leather is a no go. petroleum products rot it.
the answer is obvious get OEM ones, not ones from our great trading partner from across the sea.
I am still running all 4 originals I never have had  a original split without gross failure of the cv joint.
I wonder if failures are connected to the use of over-sized tires that the VW engineers  were too stupid to put on? don't reinvent the wheel here.<G>
mike