Suspension Springs, Shocks, Brakes

ripped axel boots?!

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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 03:57 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
ripped axel boots?!

So the other day, I lowered my car a bit, you can see in my othere thread, but today I was just checking out the drop and noticed inside my wheels are covered in grease, check my axel boots, both of them closest to the wheels are ripped in half and spewing grease everywheere.... WTF. Why hasn't this happened to anyone else? Can I just replace the boot? Please don't tell me I need to get the whole axel assembly...
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 04:00 PM
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You need axels..I dont think you can just get the boot
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 04:11 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Lol please dont tell me that, same thing happened to my wrx I use to have and I know they sold the boots seperate.. what's bugging me is why this happened to me and not other people that are slammed and what not..
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 04:47 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
AnyboDy else have info on this? This ever happen to anyone fro lowering their car? Any input would be greatly appreciated
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 04:49 PM
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U can find a boot to fit, but itll be jimmy rigged.. Axel boot kits cost around 20$. New to reman axels cost 30+ So they are stopping the mfg of the boots
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 05:45 PM
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Did you happen to drive over something by chance? My daughters 00 Grand Prix GT had the same thing happen to it this winter, I had to buy the entire assembly. Turns out she drove over a huge chunk of ice in our driveway that tore them.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 05:52 PM
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this happened to me too, i had them replaced last winter at a dealership under warranty, powertrain
and i just checked and i think i ripped the new ones
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 05:55 PM
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As long as there isn't any damage to the CV joint you can buy just the boot, grease and swage clamp kit.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 05:56 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
I highly doubt I drove over anything, I think its from lowering it, but then again, why didnt this happen to anyone else? Ima see if I could do anything about getting new boots..
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 06:03 PM
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Anyone know a part number for the boots? Whats a swage clamp? Are you lowered phil?
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 06:06 PM
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I doubt it was from lowering. that wouldn't put any extra strain on them, if anything it'd be less strain than the factory angle. A swage clamp is the special clamp that secures CV boots. They require a certain type of pliers because you squeeze the two ends together and it locks into itself. Kind of hard to visualize but that's the best I got.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 06:42 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Hmm if it wasn't from loweing it them my only guess would be that I made a small tear during my coilover install when I dropped the hub, and it got worse from then.. but both sides? Hmm idk guys..
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 06:59 PM
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try and get it warranted
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 07:04 PM
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do you haave to jack the car up to c this
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 07:19 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Well I seen the grease inside my wheel, and immediately knew what happened. And then yes jacked up and turned the wheel to see.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 07:25 PM
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I actually think mine are probably ripped too.. Sometimes i get pretty bad grease on my rims i have never checked the boots.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 08:02 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Ugh gonna order these asap
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 09:20 PM
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I just cant see simply lowering the car being the culprit. Many, many balts among many other model cars lowered and at leist for the balts, i've never heard this being an issue just from lowering. Dunno though, anythings possible I supose.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 09:24 PM
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I did it on my LT, it was due to the way I supported (or lack thereof) the suspension while removing the strut. You're not supposed to let it hang down when you unbolt the strut. It can tear that way. I got my dealership to claim it as "torn under warranty" lol.
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 09:34 PM
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do you drive it in the snow??
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Old Jun 21, 2011 | 10:45 PM
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I'll bet on improperly adjusted strut lengths. I bet the bottom of your strut is touching the boot at full droop, which is pretty much non-existent with cheap coilovers. So basically the strut was probably touching the boot at all times.

Happened on both sides
Happened just after your coilover install

Clean the strut off and look for the rubber marks on it. Go fix the strut length, and get new axles. You'll be hard pressed to get every little bit of dirt out of the axle before you put a new boot on. Not worth it.
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Old Jun 22, 2011 | 12:11 AM
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Originally Posted by seeyaass
Anyone know a part number for the boots? Whats a swage clamp? Are you lowered phil?
idk a part number,
my buddy whos a GM tech got BOTH my cv boots replaced under powertrain warranty when i lowered my car last winter,
being that ive never lowered a car before i was very finnicky about everything, inspecting crap and what not and one day when i was cleaning my wheels i saw all that grease in the wheel well
turns out they were both ripped
and you dont have to jack up the car to see it, you can just turn the wheel all the way to one side and then look under and see all that awesome grease
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Old Jun 22, 2011 | 12:12 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Originally Posted by Wangspeed
I'll bet on improperly adjusted strut lengths. I bet the bottom of your strut is touching the boot at full droop, which is pretty much non-existent with cheap coilovers. So basically the strut was probably touching the boot at all times.

Happened on both sides
Happened just after your coilover install

Clean the strut off and look for the rubber marks on it. Go fix the strut length, and get new axles. You'll be hard pressed to get every little bit of dirt out of the axle before you put a new boot on. Not worth it.
You sir are correct.
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Old Jun 23, 2011 | 05:03 PM
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Get real GM new axles. Not reman, unless you want the CV to grenade. Glad I could help.
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Old Jun 23, 2011 | 05:39 PM
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From: Marshalls creek PA
Now this happened from lowering the car, I guess I lowered it too much that the strut was touching the cv boot.. or did I not lower it correctly? If not what's the correct way to lowe it?.. I followed what bc said to do..
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