At 05:57 PM 11/21/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>a strange popping/knocking form the rear passenger wheel. i fear the
>worst...having just replaced all four cv joints and boots, i imagined it
>must be a cracked or badly worn bearing in the hub. no fun.
>
>so imagine my surprise when, as i pull off the right axle, i see that
>the outer cv boot is in tatters! upon closer inspection, i realize that
>all of the boots are badly cracked and close to failure. the boots are
>less than a year old, and have less than 5k on them. so i'm into a new
>cv joint (to replace the outer right one which has cooked itself for
>lack of lubrication) and i'm looking at pulling the other axle, and one
>of the joints on that side, just to replace the other boots before they,
>too, fail.
>
>i know you all have better things to do than hear me spout off about bad
>parts, so to the point. is there a source for good quality boots out
>there? the last ones were mexican, the kind you see being sold at swap
>meets and etc. (i got mine at a pretty respectible parts dealer).

Adjust either your definition of respectible or find another dealer.

Ron at Bus Depot had a heckofagood deal not too long ago on Genunine Lobro
Joint kits. Whether that bargain is still available, he probably would have
the Genuine boots is solo as well. Life on Genuine boots runs 10 years on
average, right off the top uff mein noggin.

If you do a cleaning and fresh lubing of the joints every 40,000 miles or
so, they will last three times as long at least, if you inspect the boots
often enough to catch any anomalous tears along the way and/or replace them
when the eventual cracking is seen to be advancing to possable failure. Do
this job right and you will need help stifling a yahn everytime someone
mentions
"CV Joints".

Doktor Tim
Maintenance Repair and Restoration of European Vehicles
San Juan Island, WA