I haven't secured the small end of boot on halfshafts. Standard tranny.

Out of lazyness and partly because I had read that one should let the
boot "seat" itself, then install (if desired) fastener to small end of
boot. I don't think it's needed, though I might get corrected on that
one!

Have put on more than 5K Km's for sure w/o fasteners to small ends.

Still fine.

I don't offroad. Just a few dirt roads.

Neil.

--
Please send me your Vanagon/Westfalia links!
http://vanagonlinks.googlepages.com/home

Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia.
http://web.mac.com/tubaneil

On 8/13/07, TC <trclark@shaw.ca> wrote:
> So err I just got back from 5K KM BC tour wow this place is truly super
> natural ...
> white water rafting, hot springs, mountains, deserts, river, lakes, bears
> and more ;;;
>
> ok vanagon talk before i left i replaced the inner cv joint/boot & outer
> boot on left axle
> on 85 auto,I used a lobro kit that came with these crimp clips to hold the
> small end of the boot
> in place on the axle, I crimped the outer boot in place where the axle was
> still shiny from the last boot
>
> well not 5 days later the $#W%$#$%^$7
> cv boot spun off the flange, same thing happened last year after a tranny
> rebuild
> on the inner boot right side  .... so I did the road side r&r best i could
> to hold the boot on so not all
> the grease decorated the vans under belly
>
> I did not bring boots or tools for cv work since hell this was all new ...
> Well so happened I was on my way to a shop north of Nelson BC in the slocan
> valley called the
> Organic Mechanic  great shop btw ..
> since I had shattered the rear window with a little camp blackout maneuver
> (bike's handle on the trailer hitch is a real pressure point when sandwiched
> between a tree & the rear glass:)
>
> So Bob the Organic Mechanic looks at the boot & asks if i have been off road
> camping I smile ..
> he says that you should never bother to crimp the boot but rather let them
> ride on the axle shaft
> since when going off road the wheel will articulate much more that on road
> and that when crimped the
> the boot will stay put on the shaft & pull the boot off the flange when
> going over rough road
> like has occurred twice to me now ....
>
> I had been blaming crappy boots is the the correct diag ? is that was you
> guys do
> if so why does lobro pack the crimps for the boots ??
>