CV boot replacement with Ricardo

Figures that on my last drive of the season one of my CV boots decided to tear .. oh well, at least the grease slung everywhere made it obvious what the problem was.

Does anybody know what the transaxle-side CV boot replacement is for a Ricardo? They're stamped KOK and BT-36 .... I think the Driveshaft Shop makes the axles?
 

Ken Roberts

Supporter
BT-36 is the correct boot (that’s what mine is). The Driveshaft shop (DSS) is your best bet for new ones. I tried to find them elsewhere and came up empty.

Once and a while DSS were known to install the wrong boots and they only lasted a couple of drives. In the last few years I have read about a couple of builders on this forum ripping their axle boots shortly after driving the car for the first time.
 
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Will call tomorrow and see if they have stock (knowing my luck, backordered indefinitely)

Mine lasted 13yrs, but only ~1,500 miles ... I checked the outboard boots and the other transaxle-side boot and none are showing any wear. The passenger side one though had a pretty big tear in the fold - about an inch long - possible it started as a small tear and got bigger over time, but I think I would have seen slung grease previously (which I didn't)
 

Ken Roberts

Supporter
Here is the correct size boot clamps:

Large end-(73mm)…………..Febi-Bilstein 45635…………Porsche 911-332-257-00

Small end-(34mm)…………..Febi-Bilstein 38758…………Porsche 928-332-257-01

notes:
-my car from 2012 did not have boot clamps on the small end but I notice most newer cars have them.
-these clamps are simply Oetiker style clamps. They use the pinch type pliers.
-I purchased the clamps from Pelican Parts but I’m sure DSS will supply them with the boots. I just wanted to have a supply on hand for future regreasing.
-an interesting fact about the BT-36 boot is it’s “self venting” feature under neath the small end clamp. (As shown in the picture). For that reason, be careful when pinching up the clamp on the small end. Too tight and the built in vent hole gets squished closed.

image.jpg
 
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called DSS; lots of inventory; boots come with grease packs and clamps as a kit so all good

hopefully r&r'ing the axle is easy.... dun dun dunnnnnnn

Ken, you're like a walking part index :)
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Curious if regular cleaning and possible synthetic lubrication of the outside of the CV Boots would give greater longevity? On some cars - The boots do tend to rub on themselves as the suspension moves..
 

Chris Kouba

Supporter
Curious if regular cleaning and possible synthetic lubrication of the outside of the CV Boots would give greater longevity?

I would venture that it only prolongs the inevitable. If they rub, they will abrade and fail. Once I saw the issue, I tried sliding mine around on the axles (the boots that hadn't yet failed, that is), but they either wouldn't move or retracted back to where the pleats rubbed again. The only way I was able to solve it was replacing them with others which allowed more angular movement without pleats rubbing (std 930 boots).

Mine originally lasted ~700 miles, but others have failed in less than 100. I am over 7k miles now on my car, so roughly 6500 on the new boots.
 
Curious if regular cleaning and possible synthetic lubrication of the outside of the CV Boots would give greater longevity? On some cars - The boots do tend to rub on themselves as the suspension moves..

the other side's boot appears fine and it's just as bunched up as the side that tore. Maybe something like a rock got kicked up into a fold and shredded it, dunno.
 
Got my new boots ... in stock does not always mean in stock. But there's a foot of snow on the ground so I guess it's a next year project.

Are there any tricks to replacing the boot? I watched some videos on google about cv axle boot replacement and it seems simple enough ... I just worry there's some hidden trick with these axles, like they use needle bearings and as soon as I open up the axle they'll all fall on the floor so will be better off taking it to a diveline shop to do....

Also, the boots come attached to new 'gold' metal cap ends ... do you want to RTV the caps on? For some reason I recall old posts about wanting ot RTV the cap ends on.
 
summer time - time to re-boot him ... i've never replaced a boot on a cv axle before ... is it as simple as watching a video on yourtube for any type of cv boot replacement, or are there going to be some tricks with it waiting to bite me in the butt, like hidden ball bearings when i take it apart....
 
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