Steve Sears

Courtney,
I had a boot replaced on my 1980 5k years ago - the shop took the axle off
the car, removed the broken boot, and then thoroughly blasted out the old
lubricant and dirt out with a parts washer and compressed air before
relubing and putting the new boot on. I've cleaned and rebooted my 1962 DKW
by myself - the joint is brutal to get the dirty grease out of - I relubed
and installed the boot, and it is working like a charm. However, DKW joints
are no longer available new, and you don't have to remove the joint from the
axle to reboot it - the shaft between the joints comes apart.
I wouldn't advise using a pressure washer to clean the joint, as the water
may get in to a spot where it won't drain out. The best cleaning you can do
is with the axle off the car and in a parts washer. The CV uses that blue
special CV grease that will probably come with the boot kit. You should
also check the joint for scoring and wear/play. I'm not an expert on CV's
and am pretty confident that if given a worn/scored joint I wouldn't be able
to tell if it's bad or not.
If you go route of axle replacement, make sure that the replacement has the
ABS teeth at the joint (apparently, some do not).
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Courtney Thomas" <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> wrote in message
newsan.2005.08.04.17.03.53.63399@earthlink.net.. .
> Steve,
>
> Thank you for the information.
>
> If I am able to go the stretchy boots route, what precautionary steps
> regarding possible dirt intrusion, should be taken prior to putting the
> new boots on ?
>
> Please excuse my ignorance, but what else should this 'refurbishment'
> involve, e.g. lubrication, installation caveats, etc. ?
>
> Maybe washing the boot confined mechanism out with a power washer and then
> lubricating, or what ?
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Courtney
>
>
> On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 10:37:47 -0400, Steve Sears wrote:
>
> > Courtney,
> > If you can't get "stretchy boots" as Skipweasel calls them, you should
look
> > into the cost of getting a rebuilt axle - apparently the cost of a
> > replacement axle is cheaper than the cost of having a mechanic
disassemble
> > the joint, clean it thoroughly (hopefully there's no significant damage
from
> > dirt), and then fit a new boot and reassemble. (as per a recent thread
in
> > Audifans)
> > Cheers!
> > Steve Sears
> > 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> > 1980 Audi 5k
> > 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> > (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
> >
> > "Guy King" <guy.king@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:313030303432373942EE759E64@zetnet.co.uk...
> >> The message <pan.2005.08.01.18.00.47.757984@earthlink.net>
> >> from Courtney Thomas <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> contains these words:
> >>
> >> > Is this something the home mechanic can do or does removal, and
> >> > reinstallation require skills/tools that a patient and persistent
home
> >> > mechanic cannot do ?
> >>
> >> Depends on the car, but stretchy-boots - ones which can be fitted over
> >> the CV so you don't have to take it off - are magic.
> >>
> >> At all costs avoid "Sticky-boots" which are split and have to be glued
> >> together. They fail in very short order.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Skipweasel.
> >> Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."
> >>
> >>
>

Steve Sears

Courtney,
I had a boot replaced on my 1980 5k years ago - the shop took the axle off
the car, removed the broken boot, and then thoroughly blasted out the old
lubricant and dirt out with a parts washer and compressed air before
relubing and putting the new boot on. I've cleaned and rebooted my 1962 DKW
by myself - the joint is brutal to get the dirty grease out of - I relubed
and installed the boot, and it is working like a charm. However, DKW joints
are no longer available new, and you don't have to remove the joint from the
axle to reboot it - the shaft between the joints comes apart.
I wouldn't advise using a pressure washer to clean the joint, as the water
may get in to a spot where it won't drain out. The best cleaning you can do
is with the axle off the car and in a parts washer. The CV uses that blue
special CV grease that will probably come with the boot kit. You should
also check the joint for scoring and wear/play. I'm not an expert on CV's
and am pretty confident that if given a worn/scored joint I wouldn't be able
to tell if it's bad or not.
If you go route of axle replacement, make sure that the replacement has the
ABS teeth at the joint (apparently, some do not).
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Courtney Thomas" <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> wrote in message
newsan.2005.08.04.17.03.53.63399@earthlink.net.. .
> Steve,
>
> Thank you for the information.
>
> If I am able to go the stretchy boots route, what precautionary steps
> regarding possible dirt intrusion, should be taken prior to putting the
> new boots on ?
>
> Please excuse my ignorance, but what else should this 'refurbishment'
> involve, e.g. lubrication, installation caveats, etc. ?
>
> Maybe washing the boot confined mechanism out with a power washer and then
> lubricating, or what ?
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Courtney
>
>
> On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 10:37:47 -0400, Steve Sears wrote:
>
> > Courtney,
> > If you can't get "stretchy boots" as Skipweasel calls them, you should
look
> > into the cost of getting a rebuilt axle - apparently the cost of a
> > replacement axle is cheaper than the cost of having a mechanic
disassemble
> > the joint, clean it thoroughly (hopefully there's no significant damage
from
> > dirt), and then fit a new boot and reassemble. (as per a recent thread
in
> > Audifans)
> > Cheers!
> > Steve Sears
> > 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> > 1980 Audi 5k
> > 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> > (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
> >
> > "Guy King" <guy.king@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:313030303432373942EE759E64@zetnet.co.uk...
> >> The message <pan.2005.08.01.18.00.47.757984@earthlink.net>
> >> from Courtney Thomas <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> contains these words:
> >>
> >> > Is this something the home mechanic can do or does removal, and
> >> > reinstallation require skills/tools that a patient and persistent
home
> >> > mechanic cannot do ?
> >>
> >> Depends on the car, but stretchy-boots - ones which can be fitted over
> >> the CV so you don't have to take it off - are magic.
> >>
> >> At all costs avoid "Sticky-boots" which are split and have to be glued
> >> together. They fail in very short order.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Skipweasel.
> >> Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."
> >>
> >>
>

Steve Sears

Courtney,
I had a boot replaced on my 1980 5k years ago - the shop took the axle off
the car, removed the broken boot, and then thoroughly blasted out the old
lubricant and dirt out with a parts washer and compressed air before
relubing and putting the new boot on. I've cleaned and rebooted my 1962 DKW
by myself - the joint is brutal to get the dirty grease out of - I relubed
and installed the boot, and it is working like a charm. However, DKW joints
are no longer available new, and you don't have to remove the joint from the
axle to reboot it - the shaft between the joints comes apart.
I wouldn't advise using a pressure washer to clean the joint, as the water
may get in to a spot where it won't drain out. The best cleaning you can do
is with the axle off the car and in a parts washer. The CV uses that blue
special CV grease that will probably come with the boot kit. You should
also check the joint for scoring and wear/play. I'm not an expert on CV's
and am pretty confident that if given a worn/scored joint I wouldn't be able
to tell if it's bad or not.
If you go route of axle replacement, make sure that the replacement has the
ABS teeth at the joint (apparently, some do not).
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Courtney Thomas" <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> wrote in message
newsan.2005.08.04.17.03.53.63399@earthlink.net.. .
> Steve,
>
> Thank you for the information.
>
> If I am able to go the stretchy boots route, what precautionary steps
> regarding possible dirt intrusion, should be taken prior to putting the
> new boots on ?
>
> Please excuse my ignorance, but what else should this 'refurbishment'
> involve, e.g. lubrication, installation caveats, etc. ?
>
> Maybe washing the boot confined mechanism out with a power washer and then
> lubricating, or what ?
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Courtney
>
>
> On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 10:37:47 -0400, Steve Sears wrote:
>
> > Courtney,
> > If you can't get "stretchy boots" as Skipweasel calls them, you should
look
> > into the cost of getting a rebuilt axle - apparently the cost of a
> > replacement axle is cheaper than the cost of having a mechanic
disassemble
> > the joint, clean it thoroughly (hopefully there's no significant damage
from
> > dirt), and then fit a new boot and reassemble. (as per a recent thread
in
> > Audifans)
> > Cheers!
> > Steve Sears
> > 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> > 1980 Audi 5k
> > 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> > (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
> >
> > "Guy King" <guy.king@zetnet.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:313030303432373942EE759E64@zetnet.co.uk...
> >> The message <pan.2005.08.01.18.00.47.757984@earthlink.net>
> >> from Courtney Thomas <cc.thomas@earthlink.net> contains these words:
> >>
> >> > Is this something the home mechanic can do or does removal, and
> >> > reinstallation require skills/tools that a patient and persistent
home
> >> > mechanic cannot do ?
> >>
> >> Depends on the car, but stretchy-boots - ones which can be fitted over
> >> the CV so you don't have to take it off - are magic.
> >>
> >> At all costs avoid "Sticky-boots" which are split and have to be glued
> >> together. They fail in very short order.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Skipweasel.
> >> Ivor Cutler - "Never knowingly understood."
> >>
> >>
>