Itinerant Air-Cooled

I am done with the new CV and boots all around. I have one final question to complete the project. Do you clamp/zip tie the boot ends? My Lobro boots came with clamps but I have yet to install them because during Colins last visit he recommended that I take off the pip clamps from the boots that were on the van at the time.

Some people say yes some say no, Why?

Some say no clamps because that is what the Bentley service manual specifies for the later-type boots with the integral metal caps.
I also recall seeing somewhere that clamps are not used on later axles that have two ridges between which the small end of the boot resides, as
opposed to axles with a single ridge. The boots seem quite snug enough to me to keep out bad stuff, and it would seem that restraining
them with a clamp could only increase stress on, and therefore rate of deterioration of, the boot.

I've been going with no clamps lately. I was using zip ties but I just can't see the reason to use anything at all. They are snug and I've never have had a failure at that area. They always seem to fail in the bellows. Just replaced one after 3 years and 27,000 miles, all the other are still fine on that bus.

71whitewesty wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 04, 2017 9:19 am

I've been going with no clamps lately. I was using zip ties but I just can't see the reason to use anything at all. They are snug and I've never have had a failure at that area. They always seem to fail in the bellows. Just replaced one after 3 years and 27,000 miles, all the other are still fine on that bus.

I use no clamps until the boots have petrified enough to pull the small end out of the channel. That's about 50,000 miles. Then I ziptie and prepare for a repack.
Reins currently.
Colin

No clamps on ends at any time.

Just redid the CV joints on mine and installed Rockford boots (no end clamps) The last time I did them was roughly 20+ years ago. If lubed properly the CV will last a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong time so long as the boot holds up.