CV Boots

[LoneWolf]

Hello all
I recently found out that my gen3 camry has torn cv boots and the local shop wants to charge me $300 to fix em! It doesnm't look that hard to fix by myself, hell the parts are only $30....anyone know the steps to replaceing the Outer CV boots? Any info would help tremendously. Thanks a bunch

[Ice5]

Well, you have two options.

1) Buy "Standard Boots"
2) Take off wheel, etc. and pull the axle out
3) Replace boots
4) Put back together

OR

1) Buy "Split Boots" (about $25 CAD each)
2) jack up car
3) cut off old boots
4) put on new boots and seal them



In my experience the "Split Boots" are actually more sturdy and last longer than the "normal boots"

Good luck.

[celica/camry]

unless yous are already clickin..then u havta get new cv's

[BoogieMan]

I just paid C$130 flat (no tax) couple weeks ago to get mine replaced. If you want to know the store location, let me know.

I must warn you, its alot of work, if DIY! (i was watching)

Edit: the price is for both sides.

[rpj1984]

Yeah it is a hard DIY, i replaced one of mine when i lowered my car and just found my other side is torn, i am going to take mine somewhere to get this side done. And the people i go to charge $200 U.S for both sides, so i imagine $100 for one side

[LoneWolf]

$130 for both? $200 for both? I got quoted mid $300's to do both of my outer boots. I live in Sacramento CA, if you could hook it up with somewhere around here for that cheap I'd be real happy. Oh and its as simple as buy new ones, take em off and then put the new ones on? There is no real technical shit I need to know? I heard I might have to go rent a tool or something to do the job.....any suggestions?

[crazy_camry]

if you don't already, get a Haynes manual or something, it will help a lot if you decide to replace it yourself. i need to replace mine, one has cracked on my Gen 2

[BoogieMan]

Its not as easy as it sounds. nothing is.

You don't need any special tools but you need some heavy tools like hammer (thick ones), and its very messy cuz of the oil thing that comes out of the CV Joint.

but like he said, read the manual and see what you think!

[white90dx]

One of the boots on the passenger side of my gen2 busted... Since the axle had 265k miles on it, I just replaced the whole thing. The other guys are right though. Its not as easy as it sounds... It took me the better part of the weekend to do it, but that included many breaks, runs to the auto parts store for tools, etc... Its also the first time I have done any repair of that magnitude. It all came out alright... You can get a whole rebuilt axle for about $70, so that is also an option for you...

-Charlie

[CamryDX]

Yeah..I'd go for the new axle thats what i'm doing because i had a tore cv boot and when i cut it off there was water coming out of it and i have a buddy that works at carquest and he said he can give me a drivers side axle for 55 bucks So When i figure out how mine comes off i'll have that fixed

[CamryDX]

Fixed! The axle on mine was a Inboard Spline...wasn't like the ones the people on TN told me but thanks for all the help guys! I have the axle on order it will be here saturday and i can't wait to put it in so i can put my new spindle on too and see how that thing goes...and another thing dude...if you buy the new axle instead of replacing the boot you get a LIFETIME NO MILE LIMIT warranty a mechanic told me...and he said if you drove it AT ALL with a bad boot the chances are more on the shot side so you midswell replace it now..save yourself the 25 bucks and buy new axles that have a life time replacement on them..he said he had 400 bucks in cores last week at his shop and he said he's seen axles w/ 10 years come in exchanged w/ no question and he's seen some w/ 3 weeks no questions asked either..but its your choce dude..just tellin you the better deal

[spills1969]

I feel your pain. local shop wanted to charge me 180 bux per axel to replace mine, but thats all new axle, not just boot. He said he heard a clicking, but I KNEW that it was the boot and not the joint itself. Newayz, long story short, i went to an auto parts store and bought the axles myself and did a DIY in about 2 hours for one side. I got a 2nd gen I4, and it pretty much slips on and off with the removal of 6 or so nuts. If you got the time, I would recommend you DIY if you have a good idea on how to do it. Plus, it'll help you learn about your car. Thats how i learned about 90% of the things that hae gone wrong on my car, or just how things work.

[CamryDX]

also be aware, you might have inboard spline where there aren't any nuts that you have to take off of the axle to pull it out...just about a 4-5 Foot bar from the top of the tranny...My auto parts store only charged me 55 bucks like i said

[motac23]

Okay this is embarrasing to ask considering I removed an axle two times already (2002 Corolla and I believe a 1995 Avalon), but for the passenger side, can't I just use a long pry bar and hammer in the notch in the tulip joint? Also separating from the hub, in school I just banged on the disc (wrong method I know) but it was a school car and no one wanted to go get the special tool from the tool room, but is there a way to get it off the hub without renting a special tool?

[Nick]

leave the nut on the end of the axle and bang on that, (never bang on something that`s got threads)

a pry bar behind helps too