Okay so after doing a tonne of work on the felly over the last couple of weeks I still need to replace the drivers side inner cv boot which is split all the way round. Now I have a bit of a plan but I figured someone would be able to tell me if its a stupid one. If it isn't I could prob try and get some photos and throw together a bit of a guide.

Basically I don't want to have to drain the transmission oil or if possible faf around with removing any of the cv joints etc from the drive shaft out of sheer lazyness. So my plan is:

Remove the hub nut, track rod, ball joint etc. to free the hub. Knock the drive shaft out at the wheel end.

Remove the Driveshaft vibration damper, (renewed a couple of months ago)

Then attach a chopped up 2ltr bottle to the wheel side of the drive shaft (a bit of a bodge it cv cone fitting tool)

This is the bit which is, well total bodge it. Basically shove the inner cv boot over the outer cv boot, all the way along the drive shaft (will maybe greese it a bit (:S) then to the far end where it needs to be fitted. Add the grease, fit the clip/ties.

Refit everything wheel end.

What do you think? Anyone done anything similar before? Guessing someone will have (it may even be a common bodgers teqnique!)

no it wont work..

what could possibly work is if you remove the outer joint from the end of the shaft then slide the inner boot on whilst the outer joints are off.. i replaced all 4 of my boots yesterday in this way

Edited 1 March, 201115 yr by TeflonTom

threads like this really confuse me,

it's a car, has four wheels and a engine, the garage knows about the finer details!

It's quicker and easier to do it properly. Draining the oil out of the box takes about 5 minutes (it's one bloody bolt), and indeed if you jack the car up well enough you won't need to drain it all out anyway. Things like this always seem like a good idea, but doing it properly will be quicker and easier in the long run. Decent CV boots won't stretch much anyway, so unless you're using a pattern one (which are crap - if you've ever been near a car with the wheels running while in the air you'll know what I mean) then it's a waste of time.

Also bear in mind that while you're dragging it about here there and everywhere you'll be collecting crap which will then go into your inner CV.

Ha loving the objection to my laziness. Rekon the proper way is the right way! I usually only use ratchet bits with the hex shape but the only 30mm I can find is the sort of splined type which in my experience are great at rounding off nuts. Is it worth going and buying a 30mm hex type? Don't fancy rounding a hub nut!

Also is the hub nut really 300Nm ? My torque wrench only goes up to 150! How the chuff do you get it that tight?!

Yes. Find a mate who weighs 220lb, and get him to stand on a 1 foot long bar. (300nm = 221lbft, that is a mass of 221lb appleited 1 foot fro mthe pivot). So a calibrated weight/distance combo...

Ha loving the objection to my laziness. Rekon the proper way is the right way! I usually only use ratchet bits with the hex shape but the only 30mm I can find is the sort of splined type which in my experience are great at rounding off nuts. Is it worth going and buying a 30mm hex type? Don't fancy rounding a hub nut!

Yes, definitely worth getting a six-point 30mm socket for it; in fact I only use 6-point sockets usually for that reason; far fewer problems since doing so rather than the 12-point ones I used to use; they are only used when I have access issues now.

As for the hub nut, as said above, easy enough with a bar - in practice (mine get undone/done up a lot) I just do them up FT, not had a problem.

I weigh 217lbs so i can do it for you

I just do them up FT

ah yes, i am very familar with that engineering spefcification

it goes FT, VFT, then EFT

ah yes, i am very familar with that engineering spefcification

it goes FT, VFT, then EFT

followed by "@#@+ lol but yea just do them proper tight and will be fine.. liking how a 23mm hole in the cv boot is going to stretch over a 60mm cv joint with just a coke bottle lol..

OP there is a cone tool available to do such a thing and also a "stretch" boot to use with it but having used one once I honestly wouldn't bother again

oohh and my workmate actualy snapped the end off an escort cossy cv joint tightening it on a rally :S

To take the shaft out just undo hub nut and bottom ball joint, out it comes, loosen big clip on inner gaiter and shaft comes off, plunge section still in box, no oil spill. Be careful not to let bearings apart, cut gaiter off and slide a well wd`d inside out,stretch boot over a cut down funnel, turn it back the right way and swill with brake cleaner. Use metal clips, ties fail mot these days. Just a thought along the lines of your orig post.

Use metal clips, ties fail mot these days.

Really?

Still don't reckon you'll get a boot on like that, inner or outer.

Edited 6 March, 201115 yr by djaychela

yes i've heard of cable ties failing mot's recently, i bought the proper tool for crimping the strap type joint clips for £20 from my local motor factors

Well I wouldn't. Ever heard of the butterfly effect?

I did what pretty much what you asked about (as I love a good bodge around) in 1999, the evidence of such ended up on the A34 on my way to an important launch meeting for the company I was working for.

So, broke down, had to swap to a courtesy car that broke down too, missed meeting and ended up losing my job over it

It which was actually a good thing really as many years later I am so over it and really glad I never went down that route with that company anyway as I wouldnt be where I am now (which is very happy).

So be warned! Bodges and shortcuts sometimes catch up on ya!

So be warned! Bodges and shortcuts sometimes catch up on ya!

bodged not bought is my religion

i've done many a roadside bodge to get me home in the past! mountain bike gearchange cable to replace a broken throttle cable anybody?

Also is the hub nut really 300Nm ? My torque wrench only goes up to 150! How the chuff do you get it that tight?!

Do nut up as tight as you can get it, then run car along to the garage to get them to finish off with the correct torque.

Out of interest should I be worried about loosing the speedo drive gear when refilling the box? I've seen one or two posts on here about people dropping them in while checking the gear box oil. Whats the best way to make sure if doesn't go freefall?!

Take it out carefully - if the plastic bit is separated from the metal rod it runs on then you will just have to be careful, but some have dropped the metal rod and the gear in which is more serious; you can ensure that doesn't happen by removing the speedo cable first, you can then keep hold of it using pliers or similar as you remove the entire speedo drive.

I'm sure Jim has a more elegant way!

So I've just done the cv boot, all was fine did it the proper way. The only thing is I can't get the driveshaft back in fully on the gearbox side. It wasn't going all the way in initially (prob only half the spline length) but that was because the circlip wasn't tight enough, I fixed that and it slid in easy as pie. There is no leaking from the gearbox and it's connected up perfectly fine at the hub side. It drives fine but theres about a 5mm gap between the gearbox and the big end of the driveshaft. Is that a big issue? Any suggestions on how to get it all the way in? After this whole farce with the inner boot I feel ive been royal reminded I'm a beginner!!

Depends if the gap was there before - there's a thin steel ring which is protection for the oil seal, etc, so if that is missing there may be a 5mm or so gap, but it sounds as if the shaft isn't all the way home. I've had that before, and usually pulling it out a bit and then pushing it back in does the trick - you don't want it to come out of the box; it can do on full lock/droop if you're not careful (same happened to my sis's car once - NOT my fault I hasten to say!)

try roatating the other shaft by hand round say 90 or 180 degrees then try again.... also poke a clean finger into the differential and make sure the differential sun gear inside is central, they do normally wiggle around on the planet gears when the driveshaft is not fitted

Edited 12 March, 201115 yr by TeflonTom