Inner CVJ Boots

[Geoff]

Hi,

Our 2001 Outback needs both front inner CVJ boots replaced. In searching
earlier threads I found a brief reference saying that an inner boot can be
replaced without removing the outer joint from the hub.

Also, I believe a rollpin needs to be driven out to remove the shaft end
from the trans? Both sides?

Any confirmation or otherwise would be appreciated, it will save us some
money.

Thanks,
Geoff

 

[johninKY]

Each axle has only one roll pin and it has to come out. Use only the
correct size drift pin/punch to remove them. You don't know what grief is
until you break or jam something like a drill bit inside the axle. Seems
foolish to me to go through the trouble of just replacing the inner boots
because the outer boots will fail and need replaced the next week. I know
with my luck that would be the case. Pulling the entire axle is not that
much of a job. But to answer your original question, the joint at one end
of the CV axle can be removed by first removing a snap ring. Takes a
hammer to remove the other end. I just don't recall which end has the
snap ring. I think it is the inner joint but not sure.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

Hi,

Our 2001 Outback needs both front inner CVJ boots replaced. In searching
earlier threads I found a brief reference saying that an inner boot can be
replaced without removing the outer joint from the hub.

Also, I believe a rollpin needs to be driven out to remove the shaft end
from the trans? Both sides?

Any confirmation or otherwise would be appreciated, it will save us some
money.

Thanks,
Geoff

Um, I have an '03 OBW and was wondering at what mileage these boots failed?
tia
Carl

 

[Mickey]

Hi,

Our 2001 Outback needs both front inner CVJ boots replaced. In searching
earlier threads I found a brief reference saying that an inner boot can be
replaced without removing the outer joint from the hub.

Also, I believe a rollpin needs to be driven out to remove the shaft end
from the trans? Both sides?

Any confirmation or otherwise would be appreciated, it will save us some
money.

Thanks,
Geoff

Had my inner boots fail in Feb while on a trip. Only replaced the
inner ones myself while at family a long way from home. I had a
little more than 125k miles on the car at the time. One thing I would
recommend to everyone is to keep a check on these. The right inner
boot will let all the grease get slung all over the exhaust system and
what a pain for smoke and smell.

You've got to pull the axle out from the hub and I found that required
you disconnect the spendle from the strut. Not a real big deal but
one of the attaching bolts adjs the camber so you have to make sure
you get it back to the same spot.

For the inner boot you only need to remove a snap ring to disassemble.
Big mess cleaning up all the old grease on the joint components.

I was in a no-Subaru area so finding a suitable part wasn't the
easiest. Went to Auto Zone and they had a listing but no parts but
the did list and have a universal boot for the outter one. I found
this universal one worked on the inner end as well. Almost a yr and
15k miles now and still looks as good as when I replaced.

Oh, it took me about an hr for each shaft. Much of the time was
getting the shaft out and back end and cleaning up the old grease.
The rest was a piece of cake. Oh, one more thing, the inner half of
the shaft just snaps in and out of the tranny, Not real hard but it
just doesn't push in or pull out.

Mickey

 

[S]

Hi Geoff!

Our 2001 Outback needs both front inner CVJ boots replaced. In searching
earlier threads I found a brief reference saying that an inner boot can be
replaced without removing the outer joint from the hub.

Yes, it _is_ possible to replace the inner boot (outer boot as well
FWIW) w/o removing the axle from the hub, _and_ w/o removing the inner
joint from the transmission. Questionable whether it's worth the
bother, tho; you will have done 90% of the work to remove the axle by
the time you're done, and you can do a much nicer job with the axle
out on the workbench.
Feel free to contact me directly if you need procedures for this.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[Geoff]

Hi,

It has 90000Kms. The Subaru parts bloke said the inner boots fail first
because they are subjected to exhaust system heat.

We could not move the axle nuts no matter what we did, so are giving the job
to a helpful mechanic we know. Enough was enough when I wound up the socket
wrench extension bar in a spiral. It was hot from the deformation!

I know an impact gun would probably do it, but we will put the hire cost
towards the mechanic's bill.

Geoff

 

[Michael Pardee]

Hi,

It has 90000Kms. The Subaru parts bloke said the inner boots fail first
because they are subjected to exhaust system heat.

We could not move the axle nuts no matter what we did, so are giving the
job to a helpful mechanic we know. Enough was enough when I wound up the
socket wrench extension bar in a spiral. It was hot from the deformation!

I know an impact gun would probably do it, but we will put the hire cost
towards the mechanic's bill.

Geoff

That sounds like a wise move. I recently got a compressor and air tools, so
axle nuts and crank bolts hold no fear for me any longer. Buwahahahaha! But
without an impact driver those devils can mock our feeble efforts to loosen
them, leaving us with sore muscles and bruised egos. One tip, though - if
you can get a suitable extension, you can put the end of it on a floor jack
and break the nut loose that way with somebody standing on the brake. I've
occasionally lifted the wheel off the ground that way, which signals defeat
unless I can get a longer breaker bar.

Mike

 

[Al]

Why do we need CVJ boots anyway? My '91 Jeep works just fine without
them and even has a better turn radius than my '03 Outback. The
half-shafts on the rear of my '71 Jag don't have boots either; and the
half-shaft is even part of the suspension!

Al

 

[Michael Pardee]

Why do we need CVJ boots anyway? My '91 Jeep works just fine without
them and even has a better turn radius than my '03 Outback. The
half-shafts on the rear of my '71 Jag don't have boots either; and the
half-shaft is even part of the suspension!

Al

Dunno what the Jeep has (u-joints?) but the Jag undoubtedly has u-joints on
the rear. Universal joints work fine as long as the angles are small.
Constant Velocity joints are needed when the wheels are steered because
u-joints "whip" between the 90 degree points when really deflected. That is,
the rotational speed on the tranny end is lower for a constant road speed
when the u-joint is only flexed one direction than it is when it is flexed
both directions. During tight turns that puts a lot of stress on a lot of
things. CV joints don't have that limitation, but the tradeoff is that the
whole affair has to swim in grease... thus the boots.

Mike

 

[Al]

Dunno what the Jeep has (u-joints?) but the Jag undoubtedly has u-joints on
the rear. Universal joints work fine as long as the angles are small.
Constant Velocity joints are needed when the wheels are steered because
u-joints "whip" between the 90 degree points when really deflected. That is,
the rotational speed on the tranny end is lower for a constant road speed
when the u-joint is only flexed one direction than it is when it is flexed
both directions. During tight turns that puts a lot of stress on a lot of
things. CV joints don't have that limitation, but the tradeoff is that the
whole affair has to swim in grease... thus the boots.

Mike

Right, on the Jag, the movement is limited. My '66 Corvair also had the
half-shafts.

But what about the front wheel drive on the Jeep? Somebody did something
right there with the universal joint!

Al

 

[AS]

The outback's nuts are tightened at 130 ft-lb. Nissan Maxima's are at
215 ft-lb. Getting the subaru nuts off is so much harder... and then,
the boots fail so frequently in the Subaru.... grrr, my friends failed
at 71k miles, mine at 63k.

Besides: hole in a/c hose, piston slap noise, oil consumption, valve
noise, wind noise in the driver's window, leaky windshield washer
motor... this was the last subaru for us.

 

[Edward Hayes]

I had no trouble with the wheel nut removal. I just UNSTAKED the nut
and used my 1/2 breaker bar an a 6 point socket. Ed