CV boot temporary fix

[bobrabcd]

As the years pass and miles accumulate, the CV boots eventually need replacing. You just don't want dirt, road crud getting into the CV joints otherwise you have a major expense on your hands. I kept a close eye on the boots as the years built up on this '82 vehicle. Surface cracks began to appear. Initially I tried using some RTV rubber but the deterioration continued. I had seen some CV Clam Shell boots in earlier years, but could not find any at this time. Since I live 200 miles from anyone who could pull the axles and install new boots properly, I needed a quick temporary fix. I decided on using a discarded tractor tire inner tube(large) from a local tire service. I cut a section long enough to more than cover the old CV boot. Then I wrapped the inner tube around the CV boot and held it on with several heavy duty nylon ties at the end next to the boot plate where all the nuts are. The other end was left free so the axle could swing up and down and still protect the old boot. Eventually I drove over to Karl's Custom in Phoenix, AZ. Man named Paul there has been working on vintage VW's his entire life. Great service, great prices and sympathetic ear.

[Fatmobile]

Did he laugh at your fix?

[bobrabcd]

I think he smiled, maybe he laughed behind my back, but later asked if i wanted the kludge parts back. Now that i recall it in more detail I had used a stainless steel band to hold the inner part on the boot nut plate. Nylon ties were used further out just to keep the wind friction from flapping it around and maintaining a cylindrical shape. This van was cursed from the begining with defective parts and early failure. The CV joints started knocking in a few years and had to be replaced under the extended warranty. During that repair the mechanic didn't completely tighten or lock the nuts and one rainy night the right axle pulled out from the joint leaving me and 3 friends stranded on a country road.