sure you have the correct tool for each style.

A search will tell you all you need to know about removing and replacing the boots.

[Randy in Maine]

You just need to remove the 6 bolts on each side...

Usually the bolt is a 8mm triplesquare. Clean out the inside of the bolt with Gum Out carb cleaner to attain maximum purchase.

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=5796

http://www.type2.com/bartnik/cvjoints.htm

[snowblind]

Thanks for the replies so far. The vehicle in question is an 86 Vanagon 2WD.

The type2 link is very helpful. After reading the first bit it makes me wonder if maybe one of my CV joints are bad. When I start to straighten out from a turn, I hear an oscillating noise like a metal bottle is rocking back and forth an inch or so (rock-rock-rock) and the sound goes away after 3-5 seconds of going straight. I previously thought the noise was something under the rear seat moving around...

It sounds like after I remove the 6 bolts per side the whole axle will just drop out if I'm lucky. If I'm unlucky, then some yanking will be required.

[mike boland]

one posters above said 8mm but if I recall correctly the correct size is 6mm some of bolts are 6mm triple square, others are 6mm Allen hex you may have one type or mix of both.

Clean the dirt & crud out of the screw head before you try loosen the bolt. use a 6mm 12 point or 6 mm hex on socket. lightly tap it in place with a hammer, after cleaning dirt / crud out to get good seat.

Inspect your bolts after remove them..after being tighten / removed couple times the heads tend to get rounded..I like to replace my bolts with new ones. Do be sure the little curvy washer is installed too..it helps keep them from loosing back up. You may want to use medium strength blue thread locker on them. Torque them to value given in Bentley Manual. recheck them for tightness after 1000 miles...

[atomatom]

resurrection of an old post, but as it was the first hit in google, i'll ask.

my transaxle end cv boot needs to be replaced. i know the recommended way is remove the whole axle and do everything on the bench, but as i only need to do the transaxle end, can i just remove the bolts on the transaxle side, remove the circlip and then watch the cv joint slide effortlessly off the axle and into my waiting hands? thus saving me the hassle of dealing with the wheel/hub end of the axle cv bolts. (i know i need to clean the old grease from the cv joint)

i suppose i can just try it and if the cv joint isn't coming off, i'll revert the the recommended way.

and i further suppose, a careful mechanic would probably take time to clean, inspect and repack the cv joints on both ends - failure on one side may be an indicator for other boots (they are all about 8 years old now). i'd be open to that, but would prefer a quicker fix during the winter. as i spent an hour or so reading about tiguan cv boots as a replacement, so, i suppose i could go this route.
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84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[djkeev]

You could but the joints are often stuck on the axles and you need to work surgically clean.
Tough to do under the Van.

Dave
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[atomatom]

yeah, not exactly a clean room under there.

and this is probably one of those 'you could', but 'you dont want to' situations. i wasted many days trying to do replace the head gaskets with the engine in the van - of course one stuck to the head, and then the piston came out, and my back was killing me. removing the engine was quick and so much easier to work on.
_________________
84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[dobryan]

Very easy to remove the other 6 bolts and take off the axle with CV’s to your work bench where you can work in comfort.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[mdub]

Like others here have said, I’d highly recommend just removing the whole cv/axle assembly and dealing with it on a bench. You probably could replace just the inner boot from under the van without unbolting the outer side, but you’ll likely just end up making things harder for yourself in the end. Once you’ve removed the axle, it’s actually not that bad of a job to refurbish the whole thing, especially if you’re the sort of person who enjoys cleaning, inspecting and reassembling things.
_________________
'86 Syncro / Reimo Poptop / EJ22

[atomatom]

thanks all.

mdub - i don't mind jobs like that, and cv joints are pretty fascinating. but january is not my favourite time for such jobs. more reason to remove it and bring it indoors i guess.


for science, i might try removing only the transaxle cv in situ anyway. worse case, i'll have to remove the other end. i'll report back. if i can get away with that, i'll do a full boot grease replacement in the summer on both sides. by then i'll have finished reading all the tiguan cv boot threads.
_________________
84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[Wildthings]

You may well need a puller to get the inner race off the axle shaft. The snap ring gets pounded by the inner race in use and deforms the splines towards the end of the axle making removal of the inner race difficult. I usually hang the axle assembly by the inner race in a vise and beat the axle out with a bunch, this would be hard to replicate with the axle assembly hanging under the van.

Even in cold weather I am not sure its worth the hassle to try to do it the way you are planning, as its only six more bolts to take out. There are lots of tricks to doing this job. I have done it hundreds of times by now and it still gets easier each time I come up with another way to get some part of the job done. No matter how you go about doing it, paper towels are your friend along with a nearby trash can to quickly deposit them in.

[Alan Brase]

A couple comments: Correcting a 12 year old mistake. The bolts either take 6mm hex/ aka Allen. OR triple square XZN. That wrench is named by its BOLT SIZE, 8mm The bolts are the same but for the insert socket shape. but the WRENCH for the triple square is called 8XZN.
Making noise? Yes, you need to deal with it immediatley. It is quite possibly just falling off. These bolts need to be tight! OR maybe just DRY. If it's dry , you can buy a LOT of time just getting some grease into the ball area of the joint. It is amazing how bad a dry joint will sound and how well it responds to some grease. If your boot is shot anyway, a tiny hole and some spray grease is better than not doing it.
Yeah, torn joints need to be replaced, but unless you are driving in SAND, it will be okay in a few thousand miles. No need to lay in the snow.
_________________
Al Brase
Projects: 67 sunroof bug, 67 Porsche 912 Targa, 70 Westy
Dec 1955 Single Cab pickup WANT 15" BUS RIMS dated 8/55, thru 12/55
To New owners: 1969 doublecab, 1971 Dormobile
Vanagons:
80 P27 Westy JUL 1979, 3rd oldest known US
83 1.6TD Vanagon, 87 Wolfie Westy daily driver, swap meet home

[Abscate]

Life saver on this job is a small impact and a flex drive extension.

Clean out the bolt head bits, get the right tools in , crack them with a 12 inch bar, then zip them out instead of 24 sessions of ratcheting. Same on install.
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.ssS!

[Alan Brase]

[djkeev]

[DanHoug]

there are split boots that allow replacement while on the vehicle, the seam glued back together and hose clamped on. Febi, Dorman, etc make them.

this MAY work, can anyone confirm?
https://www.autohausaz.com/pn/111598021A
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[atomatom]

@dan - yes, i saw those split boots that you glue together in place. i imagine the success/longevity is largely based on how clean/well you glue them.

i believe there are other ones with screws/etc, but i imagine the imbalanced weighting would not last long on something that spins so fast.


Link

_________________
84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[DanHoug]