Changing CV boot

[marcus]

My 1985 scraped through its MOT this morning, with three advisories: 2 x rear wheel bearings, strange as I replaced them only two years ago and the car only does 2k miles a year, and O/S CV joint cover (can't remember if inner or outer).

How difficult/involved is it to change the cover? Are the the GSF ones ok or are Euro Car Parts better? I ask because there are branches of both near me and I don't want to have to faff about going further afield.

[ianaudia4]

The CV joint boots are not especially difficult, if you have a Haynes read it before you attempt.
I have used both GSF and ECP boots over the years, if you are a paid up member of the Register you get a discount from GSF (worth paying the nominal fee!), and they have both been okay with no issues.

[Nate]

don't use a split boot (one that you glue together round the shaft to save removing the cv joint) as you'll probably get less than a year out of it before it needs doing again

[marcus]

Any advice on interpreting VIN numbers?

Mine is like this according to my V5 doc (it's dark now and I've only just got in from work so can't look at the actual car) ...53ZFK02... but the ECP and GSF sites show them like this: 53-J-001854

[marcus]

Sorry, didn't explain the VIN question - need to understand the VIN to pick the right CV boot.

[ianaudia4]

Contact your local VW dealer and ask them to check your chasis number and give you the correct part number for the boot, then quote this to GSF or ECP and they should be able to cross reference.

[marcus]

Sensible idea - though I'd still like to understand how the actual VINs map to the 'shorthand' used by GSF/ECP and for what it's worth, Vagcat, which is similar.

[plastermaster]

Take off your old boot and take it to ecp, thats what i had to do as the one i ordered from VW was the
wrong size (even with correct chassis & part numbers).

Helpfull guy at ecp in Leeds got every VW boot out until we found one that matched the old one.

[marcus]

Ok, so Haynes not very clear and the method proposed by someone on the swdubs site involves far too much dismantling.

Reading between lines in Haynes, I'm thinking I can get away without removing the road wheel (as advocated by Haynes for no obvious reason) and:

• loosening the hub nut
• driving the car up onto wheel ramps
• removing the inner drive flange bolts (the book says 'splined', does this mean Torx and if so, anyone know the size?)
• detaching the shaft from the flange
• removing the hub nut
• withdrawing the shaft from the hub

Can anyone see anything wrong with this plan?

[marcus]

Ok, so splined (12 points) is not Torx (6 points) and somewhere else I read it's M8.

In case anyone's wondering why I don't want to remove the wheel, not removing it means I can use ramps rather than axle stands, and as I'm working at the roadside I prefer ramps as the camber always makes me a bit nervous with axle stands.

[bengould]

They are called XZN bits, in case you wanna get em online anywhere.
And yes its M8 you need for the driveshafts.

You can do it with the wheels on, but I'd do it on axle stands as it is easier to rotate the wheel to gain access to all the bolts rather than fight around the driveshafts.
If I remember rightly it's also a bit tight getting the joints out of the cup with the car sat on the wheels.

Ben

[MacColl]

Alright Ben,

I have changed the boot without removing the driveshaft at the gearbox end. The info on this I'm sure can be searched on here or Club GTI unless someone has already said on here.I'm using my mobile which is pretty tedious to try and explain.

Basically you crack the main bolt before wheels off and then remove the pinch bolt at the wishbone remove that ball joint then you can by turning the steering pull out the axle splined end and get access to your boot, I remember using a pry bar. You can use carpenters pincers on those metal clips on the boots or use big fat cable ties.

[Mr Funk]

Changed the cv this weekend and there's no point mucking about as it'll only cause you grief in the long run.

Crack the hub nut
Get the car on axle stands
Remove the wheel and drink some tea
Remove the ball joint (a total chimp of a job. I removed the nut then prised them apart using a widow maker)
Undo the gearbox end cv (uses 12 point tool as discussed)
Changing the cv is much easier of the car.
Have another cp of tea.
Refitting is the reverse but with more swearing when you realise you forgot something

[marcus]

The ball joint just doesn't seem to want to come apart, can't use the only ball joint removal tool I have, because it's the direct-acting screw type, could buy a 'pickle fork' style one (ie a fork at one end and a shaft you hammer on at the other), but that's £8 I don't have spare and there's always the danger I'll damage the boot.

Problem seems to be there isn't really anywhere to apply enough leverage with a pry-bar between the hub carrier and the wishbone (plus I don't want to damage the 'turned-up' edges on the wishbone.

Have tried supporting the hub carrier on an axle stand so at least its weight isn't adding to the force on the joint but doesn't make any difference.

Am fearful of doing serious damage, anyone got any bright ideas as to how to separate the ball joint from the carrier? Seems obvious to me that what's called for is the two being pulled in opposite directions but how? Mr Funk suggested using a 'widow maker' which I take to be the standard screw-jack but where/how do you apply it?

The only thing that occurs to me is somehow fabricating some kind of stubby wedge to slide between the wishbone and the part of the hub carrier through which the pinch bolt runs, and hammering on it.

Really need to get this finished this weekend. :(

[bengould]

Where the hub splits to clamp around the ball joint you can pry it apart a bit with a big screwdriver. Then hit the hub quite hard with a big hammer and the ball joint will fall out of the hub.
Not the Haynes recommended way but it will work.

Ben