cv boot replace progress
 

i finally started the replacement procedure tonight and hit a snag 20 mins into it. turns out the last time the brakes were done (by dealer techs) they shot in the nuts with the air gun and overtightened everything... including the rotor retaining screw.

its too late for me to power up my own air compressor (would wake up the neighbors) to shot out the rotor retaining screw. i may have to drill it out and extract it tomorrow anyways...

i'll post pics when i start removing the control arms and the hub tomorrow night and let ya'll know how bad it is...

so far, i think this is very DIY-able for home mechanic here.

Pics of the damage here
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...cvboot/rip.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...vboot/rip2.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...vboot/rip1.jpg

Upper boot is still intact
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...boot/upper.jpg

I feel your pain! Anyhow, did you get your original air gun repaired? Mike did our X5 CV boot replacement last summer and it took them about 2 hrs on each side. Good luck!

no, i'm still using the replacement. did mike do all 4 boots then? inner and outer? or did he just do the lower?

Good question....if I remember correctly, I got all the parts from Crev and got both inner & outer CV boots parts. However, it was the outer CV boots that were torn and not the inner. I don't think we did the inner....I guess I should have had them done at the same time. I remember returning the inner boots to Crev.

We'll have to catch up!:)

ok.. i'm leaning towards doing just the outer as i need to go tow the race car this weekend and need to get the x5 up and running quickly (with me working on it only at night after 10 pm).

I think the reason we left it alone because it looked fine to Mike & me (I saw it with my own eyes on the lift) and it appears that there is alot more suspension movement at the outer CV joint vs the inner, thus the outer CV boots gets more easily torn.

I am interested in your progress, thanks for sharing.

If you are pulling the shaft do both just "cause" if your doing it on the truck then do just the outer.

well.. another 45 mins and i hit another snag. i need my air compressor to remove the big 36mm axle flange nut because the whole thing spins when i try to turn it (duh, its a bearing)... anyways, its late and i can't fire it up. I'll have to try to come home early and fire up the compressor and remove that nut before my neighbors complain its too late to use it..

so it *should* take about 1 hour to remove everything so you can service just the outer cv boot if you are working with the shaft still in the truck.

with all the time i'm wasting and small snags i've hit, it would've been a good thing to have the dealer service it for me for $450usd. oh well.. too late now and i'll have the job completed for under $30 but lost alot of time (this should've been done in 1 day).

Starting point of the procedure with brakes removed:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...startpoint.jpg

All control arms and steering tie rod disconnected. the front control is still stuck on the swivel bearing joint and the only way to remove it is with a slide hammer per TIS (requires a new control arm to install it afterwards). i figure i can still work with it on there and not buy a new front control arm.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...msreleased.jpg

Opening the axle flange nut tabs. After this point I was stuck because I couldn't run my air compressor.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...oot/flange.jpg

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ot/flange2.jpg

I'll do a full write up with proper instructions after I'm done...

Come over my house, I let you use the compressor. Most of neighbors are seniors I would love to hear them bitching......Ahhhhh... I am just kidding.. They are too old, 70 and up they don't have energy to push the trash can to drive way, I help out sometimes..But come over, I'lll give you a hand.

By the way, I have been drive the X around with broken boot. Damn, the grease all over my wheels, it's a mess. I am waiting for dealer to call me when the part coming, they are going to replace the whole shaft. That will include ball joint boot inner and outer. So, I said what the heck, keep driving until they fall apart.