2 month old split axle boots

[Pinkie]

I got the boots and they looked like new a few months ago and installed them. I happened to look under the deuce for other reasons and saw both are dry rotted and split! Did I do anything wrong? I would think the boots would last alot longer then that. What do you guys think?

 

[emmado22]

How old were they when you installed them? NOS parts could be 30+ years okl....

 

[Pinkie]

I do not know what I was looking at but I inspected them before I installed them and it seems to me they were new. I could be wrong.

 

[clinto]

I have a pair of Saturn zipper style boots that were new, not NOS that I installed in mid-September and the passenger side is dry rotted to the point of being split and big globs of wheel bearing grease are on the wheel.

I think I will call them Monday and see what they have to say, that's totally unacceptable.

 

[acetomatoco]

Good boots should last 20 years..you shouldn't have big gobs of grease in there by the way...only enough to keep the housing from rusting and the little residue from lubing the pivots occasionally. Always be sure to seal the zippers on the split boots to keep them waterproof... rtv or similar.. ACE

 

[marksgarage2]

Where did you get them from? We bought 4 sets from usa 6x6 and they all split in 6 months. I just got new ones from Murrays and they are twice as thick and well made.

 

[Pinkie]

I bought them from Saturn because they are a SS supporter.

 

[hndrsonj]

Buying old rubber parts whether NOS or not is a gamble. I am guessing they looked good enough to put on in the first place, so how could a dealer be accountable??????

 

[JDToumanian]

Saturn's boots are not old, they're new manufacture... probably Korean. Walker's sells the same ones, so I guess I have dry rot to look forward to soon...

I ordered zipperless boots from Ted Hils, and they accidentally sent me zipper boots. I sent them back to get the zipperless ones, but I noticed that they are different than the ones Walker's and Saturn sell... The boots from Ted Hils had the zipper both sewn and riveted to the rubber, whereas Saturn's do not have the rivets. They didn't looks any better though.

Jon

 

[cranetruck]

Has anyone thought of simply repairing a ripped boot?
I have four torn boots on the xm757 and no idea where to find replacements, so I'm planning to try to repair one for starters since the rubber doesn't look terribly bad....
The zippers were not sealed when installed last, so removing them in one piece should be possible.

 

[ah1955]

Cranetruck brought up a good point, and I would think that the repair would depend on several factors, like any repair you need to have a good base to work with so if you just have a tear and the suranding materal is sound I would think with the proper clean up and prep. and a good match of repair materals (a tire repair/recapper might help tell the type of rubber and adhevies would work best) could work.
I have not done any axle boots yet mine are not torn that I see but are damp and seems that I have some seepage from some place or several places. Do plan to do the whole front drive axle some day. Have followed different post of this project and I think that the installation of the boot can be tricky(have read guys having problems with them slipping off) so could a 2 month old boot have been cut by incorrect installation(sorry not trying to pick the origianl post just looking to avoid a proplem)

 

[houdel]

The boots from Ted Hils had the zipper both sewn and riveted to the rubber, whereas Saturn's do not have the rivets. They didn't looks any better though. Jon

The last boot I got from Saturn did have rivets, an earlier one from Saturn did not. maybe they have changed suppliers.

In any event when replacing an axle boot on a Deuce, THE INNER CLAMP BOLT MUST BE INSTALLED AT THE TOP OF THE KNUCKLE! If you install the clamp bolt toward the front as shown in the picture in the TM, the knuckle will push the clamp off the axle housing and you get to install the boot all over again (ask me how I know).

Also, do not bend the inner clamp bolt to prevent it from loosening. Instead, replace the clamp nut with a self locking nut. If your clamp came with a metric bolt & nut (like mine), go to your local hardware store and buy a US size bolt and lock nut. The metric and US sizes do not match up exactly, so buy the next larger diameter and next longer US bolt, they will work just fine. Do NOT buy a bolt shorter than that which came with the clamp, you will need the extra length to get the nut started on the bolt. A shorter bolt will require about six arms to pull everything tight enough to start the nut (ask me how I know).

I repeat these warnings on every knuckle boot thread that I see, just so no none else has to install their boot three times before they get it right like I had to!

 

[OPCOM]

could it be possible that the very cold weather could make the rubber hard and easier to crack? I know it soulds silly but I 'broke' a frozen rubber covered extension cord once.

 

[clinto]

I will take some detail shots of mine today. It looks identical to the dry rot found in tires, tons of tiny little cracks.

What boots are the military using?

 

[EZFEED]

Hey guys, I don't know if you'd be interested or not but just to let you know I'm making new boots for mine out of heavy vinyl from the fabric store. Seems to work pretty well too.

 

[cranetruck]

It may work in your part of the country, but as Patrick suggested, the low temp operation may be compromised even sooner with vinyl.

 

[Twinpinion]

I ran zipper boots from Antelope Valley Truck Parts. No problems for over 2 years. I eventually tore one on a big rock. I had removed the rock shields. My bad.

 

[gringeltaube]

The term "rubber" alone doesn't say enough. What kind of compound? There is a huge variety depending on application. There could be hundreds of combinations, often compromises between chemical and physical properties.
See: http://rubbertechnology.info/en/overview-rubberqualities/basic-elastomers-properties/

Our boots have to be oil resistant and stay flexible summer and winter for years without the typical signs of dry rotting.
My initial personal experience with a local manufacturer who has a well designed mold for the zipper-less boots was very disappointing: the new boots almost disintegrated, only a few months after installation. They possibly were made of "cheap" EPM. From the inside the "rubber" was swollen from the lubricant, outside covered with little cracks! After my claim they promised to change the compound this time using HNBR or similar. The result was good enough: 4 years went by before they had to be replaced, mainly because of mechanical damage. But they had also started to show signs of dry rot, so who knows what they really are mixing together???
It would be very interesting to know what the perfect recipe is for a boot that will last 20 or more years! What are they using today for the CV-joint boots on modern cars and light trucks? Some (Japanese) products seem to last forever!

Gerhard

 

[Recovry4x4]

What about the neoprene zipperless boots? Ted Hils has em and I'm seriously thinking about buying them for my truck.

 

[Boatcarpenter]

Boots

How about good ole canvas, greased up to keep it waterproof and flexible, and your local cobbler with the right sewing machines to stitch um up for ya