CV boot replacement

If it's torn, the conventional and emphatic counsel is dirt
got into the joint, and it's going to fail soon.

Depending on how experienced you are, I'd buy a half-shaft
(which holds the inner and outer boots and joints for one
side) for $70 at Autozone (lifetime warranty) and do it
myself.

Replacing /just/ the boot takes more labor than slapping a
whole new halfshaft in.

You can also buy a rebuilt OEM halfshaft online for around
$135. See www.hondaautomotiveparts.com , for one.


"Peabody" > wrote
>I got new tires today for my 94 Accord at Hesselbein Tires,
>and they
> found that the outer CV boot on the right side is torn. I
> confirmed
> that when I got home. The left looks ok. The car has 53K
> miles on
> it.
>
> They want about $100 to fix it, and would use an
> aftermarket boot.
>
> I've tried turning sharply in both directions, listening
> for strange
> noises, and don't hear or feel anything strange. So I'm
> gonna
> assume the axle is ok and just get the one boot replaced.
>
> I assume the vast majority of the $100 is labor, and just
> wondered
> if boot replacement is something that a normal human being
> could
> easily do, or if it really should be a mechanic who knows
> what he's
> doing. I'm pretty handy, but have never tackled anything
> like this.
> If I get them to do it, I would also get them to do the
> front
> brakes at the same time since they are the original brakes
> and the
> pads are down to alomst nothing. I would insist on Honda
> pads.
>
> Does the after-market boot sound ok? Does the $100 sound
> reasonable?
>
> I got Toyo Spectrums, by the way, total cost of $281
> including road
> hazard. So far, they ride nice, but may be a little
> firmer than the
> OE Michelins. I thought I had an option to get BFG
> Traction T/A's
> at near the same price, but that turned out not to be the
> case. So
> I went with the Toyo's.
>
>

Data point for the archive:
Firestone replaced both of my 91 Civic's original outer
boots in mid-2000 at 112,000 miles. I do not know the exact
condition of the original boots when Firestone called and
recommended replacement; I was not hip to what CV boots were
all about until the last year or so. I would bet money the
replacement boots are non-OEM.

For the last several years I have inspected the boots
closely during at least twice yearly oil changes. After
another 6.5 years and at 186.5 miles, so far so good.

Tegger's, JT's, and other's comments on aftermarket boots
seem sound to me, since I am aware from other parts that the
OEM Honda rubber used in general is superior to aftermarket.
But if one is not going to keep the car long, one might
want to consider aftermarket.