How to make your own CV boots


As you can see CV joints can get pretty dirty,it doesn't take long for dirt to build up in the joint and start causing wear in the moving metal parts.On this page I'll show you how you can easily make some boots to cover those CV joints and help keep that grime from wearing them out early.This article not only applies to the evader,it can be used on other trucks as well.
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First you'll have to remove the rear wheels,then pop the turnbuckle off the hub.Next you'll remove the pin in the spindle,and the washer.The hub should be able to pivot now,carefully pull the CV shaft out of the diff now (you may need to put slight downward pressure on the lower control arm to get it to pop out).Now you simply pull the shaft out of the hub.

Now that the shaft is out,you'll want to clean the dirt out of the joint.I used some brake cleaner spray for this.
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To make the boot you'll need a balloon,the long skinny ones that are used to make animals are perfect for this.All you have to do is cut a section long enough to cover the joint,and slide it on.I found that starting from the diff side of the shaft is easier than trying to slide it over the bearing.A small screw driver is also handy when it comes time to slide the boot over the joint.

Before you secure the boot on,you may want to grease or oil the joint to help keep water from getting in.Once you've done that just grab a twist tie that comes with packs of garbage bags and cut it in lengths long enough to wrap around the boot on the shaft (you could use plastic zip ties,but in this case I found that the twist ties were small enough to not cause any interference with the movement of the CV joint).
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Before you reinstall the shaft you'll want to double check that the joint moves freely,and that the twist tie does not cause any interference with it's movement.

It's also a good idea to clean and oil the bearings while you have everything apart.Again I used brake cleaner to blast the dirst off the bearings,then I put a few drops of 3-in-1 oil on them and spin them to make sure they get well lubricated and don't show and signs of wear or binding.
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Now just reverse the procedure you used to remove the shaft,and you're done.This is a simple and cheap upgrade,and your CV shafts will now live long and happy lives.Be sure to check the joints whenever you do any maintenece on the truck to ensure that there is no water getting in,and to clean and regrease the joints.As long as you're not driving through any creeks or large puddles I don't think there'll be much chance of water getting in especially if you grease the joint when you install the boots,but it's better to be safe than sorry.Another benefit of doing this upgrade is that if the set screw were to come loose from the CV joint,you won't lose it.