Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hello all. It has been a bit, but now that the ground is no longer frozen and the sun is peeking out, it is time to get some work done. I have a question or questions regarding CV joints for my bus. As of now, I am not getting any noise or signs, but my boots have tears in them and although I have kept them lubed up, I feel it is time to give some love to the CV's. Should I just replace the boots or should that be determined when I get in there. I have never pulled these off, so I am a newby in this area, but I look forward to the task! Is there a preferred brand that y'all would recommend? What else should I look for while I am in there? Thank you for any feedback and hope this finds all y'all very well!
Kris

I would recommend just replacing the boots if there are no other warning signs. I found this job to be easier than expected, but MESSY! I'm sure there's a write-up on this forum somewhere on how to do this, but I can't find it at the moment.

khargis wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 10, 2017 6:56 am

Is there a preferred brand that y'all would recommend? What else should I look for while I am in there? Thank you for any feedback and hope this finds all y'all very well!

Preferred brand? Anything not EMPI!

Seriously, though, the Lobro ones available from Van-Cafe or Bus Depot are OEM quality.

Or you could go for the tuff stuff and install the Rockford boots from T3 Technique or Go Westy. I have no personal experience with the Rockford boots, so I can't say whether they live up to their claims of longevity.

Other things to look for? Make sure you have the crescent-shaped retaining plates in place and the right tool to remove the CV bolts (could be either an Allen hex or a 12-point "3-square" tool). If the bolts that you have are rounded in their drive sockets, it's worth springing for new bolts as well.

Get a packet of Shnorr washers of the correct size. The usual VW parts sources grossly overcharge for these things. Grainger or McMaster-Carr would be a better bet for them.

Oh, and lots of disposable rags. CV grease is one of the most tenacious products you can imagine. It sticks to everything.

Thanks for the feedback y'all! I appreciate it.

kh