Date:         Tue, 27 Aug 2024 09:52:58 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: need to replace boot on steering rack
Comments: To: mark@markmcculley.com
In-Reply-To:  <7E630E60-38C8-4B3D-8073-CABEE7401F5A@markmcculley.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

I've done this, too, plenty of times with all sorts of rubber parts. Truth
is, most of the water slides off when you pull the part out of the water.
The rest will evaporate by the time you get the rubber installed. If it
doesn't, give it a minute.

Jim

On Tue, Aug 27, 2024 at 9:42 AM Mark McCulley <mark@markmcculley.com> wrote:

> I'd be concerned about trapping moisture inside the boot with this
> technique. Maybe the boot could be put in a ziplock baggie instead of
> directly into the boiling water.
>
> -Mark
>
> > On Aug 26, 2024, at 2:31 PM, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > Word "on the street" has it, that boiling the rubber boot in water will
> soften it.  It will NOT get past 212F, it will not melt or other bad
> stuff.  Have everything ready to go, everything clean, everything nicely
> smeared with some sort of lubrication.  Get the boot out of the pot!  Have
> at it.  Again.....this is only "word on the street".
> >
> > On Monday, August 26, 2024 at 02:25:35 PM PDT, Mark McCulley <
> mark@markmcculley.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Lacking the proper tools for removing the ball joint and not wanting to
> risk damaging the rubber boot around the ball joint I took a different
> approach. I carefully marked the position of the tie rod end and removed it
> from the tie rod. I just had to slightly loosen the nut that secures the
> tie rod end and then unscrew the tie rod from the tie rod end, counting the
> number of rotations. Old boot is off, awaiting arrival of new boot.
> >
> > Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
> >
> > - ark
> >
> > > On Aug 26, 2024, at 6:40 AM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com <mailto:
> jim.felder@gmail.com>> wrote:
> > >
> > > All you have to do is drop the tie rod end, then loosen and unscrew
> and remove the end from the tie rod. With the end off, the rubber boot will
> slide right off. Otherwise the hole in the boot is too small to go over the
> end. Be sure to count the turns it takes to remove the end so you can screw
> it back in the same number of turns. Otherwise you will need an alignment.
> > >
> > > Jim
> > >
> > > On Mon, Aug 26, 2024 at 8:26 AM Mark McCulley <mark@markmcculley.com
> <mailto:mark@markmcculley.com> <mailto:mark@markmcculley.com>> wrote:
> > >> One boot on my van's steering rack is torn and needs to be replaced.
> What's the best way to go about this? Can I just disconnect tie rod end to
> R&R boot?
> > >>
> > >> -Mark
>