Split Cv Boot Replacement... Please Help
 

Just got home and smelt a funny smell and something burning, thought it was coming from the turbo but on closer inspection the cars split a cv boot on the drivers side ...

How hard is this to replace??? what is the cost to do so??? any tips, advice as will most likely do this myself if it's possible....

And should I drive anymore with it split????

Thanks
Jon

You can still drive with a split boot. But that burning smell is the grease inside the boot being flung out by centripetal force on to hot engine components as the drive shaft turns. Eventually all the grease will be flung out and the CV joint will no longer be lubricated properly, which will eventually kill the CV joint.

Get the boot replaced ASAP and packed with fresh grease so that you dont have to replace the whole CV joint.

Having said that though. Ive been driving around with a split passenger side outer CV boot for the last six or so months. Funnily enough, no clackity clackity noises that you usually get from a shagged CV joint. Just the occasional light clunk sound when I turn the wheel back from full left at a standstill.

I priced up some cv boots just today. $16.50 each from hi tech in wangara...
This is trade price though...

It is very easy to change a c.v boot i work for peel subaru mandurah its just wheel off, roll pin out, and drive shaft hammered out :D

Cheers guys, doesn't sound to hard then, I'm used to taking most things to bits as I have a rotor too... lol... first awd though... Impressive, you work at peel then hey, I used to work at Indiana Sign Co for col and luke, used to do all the stickers on ya bosses race car... Hence I ended up getting a wrx....

Id replace it asap, apart from making your under side of your car look like crap, it isnt that much of a hard job as imprezzive said. wheel off, ball joint out, roll pin and driveshaft out. Then take the boot off, take off circlips and replace boots. Might as well do the other boot whyle you are at it...

See if you can locate some silicone boots as the rubber ones will just break down and split due to the heat again.

I bought the genuine ones and from memory they were about $25 or $30 each. Make sure you also get the tool to do up the bands that hold them there. Coventry's sell it for about $40. When you order the bands from subaru order a couple of extra (they are only a couple of $ ea) because they are quite easy to overtighten and break.

Brendon

i did mine on tha weekend boot,clips and grease all genuine cost me $80, the circlip is a bit of a bastard apart from that try to hit the cv with a soft hammer, and get one good crack at it cause the more u hit it the more likely your gonna do damage,

i find it easier to swap the whole shaft and get the boot repaired later.