Torn Front CV Boot - Replace or Rebuild Axle?

[jcaroth]

Like many others, I have discovered that the CV boots on my front passenger side are torn and leaking grease. I'd like to fix this before winter hits, but I'm not sure if it's smarter to replace the boots alone or the whole axle. As far as I see it, I have three options:

 

1. Buy a new OEM axle, PN 28321AG00D, for $400

2. Buy an off-brand axle from RockAuto or Advance for $75

3. Buy a new boot and some grease and replace the boot for $25

 

A new OEM axle is expensive as hell and rebuilding an axle sounds messy and tedious. That said, I've done some searching on the forums and read that people often have issues with off-brand axles creating vibrations or noises after install. Are there any trusted brands nowadays?

 

Are there any other options I'm missing? Thanks!

[MilesA]

Rebooting is not that bad. As long as there is nothing wrong with the axles and they have not gotten grit into the joint, I would suggest that.

[doobaruGT]

I bought a remanned one from Marty at Raxles. I went that route because he uses OEM parts instead of off-brands. I'd be happy to sell you one of those that I'm not using. It would be more than what Rock Auto charges but that's because, sometimes, you get what you pay for from them.

[relative4]

Rebooting is not that bad. As long as there is nothing wrong with the axles and they have not gotten grit into the joint, I would suggest that.

Ditto. The job seems messy, but if you lay it out carefully on throwaway plastic, have a stack of rags on hand, and use nitrile gloves, you can do it in your Armani tux. Plus it's fun and pretty easy. Takes some tools though. The axle nut and ball joint can be a little tricky, and you'll need oetiker pliers.

[Dishwasher]

Rebooting is easy, you can even do it with the axle still on the car. Just have lots of paper towels. If it's not making any noise that's what I've done.

[Max Capacity]

Yep, your best off rebooting your axle if its still good inside. Do it now, don't wait.

[jcaroth]

Rebooting is easy, you can even do it with the axle still on the car. Just have lots of paper towels. If it's not making any noise that's what I've done.

 

How do you reboot with the axle on the car??

[spacemanspif]

i have 2 aftermarket axles under Mrs. Spif's front end and 1 original in my trunk waiting for a new boot to be kept as a spare...where can I get new boots and grease? eBay/Amazon? Or are there higher quality (more heat resistant) options somewhere?

[solidxsnake]

How do you reboot with the axle on the car??

 

Like this:

 

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=bf8uRTjfxsk]DIY: Subaru CV Boots - YouTube[/ame]

[jcaroth]

i have 2 aftermarket axles under Mrs. Spif's front end and 1 original in my trunk waiting for a new boot to be kept as a spare...where can I get new boots and grease? eBay/Amazon? Or are there higher quality (more heat resistant) options somewhere?

 

Rock Auto has CV boot kits (including grease) for about $15 before shipping.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/subaru,2008,legacy,2.5l+h4+turbocharged,1440457,drivetrain,cv+joint+boot,2284

[CapnJack]

I've got two A1 Cardone HD axles in my car I purchased from Rockauto.com with no issues. Appear to be better built than OEM and took me about 45 mins to replace. They also come with a warranty.

 

If you have the ability to rebuild, that's your cheapest route. If you have concerns about the integrity of the current axle and want to replace it, you have a few different options many will agree on this order.

 

1) New OEM

Pros - It's OEM and New.

Cons - $$$$

 

2) Rebuilt from Raxels.

Pros - Its as good or better than OEM and reasonably priced.

Cons - Not the cheapest option. Shipping back and forth may be a PITA for you.

 

3) New from websitedotcom or Bricks and Mortar Inc

Pros - Price and comes with a warranty.

Cons - Various reliability reports

 

4) Rebuilt from websitedotcom or Bricks and Mortar Inc

Pros - Price?

Cons - Many report reliability issue(vibration). Warranty can be iffy.

[devobuzz]

Mine had about 80K on the OEM axle when the boot let go. Stuck in a similar situation with the sketchy remans as an option, I decided just to pull the axle and reboot it. 10K miles later and all is well. How many miles on your axle? That would be the decision maker.

[Dishwasher]

Like this:

 

 

Yup that's the method I used.

[MilesA]

Yup that's the method I used.

One thing he does not really emphasize enough in that video. Use a paint marker to mark the exact position of the strut bolts if you are going to loosen them. That way, you can set your alignment back the way it was. Otherwise, add the cost of a wheel alignment to this job. And please don't use an impact gun on your struts. You're taking shortcuts already doing the job this way.

[solidxsnake]

One thing he does not really emphasize enough in that video. Use a paint marker to mark the exact position of the strut bolts if you are going to loosen them. That way, you can set your alignment back the way it was. Otherwise, add the cost of a wheel alignment to this job. And please don't use an impact gun on your struts. You're taking shortcuts already doing the job this way.

 

Unless you're referring to tightening the two bolts holding the strut to the knuckle... why not? There's no problem using an impact to loosen the nuts on the standard or the eccentric bolt that hold it to the knuckle. Obviously a torque wrench should always be used to tighten fasteners correctly.

[MilesA]

...Obviously a torque wrench should always be used to tighten fasteners correctly.

 

It's not obvious to the guy in the video...

 

 

He says his impact gun is close enough. He didn't mark the initial position on the eccentric bolts, either. He says he's going by a "rust line".

 

Just seems there is some room for improvement.

[solidxsnake]

It's not obvious to the guy in the video...

 

 

He says his impact gun is close enough. He didn't mark the initial position on the eccentric bolts, either. He says he's going by a "rust line".

 

Just seems there is some room for improvement.

 

Fair enough, and agreed!

 

That said, honestly the fasteners on the strut are high-grade enough that I wouldn't worry about zapping them tight with an reasonable impact. I can't imagine a typical air or electric impact gun would break one of those bolts (they're spec'd to 112 ft-lb), or overtighten them to the point of stretching the threads until they're compromised. If it's a weak impact, then I'd only be worried that it doesn't have enough to torque them enough.

[Dishwasher]

Yeah It's been awhile since I did it, I forgot the video doesn't recommend marking the camber bolt. I would definitely recommend marking the camber bolt with whiteout pen or something, and always tighten bolts to spec.

[MrMileHighGuy]

Are there any specific recommendations for boot kits? Does OEM vs aftermarket brands matter? I have OEM axles and want to keep them and replace the boots. One is torn all the way through and the other is cracking.

 

I'll go the reboot route but want to buy boots that are going to last the longest.

 

Any recommendations? or all the same?

[MilesA]

Are there any specific recommendations for boot kits?...or all the same?

Rubber deteriorates eventually, some are going to hold up longer than others, though. Subaru OEM is one of the better ones. EMPI available at NAPA is decent, also.

 

The Subaru OEM can be had with just the boot, or a kit with boot, clamps and grease.

 

Make sure you use the right kind of grease. It should be marked for use with CV joints. This is a pretty demanding application, so don't just use any old grease.

[Dishwasher]

I used a Subaru OEM boot.

 

I used Moog CV Axle Grease, this is what my dealership uses and recommends.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Moog-3301-CV-Grease-oz/dp/B0093XUXQQ

[axisofevol]

From everything I've read, aftermarket axles rarely last more than a year or two. The recommendations I've seen are either reboot, as others have said, or find used OEM ones with the lowest mileage you can and use those. Less expensive and far more likely to last.

 

Apparently the same goes with steering racks.

[sanchitosonria]

raxles.com high quality and great customer service. Pricier option but I have had mine for awhile with no issues.

[MilesA]

The thing is, there's no need to replace the axles you already have if they aren't damaged. They can last the life of the car. Just don't let grit get into the joints. The axles you got from the factory are probably better quality than re-manufactured ones. Where do the re-manufactured axles come from - oh, right, they used to be trashed axles before they were rebuilt!

[MrMileHighGuy]

So I was told something interesting today and want some opinions.

 

Hopefully we're all in agreement by now that the OEM axles are best and unless they are damaged, replace the boot and not the entire axle. If you do choose to replace the entire axle go with OEM from Subaru, even though they are very expensive.

 

I have one torn boot DS and one cracked boot NDS. I purchased new boots and was planning on doing the install myself but decided to call around and get some quotes to see I could find a good deal for install. I called several reputable Subaru repair shops in my area and one had some interesting info, or shall I say opinion.

 

He said specifically.... "If the boot is torn do NOT just replace the boot because if you just refill with new grease and replace the boot it will start to cause a vibration noticeable to the driver". And that it only happens with 2005+ Subaru's and a vast majority of the time when replacing just the boot his customers come back with complaints of noticing these vibrations.

 

I mentioned that I had only heard about this happening when aftermarket axles are installed as a replacement. He agreed that is also correct and that the only true way to fix it is by replacing with OEM remanufactured or OEM axles. And that, if the boot is cracked or just barely starting to go the boot itself can be replaced, however, if the boot is fully cracked and throwing grease everywhere its too late and if repaired with a new boot IT WILL eventually cause a vibration.

 

Interesting because I have OEM axles with 1 torn boot and 1 just starting to dry and slightly crack and my car definitely has this vibration at a stop light. I want to just save the money and replace JUST the boots, but his explanation now makes me hesitant and possibly considering replacing the DS axle with OEM reman, and the boot on NDS.

 

So because my car has this vibration with OEM axles and 1 torn boot, does this mean the vibration is caused because there is no grease left in that axle and its damaged? there is dirt and debris in there and damaged? or its just dry(ish) and needs a new boot and grease to be added to get rid of the vibration?

 

Sorry for the long winded post, just thought this might be helpful info to share, and id much rather spend money on mods then over spending on a repair if the info is incorrect.