Tore boot C4

[dporsche74]

Replaced my suspension last weekend and ripped the inside CV boot on the front of my 964 C4

Is there a kit to reboot it while installed ..
or just drive it until it breaks and get a completely new axle since it original anyways.
any insight would be good

thanks!

PS how to remove the front sway bar on a C4
I had everything off during strut install and still couldn't remove it in anyway ..

[porterdog]

Hi,

'Split' replacement boots (designed for in situ repair) suck, so don't even go there. I've seen boots designed to stretch over the in-place joint on the interweb, but never tried one. It's really not a bad repair, so taking the half-shaft out and getting it done is really the best bet. I sent mine to CV of Ocala for a full rebuild. Letting it go is a poor choice- new factory units are ~$700 IIRC and using a parts-store rebuild is dicey even if you can get one.

Removing the front sway is straightforward. Both end links off, then one bolt in each clamp, which sit on top of the aluminum subframe casting.

[jhg41977]

If the 964 is similar to the 993 for removal , replacement and install, its not bad. I woudl never use a split boot type replacement. I cant see how that can be balanced well and hold together long term.

[iamtheari]

I just went through this. Trust the advice: Take the half-shaft out of the car and replace the boot, clamps, grease, and circlip. Be sure to order the right circlip, as the one that came with the kit I ordered was too large which cost me a week. The only two hard parts of the job were putting the joint and bearings back together and torquing the bolts on the flange without rounding out the heads.

It is theoretically possible to remove the CV joint and replace the boot without detaching the outer spline from the wheel hub, but practically impossible and the only difficult part of removing the entire axle is torquing the big nut back down which is only difficult if you do not trust the laws of physics (I calculated the length of an arm I would have to stand on to deliver the correct torque, used strong wire to build a stirrup for my long breaker bar, and gingerly stood on it for a moment). It is much easier than trying to get the CV joint off the axle with it in the car. There just isn't an angle to get the necessary clearance.