CV boots-need mechanical advice please

[ttoyoda]

I'll chime in again on the side of the "fix it correctly" people.

Right now you are facing a job that is $13 in parts and an hour of work.

When (not if) the steering rack gets buggered up, you will be facing a job that is $600 in parts and you may have to pull the engine out to get to the steering rack, I would in my cars. And that "clicking" only happens in CV joints, not the steering rack afaik.

I know you are tempted by the "simplicity" of some improvised "fix". Every time I have done that it has come back to bite me in the backside. Maybe you will be luckier. Or you will sell the car before it becomes a "problem".

[Cd]

If I am going to have my cars suspension worked on, I might as well just have the car lowered.
How much would something like that cost me ?
I called around and it looks as though wit the parts, labor and an alignment , it would run at least $ 600.
I know I could maybe go cheaper by cutting corners, but I'd want to do it right. I have seen a few cars lowered that have the wheels all kicked out.
That has got to be bad for fuel economy !

I've wanted to lower the car for almost a decade now, but ... six hundred dollars is a hell of a lot of money to pay for something that is absolutely trivial.

[ttoyoda]

I have seen a few cars lowered that have the wheels all kicked out.

That is because they did not put in cambolts to attach the strut to the spindle.

If I am going to have my cars suspension worked on, I might as well just have the car lowered.

Fixing the boots is an order and a half of magnitude less work than lowering the car.

[MechEngVT]

Originally Posted by ttoyoda

Fixing the boots is an order and a half of magnitude less work than lowering the car.

Not to mention that the two projects in no way intersect. If you needed to replace your struts and wanted to lower it, then it would make sense to combine projects.

[ttoyoda]

Not to mention that the two projects in no way intersect. If you needed to replace your struts and wanted to lower it, then it would make sense to combine projects.

Now now, that is not *quite* true. You would in both cases have to remove the wheel, AND the tie rod end cotter pin. AND the tie rod end castle nut, AND you would have to get the tie rod end from the spindle. So the over lap time on the two jobs is a good 2 and a half minutes, if you take no more than 4 *small* sips of beer during the procedure
(yes I am just pulling your leg. The jobs do not intersect.)

.Cd, $600 buys a LOT of tools these days. The tools will be with you till you die. If you invest in tools, you can do the boots and lower your car for less money.
Post some big pics and we will mark them up and we can all chip in and tell you what to do to fix it.

I've wanted to lower the car for almost a decade now, but ... six hundred dollars is a hell of a lot of money to pay for something that is absolutely trivial.

OK I am a little confused now, unless you are pulling our leg. I am not ragging on you here, but if you *really* think lowering the car is trivial, (while I think it is not), how come you have not fixed the boots already, while posting an instructable on the procedure? Cause the boot, while not totally trivial, has only one hard part, and that is loosening the locknut on the tie rod end adjuster.

Or maybe you are using the word trivial the way I use it at work: When there is something that involves stuff I don't quite understand, and don't want to deal with, I tell people it is "trivial" for them to do so they don't bother me with it anymore.

[Cd]

Trivial a: of little worth or importance <a trivial purchase

( I'm practically not even using the car these days, yet I day dream of lowering the car.)

It was just a brain fart.
I figured that if I have to get a wheel alignment, I might as well combine the two jobs.

$ 600 dollars is more than half my monthly salary. There is no way that I can afford that. Like I said BRAIN FART. I just day dream a lot.

[thebrad]

You should be able to lower your car on your own with some basic hand tools.
The few specialized tools required (spring compressors) are available from rent for places like Autozone for a deposit that is returned with the item.

[Cd]

I live in apartment complex which forbids any work on cars.
I envy those of you with a garage.

[ttoyoda]

I live in apartment complex which forbids any work on cars.
I envy those of you with a garage.

That really stinks. My condolences. Having to hire out all your car work is like a hidden but added cost of living there.

I never understood why some apts have such a bug up their *** about people wanting to do things for themselves. "Look Ralph, someone is working on their car!!! The Horror! THE HORROR!!! Where's my little blue pills!"

I always made sure to rent in a cut-up house without these kind of rules.

[roflwaffle]

Originally Posted by ttoyoda

That is because they did not put in cambolts to attach the strut to the spindle.

Depends. Dropping the car too much can result in squashed CVs that'll die in weeks/months so to get a smidge more room some will run crazy camber.