Max4558

I have an '87 Targa that I use for about 20 DE track days a year. Up till last Fall when I retired, I also used the car as a daily driver.

For some reason, I seem to go through a lot of CV boots. Here is the history:

Jun '03 Replaced both side's inner & outer boots

Aug '04 Replaced Passenger's inner boot

Jan '05 Replaced Driver's outer boot

Jun '05 Replaced Driver's inner boot

Jun '05 Replaced both side's inner and outer boots

Feb '07 Replaced driver's inner boot

Mar '07 Now need to replace driver's outer boot.


That seems like a lot of boots to go through. I heard somewhere that some cars are harder on boots than others........anyone have any ideas.

srf506

You don't run it through gas station car washes or other automatic car washes do you? The rails used to guide the cars down the track or to guide the car into the right position in the wash are often responsible for ripping up the outer boots. I can't tell you why the inner one is getting torn. But it does sound like a lot of boots to go through.

theiceman

you didn't state why you are replacing the boots, are they tearing as I would imagine? . Also are you alwys using the same boot ? oem ? porsche boot ? there may be a cluse there.

Max4558

No I never have run it through a car wash, etc.

The boots get tears in them. The current one is along the seam. Also, for the most part, the replacement boots are from my Porsche dealer (who fortunately has a two yeaar warrenty on repairs....but it is a pain to always have to take it in).

theiceman

Wow that is unusual.. usually the Porsche stuff is of very high quality uf he is using the right parts. At least he is warranting this. As he had any other complaints ?

srf506

That is really unusual. Your car isn't lower than a eurospec is it? Its usually the angle the joint sits at that tears these things. Do you go over any of those flip-down one way devices (you know the ones you can't back up on)? The only other hair-brained thing I can think of, other than a bad lot of boots, is something is building up heat in the boot to the point it expands and splits a seam. Not this year's but last year's 24 Hours of Daytona I know the Porsche teams were having a lot of CV joint issues in the Daytona Prototype class. But that was because they were running them at an extreme angle, and it was eating the CV as well as the boot.

r911

Are you buying from a dealer or Pelican? They sell the real things. Some places may be selling crummy quality boots - this happens w/ a lot of Porsche parts.

Max4558

In talking with the mechanic at the dealer (he likes working on older cars), he thinks it may be because I had the car lowered a bit which changes the angle of the axle. He was going to research if an "shorter" boot is available.

Anyone know of such a thing?

glenncof

Just for reference I have an '85 and recent replaced a CV. It has 177K miles and still original boots.

At least on mine the inner portion of the boot is not clamped to the 1/2 shaft. It's free to float as the CV's move in/out on shaft.

Just a thought, see if the boots are clamped to shaft. I thought about doing this as the shaft hole could allow dirt/water in but decided against it due to increased flexing of boot.

art

Are you using a fancy grease that might be attacking them? How about solvents for clean-up between events, etc?

Max4558

No fancy grease or solvents. I have heard of not clamping the boot to the shaft. Anyone else tried it?

nineoneone

To replace the outer boots do you have to remove the inner boot and slide the outer over it out to the wheel?

Bob Kontak

Do you run headers on the car? This picture I swiped from someone's site shows the headers close to the inner boots which may place more heat at this area vs. stock.

Max4558

Wish I did have those headers but no, it is basically stock (other than lowered, sport shoocks, and beefed up bars).