Can't keep my boots on....

[curtnaz]

Okay, I've tried fixin this bugger 3 times now and I just can't keep the steering knuckle boots on. I have a M36A2 and was recently greasin everything up underneath when I noticed one of the boots was torn. I bought 2 new boots with zippers, ring clamps, etc. The first time I put them on according to the directions. The zippers are facing the direction the should be, end result with the zipper clasp inside the boot, and all siliconed up. Took the truck up to our ranch (2 hours offroad driving), came back and the inner rings slipped off. Put them on again, siliconed everything up again, went to the ranch again. Came back, the inner rings were off again. The last time I put some 3M gasket adhesive on the ring notch, tightened the rings as hard as I could get them, made sure the rink bolts were under the protective plate, and went to the ranch again.
Guess what, came back and they were off again.

Can any of you think of what the H E double hockey sticks is going on? My 2 thoughts was #1, something is snagging and pulling them off, but I couldn't see anything that would. The second is that due to the zipper model, it is not able to seat itself correctly, which allows it to slip off.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I need to go to the ranch again

 

[sandcobra164]

You say the Zipper is facing the correct way, can you enlighten us to which way you have the Zipper's pointed? Sometimes you get bad advice on that stuff. I'll tell ya if you have it right or not. I prefer the silicon boots, guess which way the side with the most "ribs" goes. Towards the front.

 

[welldigger]

Another thing to check is the orientation of the clamp heads. They should be on top of the axle. Make sure the steering arm isn't grabbing and pulling them off.

 

[curtnaz]

Thanks for the replies so far. I do know that we (myself and an assistant) did not position the clamp heads on top of the axle, but behind the guard. I will try to take some pictures tomorrow of the boots and their orientation. I do not know off the top of my head which side of the zipper is supposed to face which direction, but I do know that I followed the directions from Boyce and placed the zippers in orientation they were supposed to be.
If my memory (which is getting pretty bad it seems) serves me correctly, the installation procedure went as follows.
1. Cleaned up the boot and surface area of the axle the best I could (and I'm pretty meticulous).
2. Place boot over axle with zipper carriage facing upwards and towards the pumpkin.
3. Zipped the boot up approx. 2" or so to facilitate application of the smaller ring.
4. Installed smaller ring and cranked that thing down as tight as I could (clasp for ring would probably be round a 7 o'clock position in orientation to the hub).
5. Zipped up remainder of boot, which if my memory serves me correctly again, placed the carriage of the zipper on the outside of the boot?
6. Rubbed a liberal amount of silicone into and around zipper.
7. installed outer ring with orientation of clasp in a 7 o'clock position to the hub.
8. replaced guard and took the truck out.
9. Probably do it all over again.

As said, I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow while in the process of romoving everything. Thanks for all of your help...

 

[bsorcs]

Whew! For what it's worth, I used the silicone boots when I re-worked the hubs two years ago. Boots are still tight...no off-road driving, no mudding, just ~6K hwy miles and a lot of sitting still.