Date:         Wed, 20 Mar 1996 23:19:02 -0500 
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         vwbus@TCPBBS.COM
Subject:      86 Vanagon CV boots replacement

My van has one torn CV boot. I was wondering is it an easy procedure to
SC>replace. Which is the best replacement part (original VW or other) for the
SC>money to get? Does the tire have to be removed? What tools are needed? Is
SC>it easy to do a whole set of 4 at the same time. Thank you for any info.

SC>S R Chroszy  "...God is in the Details."

On this note I want to post a gripe about BusBoys, who sell OEM
rubber boots for about $20 per and their super duper polymer
boot for like $13 the kit.  Well I usually get a polymer boot at local
quality import place, he sells me boot alone for $7.50, I buy my
own grease and personally like to use HD wire ties for the small
clamp on Bus boots.  Well I told BusBoys guy when I ordered I
could get locally and he berated them claiming that theirs was the
only quality polymer boot supplier.  They wanted $9.50 without
grease, so I ordered 4 for the parents '77 as I was ordering a gas
tank filler elbow as well.  Guess what, same boot local guy has
for the $7.50, same manufacturer cast in (IHC?) and everything.  Later
I noticed Transform sells rubber ones for about $16.  Personally
I would go with the polymer ones, put a set on my old now sold
'76 5 years back they look fine today.  BTW I will also say this the
SWEPCO lube Transform recs is much stickier gunky stuff than
regular moly EP or even VW stuff.  Dad ordered some for the '77
and I am impressed by its look, but price was like $10 the tube,
still there is enough of an apparent difference that if I had a
Syncro say, I would repack all 8 joints with that stuff only.
It carries 2 NLGI ratings (off hand can't remember what) where
standard moly EP only has one of the 2, though I note Valvoline
synthetic moly grease also carries the same 2 ratings and is
only $5/tube and specifically reccomended for CV's.  Still I know
Joel swears by the cheap stuff, and indeed that is what is in
my '78 so take your pick.

John
vwbus@tcpbbs.com