CV Boot cracked. How serious is it?
07-25-2003, 12:35 PM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
CV Boot cracked. How serious is it?
I was cleaning my wheels and I started seeing this green goo in the inner side of the wheel. I took the wheel off and found that there was a tear in the rubber CV boot. I guess all the grease came out. How long can I go before I replace it and should I just go ahead and do both in the front? And how difficult is it to replace them?
Would appreciate your responses. I'm about to go to the dealer to see if I can pic them up in about 30min.
Would appreciate your responses. I'm about to go to the dealer to see if I can pic them up in about 30min.
07-25-2003, 12:40 PM
#3
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I agree they need to be replaced ASAP.
As far as doing them yourself, from my previous experience with my other cars, you can use a "split" boot and that would be the easiest, but maybe not as good as a whole boot. TO get a whole boot on, you would have to free up the axle which is a job. I can't tell you any specifics since I haven't done it on the A4.
07-25-2003, 12:42 PM
#4
Is it the inner or outer?
If it's the inner, you'll have to pull the half shaft and then I'd just replace both inner and outer boots. If just the outer, then just do the outer.
Had a shop do mine recently for about $120 total parts & labor.
Had a shop do mine recently for about $120 total parts & labor.
07-25-2003, 12:43 PM
#6
AudiWorld Super User
Could lead to a joint failure, might already be too late.
If you're going to DIY, I say just replace the boot for now. If you're going to have a shop do it, you might ought to replace the joint and the boot, because you'll pay for labor all over again if the joint ends up failing in the future. See the article in the tech section if you want to DIY.
Andy
Andy
07-25-2003, 12:48 PM
#7
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
It's the outer. The tear is within one of the ridges and....
there's still some grease in the boot. So I'm thinking it's must have just happened in the last day or so. I keep my wheels clean and I didn't notice this a few days ago.
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07-25-2003, 01:01 PM
#9
Yup, same thing happened with me
only I was going on a road trip the very next morning so I had no choice but to take it in. I didn't have a whole lot of faith that I could do it and do it right in a few hours.
I watched while they did it and the toughest part appears to be getting the axle nut loose. They had the impact gun on that nut for fifteen minutes. I know on my Acura, you can loosen the nut with the wheel on. This lets you use the gearing/parking brake as resistance while you jump on the nut with a breaker bar. Not sure about Audi cars.
Once they got that nut loose, they removed the upper ball joint clamp bolt and popped out the ball joint studs to allow the hub and rotor to come off the axle and swing to the side.
I watched while they did it and the toughest part appears to be getting the axle nut loose. They had the impact gun on that nut for fifteen minutes. I know on my Acura, you can loosen the nut with the wheel on. This lets you use the gearing/parking brake as resistance while you jump on the nut with a breaker bar. Not sure about Audi cars.
Once they got that nut loose, they removed the upper ball joint clamp bolt and popped out the ball joint studs to allow the hub and rotor to come off the axle and swing to the side.