salimshah

My rear right rubber boot (looks like bellows) has developed a rip.

Shocks are still good (8yrs 120K miles). I am looking for collective advice .

1. Leave it as is (will hasten demise of the shock, when shocks are shot replace it then).
2. Band-aid it ... (what product has worked ... note it does get below freezing).
3. Replace it [Lexmex is the boot a seperate piece or part of the top mount]. I have not priced it yet.


Salim

Lexmex

I have the same exact problem I think as you. Is it ripped so that now part of the shock is exposed as such?

See Carson's site here, http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...layCatalogid=0

I am extremely positive the piece it is one unit.

I am just about to show my shock installation photos.

I actually did not replace the piece shown and left it as is (I have the problem on both sides but not on my front boots).

Lexmex

What is strange is that on the front shocks it is a separate piece for that dust cover, http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...layCatalogid=0 but after seeing what I saw on the rear is appears to be connected.

Lexmex

I checked again in my manual on the rear and it is one piece.

Lexmex

I have left mine as is for quite some time and never an issue, was going to cut the entire rubber piece off to the top, but will let it occur on its own.

salimshah

Lexmex:

In your picture above, you are missing part of the boot. Mine has a rip, and I can peek in (there is a possibility of gluing it together).

Salim

Lexmex

Yeah, that's how mine started out with just a rip and then the rip just kept getting worse and I finally cut if off as it was just dangling there. Funny it just happened on the rear ones and nothing happened to the ones on the front. I never tried gluing it at. I asked my uncle if he had any experience with just not having the dust cover and he has never seen an issue in all his years with or without them.

salimshah

Thanks ... it does seem like 1 piece ~$100.

Any one has strong opinion about boot glue used for cv joint (where you glue two halves)?

Salim

bob2200

No strong opinion, but I have used the CV boot glue on my old Mercedes-Benz (220D) and it did work to seal the replacement CV boot. It sounds like overkill in this situation. I'd be inclined to try sewing it up with nylon thread.

salimshah

Wow! Out of the box thinking. Super idea. It should give me ample time ... Replacement is inevitable as the boot seems to have lost the flex.

Salim