So when I acquired my jeep last winter it had a torn boot on the front drive shaft toward the rear end of the shaft - this is the concave shaped boot. and the shaft bearings - I think - made noises during a sharp turn in the driveway or occasionally just driving down the road. I replaced the shaft two times now and the boot tears again twice - same one - the rear. First one was a cheap aftermarket shaft and i think the measurement was wrong and the boot tore within 2 weeks. The second replacement was a remanufactured oem shaft and took many months to tear. is this normal or does this indicate a problem with the transfer case? Does it even matter? I read some folks just duct tape it squish some grease in and call it a day.
Thanks!
Does your jeep have a lift, which would increase the angle of the propeller shaft and giving the CV boots a hard time. The T-case is not the problem. If you could seal it of in a good way, so that water and/or dirt/dust can go in the CV coupling, it should work as well.
The rear CV coupling boot is quite short and has just a little bit of rubber on it, so it will not easily withstand larger angles (between propeller shaft and T-case coupling) then for the standard ride height.
Thanks Frango. my jeep is not lifted. are there any aftermarket boots or method you know about that would work to protect the bearings? or should i just leave it alone and not worry?
I changed mine with a CV joint from Dorman. Its holding up for 2 years now. But i never saw a boot only.
If you leave it as is, dust/water/dirt goes into the CV joint and will wear it out prematurely.
These guys were pretty nice i bought the rear CV kit and the next day saw they lowered the price. Called them up and they credited me the difference, no problem.