I saw that post. If you find poly cv boots let me know. I will be in need soon. I also hear that the steering rack boots don't last more than a couple of years, so a poly source for those would also be great.
Of course I already have a set of those cheap ones on order .

 

PayPal sent Thank You!
JohnK964

 

Thanks JohnK964. Your parcel is on its way. Should arrive in 10 business days.

 

👍 I got the boots today will you how the install goes

 

Thanks John,
It will be good to know if the boots fit both styles of 964 drop links.
Six kits have shipped and I still have a few available if anyone is in need.

 

I can CONFIRM these boots will work on the C2 style of drop end links easy to do! THANK YOU!
😎👍JohnK964

 

Hi Tom,
Great posting as many may be unaware and end up with a stealth while-I'm-in-there joint upgrade that is unnecessary.

They make aftermarket boots from silicone rubber that will outlast the car.
They work a little differently as they seal well against the ball joint socket body not requiring a band to seal them. One just slips them over the threaded ball's stud and they are on. These also work well for rotten tie rod end boots.
Summit Racing sells a vast variety of them:

https://www.summitracing.com/search?...ension%20boots

Also, they sell replacement strut boots as well:
https://www.summitracing.com/search?...=strut%20boots

Andy

 

Thanks Andy,

This thread is dedicated to 964 and possibly 993 drop link boots.
Your link takes me to a page showing over 2,000 hits for boots. When I used Summit Racing's filter to narrow down the results for a 964 I get zero results for boots.

Personally I don't trust the boot to not pop out of its groove so I decided to go with retaining rings the same way Porsche did. But to each, their own.

 

FYI, I ruled out silicone rubber when I discovered it has poor tear and abrasion resistance and only a fair resistance to swelling when exposed to oils. However it does have excellent resistance to oxidization.
To me polyurethane was the hands-down best choice.

 

So, just to clarify, I meant no disrespect to pp00830 (Andy) or to Summit Racing. I apologize if the tone of my emails seemed abrupt and cranky.
Fact is, I was (and still am) a bit cranky from covid vaccine after effects.

Options are always good. My solution works for me and I am very happy with it, but of course there are other options as has been pointed out within this thread.
I recognize that Andy was just adding to the pool of options and I am sorry for being dismissive.

I note that some of Summit's boots are advertised as being polyurethane so that's excellent, but which of their 2,000+ boots is the correct fit? Apparently Summit does not have this info or don't publish it on their website.
If anyone has this info, it would be good to add it to the list of options.

For those seeking options, the sizes of the ball joint grooves are as follows:
Small groove is 12.86 mm in diameter and 4 mm wide.
Large groove is 27.83 mm in diameter and is 3.4 mm wide.
The distance from the extreme opposite edges of the two grooves is 17mm.

The boot should be smaller than the groove diameter by at least 1 to 2 mm and of course the overall height of the boot should be longer than 17mm but not excessively so. I found 22 mm worked really well.

 

As promised, I will list the sources and part numbers for the dust boot kits. But first I want to thank those folks far and wide who had faith in me, and ordered the kits. I started with a dozen kits and they are now all gone. So far everyone seems happy. According to the tracking numbers, you all should have received your kits. If you did not, please send me a PM ASAP.

The source of the dust boots is a manufacturer called Polyboots. They are located in Bulgaria and their website is www.polyboots.com As a manufacturer they don’t sell at the retail level and they don’t have any distributors or dealers. You have to deal directly with the factory. If you don't have a company, invent one because they don't retail.

The boots are quite inexpensive, but it’s the shipping and brokerage fees that kill you. But since those are flat fees, ordering in quantity brings the costs down to a reasonable level.

The part number for the dust boots is 11-27-22-1. They are available in black or yellow with the exact same part number, but there is a difference. The black ones are made of a softer, more pliable polyurethane. The yellow ones are harder. I used yellow for my tie rod ends when I realized they could fit there also. I figured the tie rod end was more exposed to road grime and might last longer if it is harder. Plus, they look cool too. See picture below. Note the fit on the tie rod ball joint taper was tighter than I wanted, but it seems to work ok.

The retaining rings are Spirolox brand and these are available exclusively from Smalley at https://www.smalley.com/ Smalley has distributors set up around the world. I dealt with Daemar.com and their part numbers are listed below:

The large ring is part number RST-0125

The small ring is part number RS-0075

The nuts can be sourced from any industrial supply source. They are 10 mm - 1.5 pitch all-metal lock nut sometimes called a stover nut. Check your threads. The PET shows it as 10 mm-1.0 pitch but that’s not what mine were so check to make sure.

Here is a pic of boot 11-27-22-1 in yellow, but installed on my tie rod end instead of on the drop links.

 

Fitted one of my boots today. Perfect fit. Thanks for the work in getting this together.

Edit: I packed the ball joint with more grease after the photo of the bare joint was taken. The boot took some work to put on. Small flat screwdrivers helped coerce it on. The rings were threaded on. Put the edge over the lip and use a set of needle nose pliers to pull the leading edge around the boot. The rest of the ring eventually threads itself on. There is next to no way I can see this coming off.

 

Thanks John. I am happy to see that it worked out. I just hate to see good parts thrown out for lack of something simple like dust boots and retaining rings. I wonder if Pelican or Rennline would be interested in buying in bulk from Polyboots and selling these kits to make them widely available anytime.(no affiliation)
Failing that, all the info is here for future group buys.
Cheers to all and Happy New Year.

 

I think that would work. Try a European seller like Design911 as well. I tend to buy my parts in bulk so would easily put these in my basket with a larger order. The beauty of the parts you have selected is that they work perfectly. Each part does its job well. The end result looks and feels OE new.

 

This is fantastic! I was looking into the cost of replacing my C4 front drop links for adjustable ones due to the torn boots. This would be much more cost efficient.