• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

CV boot on HMMWV

Chagawaga

Member
40
3
8
Location
Midland TX
My driver side CV boot popped open and spewed the grease out. The inside leftover grease seems pretty clean. Any suggestions?

Is it hard to install?
Any thoughts/ experience with Spit boot?
 

teteacher101

Member
127
4
18
Location
WI
My driver side CV boot popped open and spewed the grease out. The inside leftover grease seems pretty clean. Any suggestions?

Is it hard to install?
Any thoughts/ experience with Spit boot?
I would run away from the split boots like my hair was on fire. Never saw one that actually held up. I replaced boots on one of my CV shafts with the uni-fit boots from the local auto parts store, I replaced them both cuz you know if you don't then next week the other boot will rip an leak. The only reason I replaced the boots instead of the shaft is cuz I had ordered a shaft for a different corner due to a bad boot an was in the middle of replacing it when I noticed I had another boot ripped on a different corner. I didn't want to wait for a shaft since I had everything out an rockin so I just did the boots. For the few extra bucks-just replace the shaft.

Its a pretty easy job overall.
 

gcbennet

Member
221
7
18
Location
Trenton, ON
I've replaced the boots on a couple instead of buying whole new halfshafts. Cost effectiveness aside, it's a bit of a pain dismantling and reassembling, but the process is pretty well laid out in the TM. If you're at all mechanically proficient and have the time to spare, go for it.
 

diesel dave

Active member
129
38
28
Location
north central pa
My hmmwv had the front hub's "over hauled" by the military before being released for sale. During that rebuild,one of the hub vent lines was incorrectly routed so that it touched the axle boot. I didn't catch it during my inspection after purchase,and it eventually rubbed a hole through it and the boot. I also took the easy way out and replaced the axle. I would suggest any one doing an inspection after purchase to add this to the list.
 

patracy

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
14,635
4,795
113
Location
Buchanan, GA
I've replaced the boots on a couple instead of buying whole new halfshafts. Cost effectiveness aside, it's a bit of a pain dismantling and reassembling, but the process is pretty well laid out in the TM. If you're at all mechanically proficient and have the time to spare, go for it.
Did this on mine as well. I think the boot was like $20 with grease. My boot had split on a short drive to town and back (6 miles round trip). So I knew nothing was wrong internally. I cheated and used a funnel to "squeeze" it over.
 

WILDBOY6X6

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
608
38
28
Location
Newark ca
I replaced some on shafts I got from the military shop I worked at, they were code ZZ which is fix / dispose of at unit level.
I did a match up at my local auto parts and, you wont believe me but a 84-87 ford Taurus was a match for both inner and outer.
 

Chagawaga

Member
40
3
8
Location
Midland TX
I replaced some on shafts I got from the military shop I worked at, they were code ZZ which is fix / dispose of at unit level.
I did a match up at my local auto parts and, you wont believe me but a 84-87 ford Taurus was a match for both inner and outer.
Ill take that match :)
I got a caliper to measure the shaft and co.pare it to my holes. Ill try it tomorrow. Was the install easy?
 

WILDBOY6X6

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
608
38
28
Location
Newark ca
Hi for me it was I only removed the outer joint, then removed the inner boot slid the new on the shaft then did the outer one.
The inner joint is not as easy to take apart, the outer one can be popped off by lightly tapping on the center part with a hammer as you pull out on it.
I have at the shop put the shaft in a vice loose and pull back on it and let the outer joint hit the side of the vice it will pop right off.
 

Chagawaga

Member
40
3
8
Location
Midland TX
I replaced some on shafts I got from the military shop I worked at, they were code ZZ which is fix / dispose of at unit level.
I did a match up at my local auto parts and, you wont believe me but a 84-87 ford Taurus was a match for both inner and outer.
You mean thw boot is same as Taurus or the whole axile? I just matched the boot it kinda fit the measurements
 

1993

Member
173
1
16
Location
NY
Did this on mine as well. I think the boot was like $20 with grease. My boot had split on a short drive to town and back (6 miles round trip). So I knew nothing was wrong internally. I cheated and used a funnel to "squeeze" it over.
Thanks for the idea!Did you use a "universal" boot? I read that standard boots are much less elastic and more difficult if not impossible to squeeze over a "CV funnel" as compared to a universal.

Do you know what the small and large diameters of the inner and outer boots should be?
I know I can figure out the smaller pretty easily by measuring the shaft but want to make sure I know the large opening before ordering or taking apart.
even though the universal boots should be pretty forgiving.
I'm thinking Doorman?
 

patracy

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
14,635
4,795
113
Location
Buchanan, GA
Thanks for the idea!Did you use a "universal" boot? I read that standard boots are much less elastic and more difficult if not impossible to squeeze over a "CV funnel" as compared to a universal.

Do you know what the small and large diameters of the inner and outer boots should be?
I know I can figure out the smaller pretty easily by measuring the shaft but want to make sure I know the large opening before ordering or taking apart.
even though the universal boots should be pretty forgiving.
I'm thinking Doorman?
No, it wasn't a universal one. I'll have to dig to find the part number, it is a dorman part though.

Edit, here's my thread about this topic.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?143132-Civilian-CV-boot-part-number
 

1993

Member
173
1
16
Location
NY
No, it wasn't a universal one. I'll have to dig to find the part number, it is a dorman part though.

Edit, here's my thread about this topic.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?143132-Civilian-CV-boot-part-number
I figure it best to replace both outer and inner since they all look a bit dry, and trying to get the inner one over the outer might be a pain later.

In that link you confirm that Doorman 614-003 is a good fit.
from what I found, that is actually a universal outer boot(which is a good thing because it should be much more flexible).
any thoughts on what inner boot(part number) would fit?
looks like [FONT=&quot]614-002 [/FONT]should fit inner.
 
Last edited:

cwajciec

Member
67
5
8
Location
Richmond VA
I just went through this on 7700 lb axles on a M998. The inner joint measures 3.75” and the outer is 3.5” with a 1” shaft. I got both the Dorman 614-003 and the -002 inner. I pulled the outer joint off by hitting the center with a hammer; it popped right off. I took both boots out from the outer side.
dorman 614-002 fit the inner well. 614-003 was waaay too big. I was in a pinch so I used the old inner boot (which was identical to the old outer) and put it back together. Problem solved until next time.
 

DerekP

New member
1
0
0
Location
Holland, MI
Hello all, first time to reply on this forum. I just replaced the outer cv boot, front passenger side and the shaft dia was 1" and the outer 3.450". The 614-001 boot has the best fit, 3.375" and 1". Though it took two boots to figure out that trying to stretch a 1" die over a 3.375" wasn't going to work out well. So, I pounded the inner cv joint off and fought the snap ring loose to get the star off. After that, all went well.
 

cwc

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
307
153
43
Location
Sweeden, KY
Reading this thread took me back to the 80s, when it seemed like my hands were always stained with grease from working on CV joints. The availability of inexpensive axle assemblies has been a great thing, and I don't think I've had a CV joint apart in maybe 20 years although I have changed a lot of axles in that time. I agree with all the comments that replacing the axle makes more sense with regard to time and money. But with a freshly torn outer boot on a 10.3 axle, I thought I would look into aftermarket boots a bit in the interest of expanding the knowledge base...

Most of the discussion in the various CV boot threads has been about the 7700 lb axles, which are about 1" diameter. The 10.3 axle is more like 1.125", a 1-1/8" open end wrench barely fits on it. I measured the inner and outer cups and they are slightly different diameter where the boot fits on. The outer joint measured about 11.75" circumference, so about 3.75" diameter. The inner measured about 11.5" circumference, so about 3.66" diameter. The AMG parts are 2880015 outer, and 2880016 inner. The 2880015 boot is slightly larger at the big end than the 2880016 boot. I have a couple of the 2880016 inner boots, but they are pretty stiff plastic, and I did not want to try to stretch it to make it work on the outer joint.

I took the parts to the car parts store and tried the Dorman boots (614-001,-002,-003,-004) for fit. I did not really like the way that any of them looked or fit. So looking at NAPA, they carry EMPI boots (www.empius.com) and have a lot of boots for specific applications. You can pull up the catalog on the EMPI website; look under CV Boots for "Illustrations" and the "download" button. I am attaching the catalog here also. To convert the EMPI part numbers to NAPA numbers, add a 6 at the beginning and remove the dash.

I used the EMPI 86-2338 - NAPA 6862338 - on the outer joint. It was just a little loose on the big end and had to be held in place while tightening the band, but it tightened up nicely. If I had it to do again, I think I would try the slightly smaller diameter 86-2337 (6862337). On the inner joint, I used the 86-2319 (6862319) and it fit well. Both boots seem to be nice high quality parts and look a lot like the AMG parts, but are very flexible neoprene.

I've read in some of the CV Boot threads about hammering the joints apart. I don't like to do that on parts that I plan to reuse. The inner joint comes apart really easily if you remove the lock ring and slide the inner "star" part on the shaft, which exposes the retaining ring. It is good to have a pair of real lock-ring pliers rather than light-duty "snap-ring" pliers. Also, it is good to get the crimping tool for the bands on the boots - $10 at O'Reillys.

I hope this info is helpful. One thing to watch out for if you pick out boots from the EMPI catalog: some of them are trilobe joints and have inward protrusions at the big end - those will not fit the round cups of a HMMWV.

Here are some pictures. Pic 1: Parts 6862338, 2880015, 2880016 Pic 2: Parts 6862319 and 2880016. Pic 3 shows how removing the lock ring allows you to expose the retaining ring. Pic 4 shows the inner joint going together - make sure to slide everything on the shaft that goes on it, otherwise you'll take the thing back apart! Pic 5 completed shaft.

6862338 2880015 2880016.jpg 6862319 2880016.jpg Inner joint retaining and lock rings.jpg Assembling inner joint.jpg Completed axle.jpg
 

Attachments

Last edited:

NormB

Well-known member
1,220
72
48
Location
Cloverly,MD
I replaced some on shafts I got from the military shop I worked at, they were code ZZ which is fix / dispose of at unit level.
I did a match up at my local auto parts and, you wont believe me but a 84-87 ford Taurus was a match for both inner and outer.
Weird, the Taurus wasn’t made until 1986.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus

You sure that’s the right model/year?

Got an OEM part number?

Thanks.

Norm
 

cwc

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
307
153
43
Location
Sweeden, KY
Weird, the Taurus wasn’t made until 1986.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Taurus

You sure that’s the right model/year?

Got an OEM part number?

Thanks.

Norm
The 84-87 Taurus struck me as odd also. I remember 84 as the year Ford fixed the Escort so it wouldn't bend the valves when the timing belt jumped - but no Taurus. Looking up the 86 Taurus on the EMPI website, it uses 86-2108 inner and 86-2107 outer (NAPA parts 6862108 and 6862107). You can see all of the applications these fit on the NAPA website, if you pull up the part and look at the Buyers Guide. These boots fit Ford FWD cars (Escort, EXP, Tempo) starting in 1984, and a variety of vehicles as late as a 97 Olds Cutlass.

I went out and measured the boots on a 7700 lb axle. The 6862108 and 6862107 look like a great match, not only the dimensions but the number and shape of the convolutions. The axle cups both measure 10.875 diameter = 3.46" diameter. These neoprene boots with ~3.25" dimension should stretch on OK. If somebody does it, how about report back?

BTW, the EMPI online catalog lists a silicone inner boot for the 3.0L Taurus and says it is because of the heat exposure - guess it must be close to the exhaust. That is part 86-2110 (NAPA 6862110).
 

NormB

Well-known member
1,220
72
48
Location
Cloverly,MD
Just replaced a torn boot on my Yamaha Grizzly. Hadn't done anything like this since my VW bug driving days 30+ years ago. Three days later and there's STILL black staining around my fingernails. I wore gloves, too, but somehow got some of that moly grease into my right glove.

It was a chore, but I think I'd be up to it for a HMMWV shaft. Not that I NEED to right now, but you never know.

An older note from RWH said it's cheaper to just replace the half shafts. Maybe in 2015.

Even the cheap Chicom cr@p stuff Wolfer and others are selling on fleabay for $120 or so is about four times what the boots would cost alone. If your time isn't hourly shop time and you're doing it for yourself, it's pretty straight forward. I found Diesel fuel and lighter fluid (naphtha) pretty much dissolved the old (like, 18 year old in my ATV's case) moly lube. Parts were smooth as glass and reassembled no problem.

[as a side note, a friend of mine and fellow SS member - AOR - showed me a link to a manufacturer of NEW, lifetime guaranteed half shafts, priced around $600 each, I think. Cryogenically treated, US-made, lifetime warranty against breakage. So your shafts hold up to abuse, then the differential - or worse - goes instead. Not sure if that's possible, but I'm thinking the half shaft acts as kind of a fusible link in the protection of the entire drivetrain. Which would I want to replace? Cheapest part, or all of 'em?]


Now that I have the right tools for Oetiker clamps, I'd like to buy the right boots for my M1038, but how to tell for SURE they're the right ones for the shafts that are on the machine NOW so I won't have any ugly surprises in future?

Are the numbers stamped somewhere convenient? Should I just go by the year/model # even though the truck went through some upgrades over its lifetime and who KNOWS what shafts are on there.

Thanks in advance.

Norm
 

cwc

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
307
153
43
Location
Sweeden, KY
I would not go by the year/model. One of my M998s has a 7700 lb axle on one side an 10.3k on the other. In all likelihood you have one or the other of these and not 12k axles.

The part numbers for the boots and the whole boot kits are listed in the Parts Manual, TM 9-2320-280-24P-1, as follows:

Inner boots in Parts Manual.jpg Outer boots in Parts Manual.jpg

In principle you should be able to use the "Used on" code to tell what type of axle you have, but it could have been changed in the past, so best to determine what you actually have. Just for reference, the "Used On" codes are near the front of the Parts Manual:

Useable On Codes.jpg

I do not see any part numbers on the boots on the 7700 lb axle. (They say Longwood - Made in USA. Looking at their website, I don't think they want any contact from the public.)

The part numbers of the 2880015 and 2880016 boots for the 10.3k axle are on the small ends here:

2880015 and 2880016 number locations.jpg

Measure the diameter of each axle, each CV joint cup, and the approximate length of each boot. The cup can be measured using a flexible plastic or cloth tape, like used for sewing; measure the circumference next to the boot and divide by pi (3.1415) to get the diameter. Here is a picture of a 7700 lb axle: 10.875/3.14 = 3.46".

Measuring cup circumference.jpg

Match the dimensions to the EMPI Illustrations catalog I posted above. I would focus on the 86-2107/2108 and 86-2139/2337 as likely matches. NAPA will have (or be able to get) these as their parts 6862107, 6862108, 6862139 and 6862337. You can check to see if a particular store has them by setting your store location. If it says "Available Now" they should have it on hand:

Boot 6862139 availability at NAPA.jpg

If your parts are clean the store should not mind you doing a test fit.

You could also try matching to the Dorman boots, and I think most of the chain stores are likely to have all four on hand (Dorman 614-001/2/3/4). I did not think they were a good match to the 2880015/2880016 boots, but it seems many on here have been able to match them to the 7700 lb axle boots. Some of the small ends look really small but they probably stretch just fine.
 
Top