CV joint boots torn
 

My daughter has some small tears in the front CV joint boots of her 2006 3.0. Do you guys recommend replacing just the boots or doing the entire axel/joint under these circumstances? Either way, labor is expensive but those axels are, too!

how old and how many km on the axle?

2006 (8 years old), 80,000 miles. Not sure how long the tear has been there but it wasn't there at the last oil change (7500 miles ago).

If you catch a torn CV boot quickly, you can usually just repack the joint with grease and replace the boot.

Any water/dirt ingress to the CV boot will require the axle to be replaced, otherwise it will just be a matter of time until the joint starts to make noise and eventually fail.

Get a flashlight and open the 'tear' and have a look at the grease, run your finger on the inside of the boo and feel for grit. If it's a milky colour or you can see dirt/sand in the grease then it will require removal/replacement of axle....halfshaft....whatever you guys call them in the US.

Just do the boot. The DIY (30 minute cv boot change) is the way to go. Just did it a few weeks ago.

You can get the brakes, front spindle off, driveshaft out and stipped in 30 minutes?

^^^This. If you catch the "small rips" before grease starts spewing out, just repack the joint with fresh grease and re-boot it. GKN Loebro boot kits are OEM and $20 a side.

The OEM axles are very sturdy, and proper checking will give you long life. If you have a complete tear and spewing grease everywhere, I'm afraid you may need to buy a new outer joint or a complete axle assembly. Considering I don't trust the chinese made $60 axles, an OEM GKN axle will run you about $280 per side.

If you are comfortable the joint hasn't been contaminated with grit (luckily it is just before sanding/salting season...) then I would just do the boots.

I had always been afraid of this DIY, but the axles are so expensive that I decided to try it last year. Was messy but easy. There are lots of youtube videos that walk you through it.

If you have an impact wrench appropriate to get the axle nut off and a torque wrench to torque a new axle nut down, the only other special tool you need is for those special metal band clamps that hold the boots on - you can find simple ones and fancy ones... I use a Lisle 30800 for the "ear type" clamps and a Lisle 30950 for the ones you wind up.

Once the boot cracks, there are a few scenarios:

1. Minor grease leak and no dirt ingress into the CV joint:
- Disassemble the CV joint (info in forum), clean it with solvent such as mineral spirits etc. Clean all the balls well.
- Let them dry, then
- Re-pack with grease
- New rubber boot, use only GKN or BMW dealer boot.

2. Major grease leak and dirt has entered the joint:
- Sometimes you are lucky because if you catch it early w/o CV joint damage (no clunking sound during right/left turns), then do #1 above.
- If you have clicking sound during right/left turns, time for new axle.

No clicking or other sounds yet. However, for the labor charge to disassemble, clean, repack and reassemble the old CV joints, I think it would make more sense to replace them(?)

It doesn't make sense when you compare the sub-par quality of the "New" Chinese axles found in the big box stores for under $100.

If you are replacing the axle with another GKN axle, sure it makes sense. But you have to compare the labor to R&R the axle, plus the $280 per side price tag, vs the labor to clean, re-pack and re-boot the joints only.

Unless you are ok with putting the $60 axles in, personally I wouldn't do it. The OE axles can be re-booted and repacked several times before ever needing a replacement, if cared for they should give hundreds of thousands of miles of service.

No clunking sound: good news.

Get the boot from BMW dealer and DIY.

Gave up DIY 30 years ago. My knuckles have thanked me ever since (although my wallet hasn't been quite as happy)!

A good indy shouldn't charge more than 2 hours per side on the books if they have done the job before (Reboot and Repack the joint with a fresh boot).

Dealer book time I believe is 3.5 hours per side, because their procedure requires you to disconnect/remove everything off the knuckle.

If the CV joint is clicking you can replace just the CV joint and install a new boot.

Just had new fronts done last week. $519 inc tax at my indy shop.

None of that is necessary to change the outer boot.

There's a thread on here on how to do it. I just followed their process. First time takes longer than thirty minutes. Next tome I'll take less than thirty minutes. It's very easy.

Don't you mean none of that is necessary to change the inner boot? The outer you would absolutely have to remove the axle from the knuckle, unless your going the "glue" route... which I do not suggest

Nope. The boot nearest the wheel is what I'm talking about and I'm talking about a factory cv boot. You do have to pop the axle out of the cv joint, but you don't have to touch the axle nut. The circlip that hold it in place will also let it come apart once you undo the control arm to get the range of motion you need. So, you absolutely don't need to take the axle out of the hub. :thumbup:

Look at the 30 minute cv boot replacement thread in here. Search is your friend. I'd link it but I'm on my iPad and am not talented enough to do the cut paste well enough. :(

And I'm back home on the laptop so here's the linky to the 30 minute cv boot change:

cv-boot-replaced-30-minutes.html

Just a side note: The procedure was done in approximately 30 minutes with 2 experienced engineers in no hurry. For just about everyone else doing this for the first time in their garage as a DIY, it will take you longer to set up and complete the task.

This method is an alternative way to the traditional book method. Either one you choose should net the same result.

As posted, if you can catch the boot leak without the axle clicking or making noises, just replace the boot. Indy shops can get you fixed for around $500. Dealership wont be so easy on your wallet for this job. If you need to replace the axle, bite the bullett and purchase a GKN replacement or the dealership reman axle. You dont want to throw on anything less than that for such a critical piece.

hi all, i have problem when i start a car after 2rd gear to 3rd gear, when the car is cold safe mode prog come on board and move is very slow.after i turn off car and start after 10 second , there is no messege and no promblem all day long, next day morning there is same problem!! today i checked by computer and there was problem slipping 2rd gear to 3 gear, can anybody tell what i do, some say me there is problem of brain some say abot transsmission problem but why its comes when the car is cold???

You have a completely different problem, you should start a new thread.

Well upon a list of building issues I have with my 4.8is (see my bad luck thread), I was under the car looking for a transmission leak and noticed both of my inner boots are shot. The passenger side was spewing grease all over the place, and the driver's side seemed ok at first but then I noticed a small tear, but no grease has come out yet. The outer boots seemed ok. I have only put 2500 miles on the truck since I had it, and when I had the PPI done I do not remember there being any tears. Haven't noticed any popping noises either. So I ordered 2 new OEM boot repair kits today.

So basically looking over the 30 min CV change thread (it's long haven't read through all of it yet), I just need to unbolt the straight control arm closer to the engine and then pop the axle out of the CV joint? I probably will need to clean up the passenger side a little bit, but I don't think the driver's side has been contaminated at all.

You should take the time to read through it. There's more than one method listed in the whole post. The method you choose will depend on your resources and personal capabilities.

The alternative axle boot replacement procedures are clever but they're not made for everyone. The book method that Bentley publishes isn't really that hard at all nor is there anything wrong with the procedure.

Well I just decided to replace both axles with GKN units. I was getting a horrible vibration when I accelerated that I think could of been caused by the driver's CV joint. So I will be doing the whole thing. Woohoo. :rolleyes:

Good Luck with the axles. Posters complained about staking the nut but it is not a problem with a punch and a LARGE hammer.

Tips: Spray down all the splines with a WD-40 type product 24 before trying to press out the hub. (Plenty of postings on how-to)

Hope all goes well and the weather or shop is nice warm and dry.

If you've worked on cars before, you should be fine. The Tutorial written by hayaku http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...mw-x5-e53.html is real in-depth and in collaboration with the 30 min replacement thread, that's everything you need to tackle the job (minus necessary hand tools).

Thanks for the advise. I already have the old ones out, actually was pretty easy. Hardest part was getting the rotor off, lol. (not sure if that was even needed but I am replacing the brakes anyways). Having air tools definitely helps. Also, I borrowed this penetrating spray from a friend, he used to sell big truck equipment, and it is amazing stuff. I let it soak overnight, and the axle easily came out of the hub. All I did was remove the caliper and rotors, disconnected the height sensor and abs sensor, and then the straight lower control arm at the body side. That gave me enough room to remove it.

A bit off topic, but now that I have the axles out, I really need to go ahead and replace my motor mount and the driver's side engine bracket (item #1 below). It is broken on the top. The axles being out does give me more room, but I need to figure out what else I need to remove to get to it.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/diagrams/o/r/190.png

Heh guys, my front left passenger CV boot is torn with very little grease left. My right CV boot is starting to go. Is it an instant urgent job needing done straight away?

cheers

We decided to sit it out, as replacing the boots was going to cost almost as much as replacing the axles with remanufactured GKNs. I figured I'll just wait until I start hearing the tell-tale clicking on turns. Well, here we are 5 years and 50,000 miles later and still no clicking or other signs of problems! She just traded the car in, so make of that what you will.

- You can patch it temporarily with some duct tape but it does not last long.

- Just curious how many km (or miles) in your X5 when the boots split...

Sorry, I just found another thread that answers this question for me.

https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/...e-replace.html

Anyhow, I have ~216,000 km on the clock and I think it has only gone in the last 1000.

The CV boot is cheap...

http://febest.com.au/BOOT_OUTER_CV_J...4_KIT/1917-E53

And it's well less that a two-hour job. There's a method I've used (on my E53) that doesn't require the removal of any CV or the axle from the car. See this thread/post.

https://xoutpost.com/792410-post36.html

Undo a couple of bolts, cut off the old boot, release the axle from the CV, clean up and re-grease the CV, slip new boot onto axel, pop axle back in, slip new boot into place and secure, bolt everything back up. Have a beer... ;)

I would do 'em rather than leave them. CVs will last the life of the vehicle if kept clean and greased - less if not. And I know axles are cheap in the US but they aren't cheap Downunder. :(

sktn, wow! Thanks for that useful info. I guess it depends on what size your vehicle is but good info. I do remember seeing a car on the side of the highway with the wheel looking not at the right angle..:o). I will do that noise test.

wpoll, that looks like something I can do! I’m a newbee. Are there any problems I have to watch out for in the process?

- I have 130K miles (same as your mileage) and my boots are still factory.

- Don't use Febest, it is of unknown quality.
- Stick to GKN, which is the OEM mfg. I don't know if you can get GKN boot in Australia, buy try ebay Australia.
- Or try FCPEuro in the USA.

- Safety first, use jack stands, and place the tire underneath the engine area.

Actually the quality of Febest IS known - it's usually crap! :rofl:

But down here we sometime have to use what we can get. Sure, we can order a GKN from the US - and pay six times it's value in postage and then get nailed by local sales tax on import, on top of the exchange rate. All that can make a GKN from the USA cost over $100.... - I shit you not.

Changing a CV isn't something I want to do more than I have to but I've had reasonable success with brands like Febest (and others that don't even have a brand on them) - never had to re-do one (yet!).

But yes, that's good advice - get the best parts you can. :thumbup:

It takes two, baby....

Popping the axle from the outer CV joint is pretty easy with a helper. Have your helper pull gently on the hub (outwards), while you use an alloy/brass drift to smartly tap the inner CV shoulder. Make sure you have clamped/supported the axle so that the outward force applies pressure to the c-clip and doesn't pull the inner CV apart. The axle should just pop out of the CV inner when you tap the CV shoulder...

Unfortunately, I am by myself so I will think about it. What is the procedure with the grease? Just thought I’d check.

A CV joint is pack with a heavy grease and the purpose of the rubber CV boot is to keep the grease in the joint and keep dust'n'dirt out. When the boot splits, much of the grease in the joint is thrown out and any that is left may be contaminated by dirt'n'dust.

You can see the remaining grease in this image from member dville...

http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/o...9.jpg~original

When you replace the boot, you clean out any remaining grease and re-pack the joint with the special grease supplied with the boot (nasty stuff too!). The new boot then covers this freshly-greased CV joint.

*edit* - BTW, dville's image shows him using a pinch-bar to pop the axle from the CV joint. I haven't tried this (yet...) but it could certainly be a one-person task using this method.