CV joint boot

Could the clamp be too tight and biting through the rubber? Or.. is there any oil leakage onto the boot , which could cause a deterioration of the rubber?

 

Could be just a bad boot or perhaps it got damaged during installation.

I just did the driver side rear boots on my 308 about a year ago. They still look fine.

You'd think packing that ugly grease into the boot would be the worst part of installing new boots. Not so on the 308. Getting the damn 26-year-old bolts loose from the axles is the ball-buster of all ball-busters on that car.

It's probably a good idea to do those boots periodically, at least every 10 years, just to keep the nuts fresh.

 

Where did it tear? In the folds?

I have heard of reinforcing the boot in the folds with plastic tie wraps.

 

Don, I agree!!! I used a ring spanner last time which would butt up against the chassis and then turned the tyre as this had good leverage but since crashing the car I've decided to pull the thing to pieces and sell on Ebay but the new CV boots I put on only in Feb this year have not helped in making the nuts any easier to get off so I'm going to use a rattle gun.

Has anyone else used a rattle gun to do this ?

I'm not sure the socket set I have, has walls thin enough that will allow them to fit and I'm about to pull all this apart this w/e.

As for the CV boots failing again Frank I think it has to be a defect in the manufacture or installation as the boots would be similar make and manufacturer as the 308 ( being from the same era) and mine were original (30 years) .

Surely if you had this done at a Ferrari dealer they would honor their workmanship and replace the failing item ? Having done it myself I can only see that they may have over tightened the clamps

 

Donald:
When I changed mine, I tried a "Rattle gun" (love the term) and because of the need to use a long extension with a hex key (for an allen head bolt) it would not work--too much flexibility. I just used a allen key with a couple pieces of tubing for cheater bars and loosened the bolts by hand. It would work better if you could coerce somebody into helping you by holding the brake pedal down.

Mark

 

This works for installing new boots on an old Ferrari:

1. Use 1/2" gauge hex socket and breaker bar, 3/8" gauge tools are not nearly strong enough for this job.

2. If the car is not on a lift, raise only one wheel at a time and use the emergency brake to lock the wheels with the transmission in neutral (I don't know if you could break transmission gears doing this, but why risk it). Use wood blocks under the frame to elevate the wheel (10x12, 8x10, 4x6, etc.), don't trust jack stands here. Block the front wheels.

3. Position yourself so that you use leg power to break the bolts loose.

4. Push against the breaker bar with one or both feet with a steady pressure, don't kick at it. Just about the time your leg starts to cramp, the bolt will start moving.

5. Do the wheel-side bolts first so that the axle drops down, giving you better access to the engine-side bolts.

After removing the axle, disassemble the bearings, one end at a time, wipe away the grease, and wash the bearings and races with hot soapy water. Rinse and pat dry. (For a Kodak moment, do this in the kitchen sink right in front of the wife. The bulging eyes and gasping are priceless.)

At this time you can inspect the bearings and races for damage (flat spots, etc.). If every thing looks fine, slip on the new boots, reassemble, grease and reattach the axle. Voila!

 

I had allot of fun doing this as a matter of fact the same joint is used on a VW bus!!! I agree with Dave. Tony Palladino had an article in Forza wghere he said he used tie wraps to keep the pleats from expanding, however it sound like someone just put the straps on too tight, unfortunaately most of us could not do that as we cannopt find the right tool. I used a set of pliers a srewdriver and a prayer! :-0

here is a great if sacreligious reference site:

http://www.type2.com/bartnik/cvjoints.htm

 

Does anyone have a part # for these CV boots? Website? There is someone selling them on Ebay but, they want $90 for 4. I only need 2 now. Plus I am hearing they are between $10-12 each. Any info is greatly appreciated.

-Sam

 

I did the boots on my 512BBi about 4 months ago. I bought the new boots from Ferrari of Dallas and the boots sent were "a new part No." Be warned the new part does not work; It has a semi circular rubber 'flange' inside the large opening to fit into a similar type of groove on the CV joint. Without the groove, as with my Boxer, the boot will never sit properly. had to source the orriginal spec boots. The guys at Dallas were really good in helping me with this.
I also soaked the boots in Armourall...I was told this helps.
Robert