CV BOOT REPLACED IN 30 MINUTES

[1stE53]

Originally Posted by Multibeemer

My CV boots arrived yesterday, so I'm staring at this thing contemplating how (and whether) to tackle this job. The first method appears more straightforward, but I've run into several major obstacles right off the bat:

1. The collar nut requires a 36 mm, 12-point socket. Where the heck do you find something like this? I've called or visited four stores, and none of them have it. I got mine at Sears.

2. The collar nut is secured to the axle by a lip that's been bent over. I've spent a good half hour (the total time estimate for the entire project!!!!) whaling away at this thing with practically every tool in my arsenal, including a very heavy hammer, and I'm barely able to get it to budge. I used a pry bar to bend out a little, then just the force of the 36mm socket on a 21" pry bar; it came off with no problems

3. Even if I can manage to get the collar nut's protective lip out of the way, the collar nut is very shallow. I don't understand how I will be able to apply the torque needed to loosen the nut (I have a big breaker bar with a large pipe I slip over it when I need extra torque) without it slipping off. You will be surprised of how little effort you will need with the cheater bar

If I decide to go with method 2, what size clamp do I need for the inner boot? Is it the same as the one used on the outer boots? The site romeokc10 references looks very good. But if I decide (or am forced to, if I can't find the right size socket to use method 1) to use method 2, the downside means having to wait for the clamps, plus paying for shipping. I'm also wondering if by the time I pay for all the tools this job will need (including possibly an impact wrench, which I've gotten away without up till now), it wouldn't cost about the same to take it to someone to do what's looking like a pretty daunting job... Sorry, been a pretty crappy day all the way around, and this isn't helping.

I hated life doing this to mine. I had to change the entire axle. Try getting the inner part out of the transmission!!!! Only to find it was a defective axle and have to do it all over again 3 weekends later.

[Multibeemer]

Well, I'm about three hours into this "30-minute" job, and the "aaronsdropzone" method is a no-go for me, too. The vice grips kept slipping off the axle, and it was actually beginning to score the axle itself, so this isn't going to work. But since I have everything all apart, I'm reluctant to put everything back on, including the wheel, and then try to do battle with the collar nut, so I think I'm going to follow in tspeed's and romeokc10's footsteps and go with the inner axle removal method. Hopefully (I'll confirm before tearing in) my local dealer has the CV boot clamps, and I'm sure they'll be at a sweet bargain price, too .

Could somebody please describe the type of grease needed on the inner joint's splines? All I've seen (and I may have missed it) is that it's pretty thin. Thanks.

[romeokc10]

Hey guys, I've read your latest posts, sorry to hear about the trouble you're having, but now you see why I used the inner boot removal method. I'll try to answer some of the questions you guys seem to have and tell you what worked for me.
1. The boot kit should come with a new collar nut, mine did.
2. That collar is tough to get off because of that damn detent (why not use a simple cotter pin) and it's torqued on very, very tight. If you read earlier in this thread, most guys had to use a hydraulic jack under the pry bar just to break the collar nut lose.
3.It seems the main the thing you guys have against you is time, you both seem to need to have it done right now. With the inner boot removal method you have to have the inner boot grease and of course the new clamps.
4. As for the clamps, trust me, YOU CAN'T REUSE THEM! Look at the design of them, the clamps hook together over a raised tab, then you use the special pliers to squeeze the clamp together. Once that clamp is squeezed, you can't stretch it back out, no way, no how. When I did my first boot back in July I spent more time trying to save the clamps than it took me to do the entire job, because I was going to the collar nut removal method then changed my mind when I couldn't get the damn thing off. Now I knew I couldn't reuse the old clamps and didn't have new clamps, so it ended up taking me two days to complete the job, but I wasn't prepared, preparation is the key. Now I will admit that on my first boot job I was able to reuse the inner boot small clamp and I was able to get the inner boot large clamp back on. But, it took me over 4 hours (didn't have the new clamps yet) to get the large clamp back on. And then when I drove it for a few days it was leaking grease all over the place, because no matter how careful I was, it was deformed from taking it off So trust me, it 'aint worth it to try and reuse the old clamps. Now when the other outer boot tore in October I was ready, I had ordered extra small and large clamps and I can get the grease locally, because we all know how reliable BMW's are...lol! I simply used my Dremel with a cutting disc and cut the old clamps off, just cut through the little hump and your done. The second boot only took me about 3 hours, and that was eating lunch, and having a few beers, I barely got dirty, I was filthy after the first job...lol! Again guys, preparation is the key, sorry that you are in a rush, I used the down time to drive my Corvette...lol!

[romeokc10]

It calls for 100grams in the boot. But you're right, when I removed the inner boots there was nowhere near that much inside. But I guess you can never have too much grease, if you look at a new inner boot kit however, it does come close to having that much in the supplied grease packet.

[Multibeemer]

Just cringing at the thought of paying what's probably going to be close to $50 with shipping for some grease. Several local guys told me there's no problem with using standard CV grease on the inner joints, since we live in such a warm climate (central Texas), but I'm very hesitant to do that, since the inner joint grease is so drastically different (thinner) from the outer joint grease. Thoughts?

[Multibeemer]

I ran across this in an earlier thread (forgot to note the name of the person who posted this):

"Please note, as you repack the inner bearings (3-bearing unit) - they are using a different grease (some cheapo replacement boots like EMPI includes the same CV grease, DO NOT use it). These bearings require a thinner lithium grease (Coastal brand at the parts store is about $3.50), and that is the one you need to use."

Does anyone know any specifics about this? I have a suspicion that while it isn't a good idea to use the standard CV joint grease on the inner tripod joints, neither is it necessary to fork over $50 for some specialty grease. I'll check around locally for something I can use in my inner joint that doesn't require going mail-order. Thanks.

[tspeed]

I'm considering ordering two kits for the inner cv joint from rm european for $23.33 each with free shipping above $65 (I'll add some filters or something to meet min$).

The picture of the kit shows three grease pouches, along with the boot, clamps, and clips. I just need to contact them and try to confirm if that grease pouch feels less viscous than the pouch in the outer cv kit.

http://www.rmeuropean.com/part-numbe..._1729e61c.aspx

Here's the outer cv kit which I already have. The pictures show identical looking grease pouches, thus my concern/need to confirm that grease is different at least by feel.
http://www.rmeuropean.com/Part-Numbe..._1729E61C.aspx

[Multibeemer]

This approach had crossed my mind as well. However, and I have no way of proving this, but I suspect that the so-called "inner" boot kit comes with the same grease as the outer boot kit. I stopped by a BMW specialist indy shop today, and spoke to a mechanic who was very familiar with the different types of grease required for the inner and outer joints. He thought he had a few of the thinner grease pouches he could sell me, but of the three that he found, all were the standard black moly grease. Then he told me he was sure he had a bunch at home, but after checking all ten or so of the pouches he had at home, he found that they too were all the black CV stuff. I seriously doubt it's possible to tell the difference in viscosity between the two greases by feeling the outsides of the pouches.

This leads me to believe that most mechanics and DIY'ers don't even know, or don't care, that the two joints require different types of grease. Personally, I think the best bet is to find the closest substitute for whatever BMW used for the inner joint grease at the factory, and be done with it. I refuse to pay $50 for grease, and then wait a week for it to arrive. I'm going to do some checking tomorrow, and take a look at this Coastal lithium uniplex high temp grease, as it sounds like it may come the closest to the factory inner joint grease. I'll post what I find.

[Multibeemer]

Well, scratch the Coastal Uniplex grease off the list - it's way too thick. Still searching for a local source for the correct stuff, but it's looking bleak...

[tspeed]

Multibeemer, do you know if the BMW indy that you spoke with had the grease pouches from the GKN Loebro kit, or from some other source?