CV crap, what else is new?
 

Okay, so I just took a look underneath my car to check out my driveshaft. I need a new yoke as well as a U-joint. Those problems not withstanding, I also noticed a small tear in my CV boot. The SVX search engine will not let me search for a two letter word like CV and when I search for "boots" I get nothing related to CV boots. So what reccomendations do you guys have for aftermarket boots? I'd like to get something other than OE, maybe some pretty red ones. :cool: Thanks for the help. Also, one more thing, the tear is really small so I'm pretty damn sure the half-axle doesen't need replacing.

Re: CV crap, what else is new?
 

Try using an * in front of and behind cv such as --> *cv* in the search window. You'll find plenty of info. :)

I don't know about colorful boot options but I would recommend that you steer clear of 'split' boots, either the kind that you glue together or the screw together type. They're both junk.

I had a boot tear open a few days after buying my car and I tossed on a new pair of boots. I also had a vibration that I knew was coming from a set of crummy Toyos which I soon replaced with Dunlop 5000s. I still had a bit of a vibe so I went to a shop nearby that has a match balancer and it did wonders for the car - I could absolutely feel the difference at even a low 35mph. But still I had a small, niggling vibe that would come and go at 70-80+. This afternoon I finally got around to replacing the same axle. Even though there was no damage from the boot being open for a day or so, the inner joint had just enough wear to cause the vibration that I'm so happy is now a mere memory.

O.K., you say, what's the reason for sharing all of this uh...info? The point I'm trying to make is that even if the boot is freshly torn and no signs of damage exist there's still a good reason for considering replacing the axle with a reman, especially if you're driving a high mileage car. A pair of boots at the dealer is going to cost around $30 and an afternoon of crawling around the car. Why not add another $30 or so and replace the whole thing? Of course, if you're planning on having someone else do the work...

BTW, I would never consider paying more than $250 p&l to have someone replace an axle with a reman (that's been the going rate for about ten years now, in the areas I've lived), and I have yet to see a reason for buying a new one.