My CR-V has about 225,000 miles on it. I'm pretty sure the CV shafts are original. The driver's side front outer boot tore recently, so I want to replace it. (I would replace the axle except I would want to go OEM and the cost is prohibitive. Plus this existing axle is fine - it's just that the boot has ripped.)

My question is... have any of you guys used the Snap-On Blue-Point Flexx Boots on these vehicles? This is the style boot that you stretch over the CV joint using a special tool to install. The shaft and outer diameter measurements seem fine, but it looks as if possibly the boot may be too wide and might interfere.

Thanks. I can't seem to find any discussion on this.

 

I have not. But OEM shafts are easy to disassemble. The outside joint will pop off the shaft with a little percussive persuasion. No need for a stretch boot.

EMPI makes some good boot kits. Typically found at Napa under their house brand.

 

At that milage, I would usually replace the axle with a jobber one. Obviously cheaper to do the boot if you have the clamping tool, however. The outer joint is just held by a "c" ring clip just like to axle shaft itself is held in the differential. It pops apart, but they can be stuck in there pretty good after years and miles.

Regarding jobber axles, I have done dozens of these with no failure. An oem axle is not manufactured by honda; only for honda. I buy from rock auto usually and I've compared the quality to an oem and there's no difference in tolerance discernible. I've seen OEM axles go in C RVs and they fail right out of the box ...vibration. In fact I think I read something somebody else had done that right here on the forum. Put a new Honda axle for a vibration only to find that the vibration was still there. We replaced it with a jobber axle that he had and the problemwas solved. Don't be afraid of aftermarket or jobber Parts really. Like I said OEMs don't make a lot of these parts, they are made for them. OEMs manufacture car bodies (steel portions), engine blocks, some, but not all Transmissions. Suspension components, axles and driveshafts electrical components, glass, tail lights, light bulbs, carpets radios, PCMs sensors, wiring harnesses, brake parts, you name it, is all made by outside manufacturers. Not since the days of Henry Fords River Rouge plant in Michigan has a car been made fully in house. He had his own ships bringing in iron ore and made almost every single component down to glass in his plant. He even tried to grow his own rubber ( google Fordlandia) with no success.

 

It is true that factory axles are made by aftermarket companies (known as Tier 1,2,3 etc...suppliers), but something called "design responsibility" often comes into play when considering this. Honda (along with many other Asian companies) do not pass design responsibility on to their suppliers for most things. What this means is that Honda designs the axle and tells the supplier to "make this part and QC it this way for us". The supplier will use the design and QC process to make axles they supply to Honda, but the design belongs to Honda, so while the company can learn from the design, they can't make their own axles to the exact design unless they pay Honda for that right and Honda agrees to sell it.

That being said, Honda is only required to offer parts support for a vehicle sold in this country for, I believe, 7 years. After that, if you buy parts from a Honda parts counter, you may be getting an aftermarket part. This often happens with exhaust parts. You may leave the Honda dealer with a Walker muffler, for instance.

While in college I worked for Pep Boys, and man we sold a lot of junky axles. I was broke as a joke and put one in my '95 Civic VX because I had to, and sure enough it clicked from day-1. Whenever possible though, I always try to reuse the original axle parts. It's probably the best axle you'll ever own for your vehicle. To answer your question though, I don't have any experience with flex boots.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Have you removed the outer CV joint while on the vehicle? Or did you remove the axle and do it on the bench?

I think if I end up removing the CV joint I will just install an OEM boot..

 

On other vehicles over the years, I have just gone with axles from NAPA and I've never had an issue. I had read some things about Hondas though that led me to believe that they were particularly finicky with regard to tolerances on the axle shafts and that people often had vibration issues with aftermarket units.

I appreciate the feedback. If this stretch boot I have does not work, I may end up pulling the joint off and re-booting with a standard boot.

 

Pull the axle all the way out and service it on the bench. So much easier.

You will already have the bulk of the work done for complete axle removal just to get to the outside joint. Only step left it is pop the inner joint free. On the K series stuff you can remove the inner joints without spilling transmission fluid.

I would stay away from the cheap aftermarket halfshafts. Nothing but problems with them and they are not serviceable. The circlip retaining grooves are cut such that the shaft will NEVER come apart once assembled. Not even a multi ton puller would remove the outside joint. I had to cut that one apart just to see why it wasn't serviceable.

I have not personally tested an A1-Cardone shaft but a few friends that are sensitive to shaft issues have run them without issues or vibrations.

 

I was able to get the boot on, and I THINK it might work. My concern was (and still is somewhat) the clearance of the outer "rib". It is quite close to the knuckle.


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That appears to be a cut to fit universal boot. Not ideal. They are usually made of inferior material and with that cut to fit design they don't flex correctly and quickly split.

Ideally an application specific boot would be used.

 

@Ryanthegreat1 That in essence is what it is. It is made by Blue-Point (Snap-On) and is extremely stretchy - enough so that I was able to stretch it over the CV joint.

Time will tell...