Better axle boots?

[Ajax MD]

I installed brand new axle boots on my truck maybe 2 years ago. I drive it monthly and haven't off-roaded it, yet.
The boots have basically disintegrated. They've both split and only the fact that I used Lucas Red 'n Tacky has kept things from becoming a giant mess. The grease has stayed put.

Zippered or not, I don't care. Is there a better boot out there somewhere?

 

[Mullaney]

I installed brand new axle boots on my truck maybe 2 years ago. I drive it monthly and haven't off-roaded it, yet.
The boots have basically disintegrated. They've both split and only the fact that I used Lucas Red 'n Tacky has kept things from becoming a giant mess. The grease has stayed put.

Zippered or not, I don't care. Is there a better boot out there somewhere?

.
Seems that I read on here somewhere that there was a rash of that problem. Using NOS rubber that had maybe been in a warehouse that wasn't air conditioned maybe. Plain old deterioration. Seems like somebody in the "Big 3" had the problem. Having done it once and having almost the same experience - the replacement boots I got were pulled on and pawed at in a pretty serious manner. Looking for cracks just like with NOS twenty year old tires. Sometimes that just ain't good.

 

[Floridianson]

Are you still packing the knuckle with grease? Seems like some of the stuff from China does not like petroleum products.

 

[Ajax MD]

Are you still packing the knuckle with grease? Seems like some of the stuff from China does not like petroleum products.

Yes, I did. I have the old style CV's (Timkin? Bendix?) The open style, so I thought it best to pack them. Do you know of a non-china source?

 

[US6x4]

I bet the silicone boots might withstand the elements a bit better. I think those are 1-piece units.

 

[87cr250r]

Silicone will allow the oil from the grease to leak and everything will be a sticky mess. Silicone rubber is very permeable.

 

[Floridianson]

Did a thread showing some of the boots I had but could not find it. Believe some were aftermarket and had no control numbers or manufacturing numbers.
I had / got a lot of boots at rallys that were NOS and had numbers. They seemed to do OK. Only had one Deuce with Timken everything else even 5 tons had newer style axles and I did not pack the knuckles. Just greased up well the inside of spindle bushing.