Torsion Bar Crank / CV boot leak

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:48 pm

Well I finally did it and what a difference in look, ride and stance! I needed an alignment anyway, so I brought along the "Z" trim information from the mod section of this site and got the shop to level the front of my truck with the back. The truck looks great, like a 4x4 and ride a little stiffer up front, like a 4x4 should.

Thanks for this great resource!

Edited title-HJ

Post by **HenryJ** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 8:53 pm

Glad you're happy!

Keep an eye on those CV boots. A couple people have had them come loose. If they do you can substitute a hose clamp. It will get enough pressure to keep it in place.
My old S-10 has been running them for over a decade without problems.

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 5:50 pm

I'll keep an eye on the boots! Thanks Brule!

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:46 am

Brule,

Is this where the CVs start to leak?

There is green grease beginning to work its way out of the passanger side inner CV just beyond the clamp.

Thanks for your help!

WVHogRider · Post by **WVHogRider** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:17 am

Yep, That's it. When my CV's started leaking, I replaced the clamps with the screw adjusting radiator style clamps that Brule mentioned. I was unable to find clamps big enough at any of the various auto parts stores. I found them in a home improvement store, and it was a house dryer line clamp. They were like a $1 or two for each.

Edited--I forgot to mention that you should probably go ahead and get the clamps and replace them ASAP. If you wait too long, you will need to clean the whole underside from grease slinging around , as mine did. And then you'll have to add more grease before re-clamping the CV's. I had to add a complete packet of grease to each CV boot.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:24 am

Cajun, keep an eye on those boots.

I hads one come loose and sling all that nasty green grease everywhere.

Steve

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:21 am

I have an extended warranty so I'm trying to decide if I want the dealer to fix it or simply do the hose clamp trick.

It seems to me that this issue if a fundamental short coming of the design and if dealer repaired, will just happen again. On the other hand if something goes really wrong and requires an axle replacement and I bring it in with the hose clamp will I cause suspicion and void the warranty? Does anyone have a feeling on the subject?

WVHogRider · Post by **WVHogRider** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:35 pm

I got the 100K mile warranty when I purchased the truck new, and I had my truck in for warranty work not too long ago, ~80K. That's when they pointed out my leaking CV's. They said that the fix would not be covered under the warranty, and that it would be ~$260 to fix both, as I one boot on each side leaking.

I questioned their price, informed them of the proper fix and cost, and they said our fix wouldn't void the warranty but it was up to me either way.

I fixed mine for under ~$20 total, ($4 for the clamps and ~$10 for the added grease, if I remember correctly), and an hour or two of work. Your's isn't as bad as mine was. Plus I had two to do and all of that grease to clean up first. I think I posted it in one of the other CV joint threads. Hope that helps.

killian96ss · Post by **killian96ss** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:39 pm

Around 30k miles I had one boot come off completely and the other just start to come off.

I managed to make it about 18k miles with a 1" t-bar crank before this happened.

I told the dealership that I had been driving on some dirt roads before I happened to notice the problem.

I also told them I was sure that both CV shafts now had dirt in the grease so they replaced both axel shafts assemblies under warranty due to contamination.

I probably got lucky, but it never hurts to try right.

BTW, the replacement axels never had a boot come off even after another 60k miles of use.

Steve

WVHogRider · Post by **WVHogRider** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:18 pm

killian96ss wrote:I also told them I was sure that both CV shafts now had dirt in the grease so they replaced both axel shafts assemblies under warranty due to contamination.

I probably got lucky, but it never hurts to try right.

BTW, the replacement axels never had a boot come off even after another 60k miles of use. Steve

True!!

I tried too, but no success!

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 9:27 am

I quess that I'll have to read my extended warranty for coverage. I do specifically remember asking if the extended warranty covered CV joints and was told yes. Stay tuned!

ace · Post by **ace** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:33 am

I haven't had my cv boots off. So are they easy to grease and is the green grease a special grease?

F9K9 · Post by **F9K9** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:21 am

ace wrote:I haven't had my cv boots off. So are they easy to grease and is the green grease a special grease?

Probably easy for Brule but, not for me

Yes, it is a special grease.

Wrangler · Post by **Wrangler** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:36 am

Where do you get the grease? Now that the weather is warming up I want to fix mine. It looks like it lost alot of grease so I am just planning on adding it. I checked at a few part stores in the grease area and didnt see anything for the cv joints.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:37 am

It will be behind the counter and is sold in packets.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:18 am

I am ashamed to say that I too have had a CV boot leak for a while now. It really did make more of a mess than I had thought. I noticed it a couple oil changes back, but just did not take the time to fix it. Checking today it had lost quite a bit of lube.

I wiped things down as best I could and pushed the stock clamp off. It was still in place , but not exerting enough pressure to keep a seal.
A trip to the local autoparts store for a hose clamp and packet of CV grease. I paid $1.69 for both.

I jacked up the truck and rotated the tire to pop loose the boot. Then squeezed in as much of the packet as I could and wiped things down again.. Next I lowered the truck and jacked up the a-arm as close to the wheel as possible. Raising in this manner reduces the half shaft angle and straightens the boot for clamping.
The clamp I bought was about an inch too long so I used a pair of diagonal side cutters to trim it down.

I pushed the boot back into place and assembled the hose clamp. I installed it so that in forward rotation the back of the clamp screw rotates forward over the top. Perhaps the will help reduce the chance of vegetation catching on the clamp.

As I have said before, things are close , but it fits fine. The replacement clamp is wider than the stock clamp. It works fine though. I picked up one of the dryer clamps from home depot that was narrower to try, but it is too soft and the track for the screw deformed before it was tight enough. It was made of stainless steel as well, but thinner metal as well as narrower. I like the stainless steel automotive clamp better.

My old truck has been running these clamps for over 16 years now with no problems. I hope this one will do as well

ace · Post by **ace** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:35 pm

HJ, When you mentioned squeezing the grease in, so it's not a grease fitting but is their a spot on the joint for inserting the grease or is it just packed inside the boot? I know I could go out and pull this off and figure it out myself but since you have already done it, just curious.

Post by **HenryJ** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:56 pm

ace wrote:HJ, When you mentioned squeezing the grease in, so it's not a grease fitting but is their a spot on the joint for inserting the grease or is it just packed inside the boot? I know I could go out and pull this off and figure it out myself but since you have already done it, just curious.

The grease is just packed inside the boot. With the clamp off and the halfshaft angled the boot will come loose at the top , half off and misaligned. I cut the corner off the bag and squeezed in about half. Then rotated the shaft 180 and squeezed in the remainder.

No zerks, fittings or other ways to get the grease inside there.

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:37 am

Great discription for repacking the CV joints Brule. I don't think that I would have come up with the whole increase the half shaft angle to remove the boot and then flatten the half shaft angle the replace the boot. That's good stuff. Little tricks like that save time , make the job enjoyable and saves the skin on your knuckles.

Thanks Brule!