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Hi,
In my adventures with my (new to me) 2008 Cayenne, I finally managed to figure out why the replacement Front Lower Control Arm would not drop into the intended spot... it was because the stud was slightly too long to make the path without hanging up on the sides of the cone-shaped hole and banging into the drive axle.
Before discovering that it was best to use a grinder to remove 2 mm of the stud, I managed to push the pre-modified arm into the bottom of the axle hard enough to dislodge the boot clamp, causing Major Headache #2.
Since then, I have managed to completely fail at three attempts to fix the boot clamp -- 1, by trying to re-use the original clamp, since it was Sunday evening and my wife was already concerned that my simple LCA job had taken this ugly turn, then 2, the heavy-duty Zip tie, which, of course failed the day before a 1,000 mile road trip, and finally, 3, the work of an Indy mechanic who bravely tried to tackle this job on a Saturday, with the wrong clamp.
We made the trip, and the "Indy" clamp held well enough that the boot did not pull away from the cv joint, but not so well that it is truly tight There is moly grease being spit out onto the wheel. I had emptied an entire tube into the boot before one of my failed attempts, so the joint is far from dry.
The correct clamp has arrived at my door, so my question is, can this job be done in a satisfactory manner without removing the axle, or is it just so much better to remove the whole thing that it is worth all of the work?
The vehicle has 97k, and I have not yet heard the tell-tale sounds of the cv joints failing....
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
The factory replacement tongue and groove type oetiker clamps that hold the CV joint boots on will need to slide over the end of the axle. They do not separate. Personally, I'd bite the bullet and pull the whole thing, clean it, get the clamps on the boot good and tight, then reinstall.
If they sent you a stainless strap style clamp (one that can be wrapped around without removing the axle) I wouldn't use it, they never seem to stay secure.
This is the style I've always dealt with on CV boots. The way they are crimped allows them to move with the clamped part, yet still hold constant pressure on it.
Hi 1Bad,
That is exactly what originally came off, and what arrived as (I hope) the replacement. I am now a little confused... are you advocating taking the axle off in order to put this type of clamp on? It does separate, allowing for it to be put on while the axle is attached. My only concern with that approach is whether or not I can get the clamp tight enough. When I tried to re-use the original clamp (I know, bad idea), I could not get it tight enough.
A million years ago, when I was working on my old VWs I would typically remove the axle, because I could more easily load the joint with grease while still keeping the area of the boot nearest the clamp somewhat dry... of course, my recollection doesn't recall cracking the axle nut loose...making the job on the VW significantly more straight forward (and that is not even taking into account the other stuff that has to be moved to get the Cayenne axle out)... still, I just don't know of my ability to crank that clamp tight enough, especially with grease try to ooze past the boot. My 20 year old clamp wrench (the one built for the clamp that you show above) couldn't quite tighten the other clamp sufficiently, although the fault could have been limited to the attempt to re-use the original clamp.. Maybe something a bit more robust is in order, although I don't wanna buy a $110 tool for what could easily be a one time job, since the cv joints will eventually go and the whole axle will be replaced anyway.
In looking at the Oetiker site, I noticed that the Manual tool that can be used to close the ear clamps looks identical to the tile nipper I have in my tool box... or am I missing something?
I use a ratcheting tool that I bought at Home Depot or Lowes - - now that I have it, i use it more often than I'd have guessed. It's made for a type of PEX fittings which are essentially Oetiker clamps - - look in the plumbing section. I've also had limited success squeezing the clamps with an antique pair of fence pliers, and it seems like tile nippers might also work. Before you try with your expensive CV clamp, you might consider experimenting with a bag of PEX clamps from a big box. They are a cheap substitute or practice platform for the real thing. Good luck.
In looking at the Oetiker site, I noticed that the Manual tool that can be used to close the ear clamps looks identical to the tile nipper I have in my tool box... or am I missing something?
The only difference is the gap when the tile nipper is fully closed. A real Oetiker clamping tool (from them) has a preset gap that means the jaws never fully close. The idea of an Oetiker clamp is besides being fast to assemble on an assembly line - you won't overtighten it if you use the correct tool. Overtightening a clamp on something like a CV joint boot will eventually result in the rubber boot being cut into by the clamp, which isn't your desired result.
I'd spring for the correct tool (I have several Oetiker tools in my toolbox) - they're available on amazon for very small money (in the less then $20 range.) And amazon ships quickly.
Hi D,
Great advice... I had no idea that the tool was so reasonable.
Since my clamp can be slipped over the before before closing, engaging the "teeth" and then squeezing the "ear" (this is the style of clamp that came off the boot), would you try the clamp with the axle on, or still pull it off and assemble on a work bench?
Depends on if I was willing to risk the clamp if it didn't work. I have done them after assembly on the boot, but opening it enough to get over the shaft might distort it. If the clamp is cheap then it's worth a try.
One hint.. Before putting the clamp on, measure it carefully and do a web search. Porsche doesn't make the clamps and chances are they're available cheaper from other sources. If you have a NAPA auto parts store nearby it might be productive to visit them with the clamp in hand to see if they can match it up. That won't work in a big box parts store unless you find a really savvy clerk.
Hi All,
Well, that was weird... the clamp I bought was apparently NOT OEM. I found out in the most painful fashion on Monday morning, when (after removing the brake caliper and rotor and shield so I had more working room, and squirting a whole bunch of grease into the boot) the clamp went on beautifully...then snapped in two when I crimped it tight with an actual cv boot crimping tool. Bummer! And I did not have a backup...
After thinking about it for several minutes and reviewing my past failed attempts, including an ill-fated patch involving a too-wide hose clamp, which stayed on but leaked, I decided to try a short-term fix while I wait for a genuine clamp that can handle the crimping pressure. I guessed that the reason that the hose clamp did not work was that the clamp was wider than the groove in the cv joint itself. There was not enough of a seal to prevent the migration of the grease.
I decided to cut the broken band (which is the right width for the groove in the cv joint) so that it would wrap almost exactly one turn of the cv joint. I then placed the hose clamp over the narrower band and tightened it, hoping that the narrow band would be "persuaded" into pushing the boot into the groove. It worked! Two days later, everything is where it is supposed to be, and holding...
I am posting this in case someone else has the same series of mis-adventures and needs a temporary fix.
03-25-2016, 08:09 PM
Cv boot clamp fix...Bench? Or on vehicle?
