Re: 2002 Toyota Corolla inner CV boot clamp

mrsteveo wrote:
[color=blue]
>Today I had my oil changed and the tranny fluid flushed. They noted
>that the right inner CV clamp was leaking grease. I guess they said
>the boot(s) were OK though.[/color]
[color=blue]
>I guess the clamp is about $5.00 but they mentioned maybe needing 2
>hours to replace it at like $250+ just in LABOR?!?!?![/color]
[color=blue]
>They also said they may just need to replace the entire CV assembly
>thing on the right side.[/color]
[color=blue]
>If the CV boot isn't even damaged, I don't get how they would have
>even see a problem? They said it had grease all over it, but I have
>*never* seen any on the ground...[/color]

Look inside the wheel well, and if you don't see several tiny specs of
grease or spots of oil and the boot doesn't look split or cracked, you
probably just need to tighten the inner clamp.

Most shops replace entire CV assemblies because it takes just as much
labor to replace just a boot, unless a split boot is installed.

[email]rantonrave@mail.com[/email] wrote:
the right inner CV clamp was leaking grease.
I have[color=blue][color=green]
> >*never* seen any on the ground...[/color]
>
> Look inside the wheel well, and if you don't see several tiny specs of
> grease or spots of oil and the boot doesn't look split or cracked, you
> probably just need to tighten the inner clamp.
>
> Most shops replace entire CV assemblies because it takes just as much
> labor to replace just a boot, unless a split boot is installed.[/color]
==============
Helps if you know what to look for.
To see the inner CV boot you need to lift the car and remove the
wheel. There are two CV joints on each side, one (outer) near wheel
hub, and one (inner) closer to the differential.
On my '94 Camry, the inner boot clamp on the left side was leaking
grease for some time. I kept wiping it off when rotating tires, but it
would re appear.
Looking closely, there seemed to be a plastic sleeve inside the boot
that was actually leaking. The amount of grease actually lost was
small, so I left it for perhaps 20 - 30,000 miles, but after learning
how to replace the right side, I went ahead and replaced the left. I
do not believe a worm or screw drive clamp will work for this
application. The clamps they use are crimped into place with a special
tool. I think they're something like $30 at NAPA for CV boot clamping
tool. The problem is that you really should remove the boot, clean and
re pack the old grease, then install the new clamp which is more work
than just replacing the axle. Toyota remanufactured axles are balanced
and all parts subject to wear are replaced with factory spec. new.