Acura Integra All Integra Except ITR

CV boot problem because of lowering??

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 4, 2005 | 11:28 PM
  #1  
natrl's Avatar
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: Nor., Cal
Default CV boot problem because of lowering??

My 2000 teg is stock besides the springs (neuspeed race). i have already replaced them 3 times within the past 5 years (freeway driving). this cant be normal, so how do i solve this problem??
Reply
Old Oct 4, 2005 | 11:39 PM
  #2  
Kendall's Avatar
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 10,289
Likes: 1
From: Hendersonville, NC
Default

I've never experienced similar problems and I've worked on tons of lowered cars. Do you ever launch the car hard? And are you torquing the axle nut to spec?
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 03:05 AM
  #3  
91IntegraX's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
From: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
Default

happend to me too....i lowerd my car 2in and bam the boot ripped...and bam new bills for me to have to pay
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 07:03 AM
  #4  
Tone_Locs Dc2's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Default

yeah same thing happened to me.......what i did was raise my car a little bit...never had any problem ever since
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 06:19 PM
  #5  
Jdm94gsr's Avatar
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: No Mans Land, Ca, united states
Default Re: (Tone_Locs Dc2)

I had the same problem after i lowered my car just with lowering springs. After couple thousand miles on new cv axles they ripped.. So i replaced the outter boots but to no change they still ripped. So I got some driveshaft shop axles an ive never had the problem after 10k miles.. In my opinion remanufactured axles suck NUTS!
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 06:28 PM
  #6  
jdmotorsports's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 2,750
Likes: 0
From: way the hell out there., ct
Default Re: (Jdm94gsr)

the boots flex more now that your lowered. either get high quality boots, or get driveshaft shop axles.
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 06:33 PM
  #7  
tcteg's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
From: Traverse City, MI
Default Re: (jdmotorsports)

oem boots or universal???
i put universal ones on and it was the biggest mistake i made on my integra...
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 07:10 PM
  #8  
91IntegraX's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 797
Likes: 0
From: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A
Default

universal anything is usually a bad thing
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 07:13 PM
  #9  
daLixz25's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,173
Likes: 0
From: NorCaL/SoCaL
Default

Not to thread jack, but my CV boots have been busted for about a year now. When I replace them, will there be a noticeable difference in suspension ride or anything?
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 07:26 PM
  #10  
DC_RaceR's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
From: Hook em
Default Re: (daLixz25)

it will effect the boot/joint.
If you look under the car you'll see the axles benting up.
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 08:01 PM
  #11  
DC_RaceR's Avatar
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 589
Likes: 0
From: Hook em
Default Re: (kb12)

By lowering the car it stretches the boot, makes it to wear out faster. The bearing also work harder.

Hold your arm straight and turn it.
Then put your hand into like a slight degree like lower car.
and turn it. Make sure the hand stay in a spot like the hub. You'll get the picture
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 08:12 PM
  #12  
PatrickGSR94's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 60 Days
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,004
Likes: 59
From: Nowhere and Everywhere
Default

Lowering the car will not affect CV boot/joint operation in any way, despite what you all may have heard. Lowered cars wearing CV joints faster is a MYTH.

Actually at a lower right height, the axle will be a little SHORTER than at normal ride height. If you were to look at a stock Integra at rest on an alignment lift or something, the axles would angle DOWN to the hubs. When my car was lowered about 2.5" to 3" or so, the axles went pretty much straight across to the hubs (not upwards). A CV joint is designed to flex all around 360 degrees, especially the outer joint. It does this millions of times on a daily basis just by the wheels rolling along. It also moves as the suspension compresses and extends. Loweing the car does not change the intended range of motion of the CV joint in any way. In fact, if you have stiffer springs, the CV joint will most likely in fact have LESS of a range of motion than at normal ride height.

Need proof? Consider my car. I lowered it at 105K miles, and the original OEM axles lasted me to about 165K miles, at which point I found both inner boots ripped. Both outer boots and joints were totally fine. Now after replacing the axles, I'm at 214K miles and haven't had any problems since.

Now, the part that DOES angle upwards when you lower the car is the steering tie rods. Those will probably wear out sooner (ball joints anyway) than if the car was not lowered.

However my original OEM tie rods (that I'm about to replace) have 214K miles on them, and the car has been lowered for about 110K miles, so you can see it didn't exactly wear out that quick.

If you're going through axles quickly, I would suspect the quality of the axle. I'm guessing they are rebuilts and not brand new? If they are CCT brand axles from AutoZone, I can bet you that's the problem. I can tell you all about going through 4 sets of axles in just 3-4 months because of those POS's.
Reply
Old Oct 5, 2005 | 09:34 PM
  #13  
jdmotorsports's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 2,750
Likes: 0
From: way the hell out there., ct
Default Re: (PatrickGSR94)

actualy your wrong. at normal ride height the outer cv joints are almost straight. when you lower a car your introducing a constant angle onto the boots. now this combined with enviromental conditions will lead to boot failure. around here in new england if a car is driven during the winter a boot usualy lasts a year or so.

now not every car is gonna have boot or cv joint failure, but with a car lowered a good amount you will shorten their life.
Reply
Old Oct 6, 2005 | 03:19 AM
  #14  
PatrickGSR94's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 60 Days
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,004
Likes: 59
From: Nowhere and Everywhere
Default Re: (jdmotorsports)

I have seen my car while on an alignment lift man. When it was lowered about 3" the axles were parallel to the ground, which means at stock height the axles would angle downward to the hubs.

The outer joints are designed to have a full 360 deg. range of motion. Having them at an angle isn't going to do anything to them. Suspenion movement as well as steering also run the outer joints through their full range of motion. If lowering a car were to wear the joint out faster, than steering the car and driving the car normally (bumps making the suspension move up and down) would also have to wear the joint faster, which clearly isn't the case.
Reply
Old Oct 6, 2005 | 08:50 AM
  #15  
jdmotorsports's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
 
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 2,750
Likes: 0
From: way the hell out there., ct
Default Re: (PatrickGSR94)

which shaft? the long or short? the longshaft(the on on the drivers side) is alwasy parallel cause its a solid axle. if its either short shaft then it wasnt truely level. measure from the center of your wheel to the ground. now that measurement, has to be the same for the center of the differential socket in order for the suspension to be level. and if your car is lowered, i highly doubt it is.

mine it 11" to center of shaft and 9" to center of diff socket. 2" lower and i'm not even that low.
Reply
Old Oct 6, 2005 | 08:58 AM
  #16  
Vero's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,616
Likes: 0
From: DDMotoring, CT, USA
Default Re: (jdmotorsports)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmotorsports &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">actualy your wrong. at normal ride height the outer cv joints are almost straight. when you lower a car your introducing a constant angle onto the boots. now this combined with enviromental conditions will lead to boot failure. around here in new england if a car is driven during the winter a boot usualy lasts a year or so.

now not every car is gonna have boot or cv joint failure, but with a car lowered a good amount you will shorten their life.</TD></TR></TABLE>

this is the correct information
Reply
Old Oct 6, 2005 | 11:37 AM
  #17  
PatrickGSR94's Avatar
Honda-Tech Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Active Streak: 60 Days
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,004
Likes: 59
From: Nowhere and Everywhere
Default

My car will be on the alignment rack later this week or next, I'll measure mine then. I may try to get pics, too.

But I still maintain that lowering the car will not cause any more wear on the CV axles than at normal height. It's the tie rod ends and their ball joints that have more stress put on them at a lower ride height, not really the CV axles.


Modified by PatrickGSR94 at 3:25 PM 10/6/2005
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
dadrought6
Acura Integra
3
Oct 18, 2008 11:19 AM
Rhymenoceros
Honda Civic / Del Sol (1992 - 2000)
1
Nov 19, 2007 07:22 PM
B18 CYA
Drag Racing
14
Jun 8, 2006 10:00 AM
LookingForVTEC
Honda Accord (1990 - 2002)
7
Nov 21, 2002 07:39 PM




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 01:26 PM.