[urq] RE: CV Boot Question. Please Identify some VAG parts

[James Bufkin]

Hey thanks for all the replies.
I wanted to get a concesus on the availability of the part prior to 
proceeding with more dismantling of the half shaft.  Steve at Shade tree 
mentioned the drive shaft boot is NLA.   If this boot is a drive shaft 
boot, and I can't get it, has anyone sourced a replacement?

Obviously If I trim those welds and break that inner boot off, it'll 
contaminate the grease and require a clean and repack of the CV joint.  The 
joint is in good shape and even if the inner boot is NLA, I can use a 
conventional outer boot and it'll suffice.   I'll keep the shafts original 
if at all possible.   I'll go ahead and remove the inner boot and see if 
there is a Lobro number on the inside.  There is a Lobro number on the 
outer boot, so I can most certainly get that part.

Also gaging the wear on the inner boot versus the outer boot, it appears 
that in the past, the outer was changed alot more than the inner.   The 
outer looks brand new and the grease is very clean with no grit.  The inner 
however has those extensive cracks circumferentially around the half-shaft 
indicating that its more of a pain to change it, but since some grease has 
spewed out between the crack between the welds, I think its time to repack 
the outer joint.

BTW, why not do a small continuous tig weld between the two pieces to seal 
it up?  I found it interesting that they used a latex caulk sealant on the 
joint.   Surely the joint could breathe via the boots enough for any 
atmospheric variations, and I don't see how the latex could breathe any 
better than a weld.   Very strange not to weld around the whole thing.   If 
the latex fails then all the grease from the joint comes flying out.

James

CC,ing this since it was offlist and has good info.

>Was wondering when the stock urq boot test wouldn't pass...  There are 2 
>variants of that boot, the one audisport liked to use, and the one we took 
>off, was a very expensive silicone boot that is NLA (certainly: 
>"priceless") as far as we could determine.  The design of the A.S. 
>uprights really dictate that the common rubber variety won't fail in any 
>rally environment short of Acropolis.  James, you should have a Lobro 
>number on that boot, and it should cross reference to a more common 
>application.  What we found over the years on the S2 is that AudiSport 
>rarely built custom parts, but more built custom parts from various 
>marques within euro-car stock parts bins.  We found that included the SMS 
>6speed rebuild, and the driveshaft boots.
>
>Scott Justusson