Drive shaft gaiters

[Martin F]

Wondering if anybody has any experience of using these:

http://www.hexcentric.com/cpdcatalogue/so_splitdriveshaftgaiter.cfm

If so are they any good ?

[Cuthbert]

Nope, but for the price their definitely worth a go. I always give things a go if they're cheap & seem reasonable.

[~Rob~]

ive just used one of these on my civic to get it through the MOT. i tried using a proper gaiter but when i got most of the parts stripped down, it ended up being that i needed to remove the drive shaft to get the new gaiter past the cv joint. i gave up on this and got a split boot, which after about 4 days of beeing fitted, split again!i was well pissed off. i replaced it with another split boot and this one has held out so far. its only been a week though. if i wasnt selling the civic, id have done a proper gaiter rather than the split. halfords did the first one at about 7quid.

[Martin F]

I think this is what i've just read somewhere else, they are OK as a temporary fix but no good for long term.

Funny thing is this is for my Mundano which has 157k on. I replaced one of the drive shafts a couple of years back (say approx 120k) with just an off the shelf item from the local motor factors and now a couple of years later the rubber gaiters are perished. Yet the original Ford one on the other side is perfect still. So the OEM Ford one has lasted for 157k and the aftermarket one can't even last 20k http://www.mkivsupra.co.uk/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

Reckon i will have to get a couple of gaiters from Ford and just bite the bullet and pull the inner end of the shaft out.

[~Rob~]

there is supposedly a surclip on the inside of the cv jointbut i couldnt find it on mine and couldnt contemplate taking the shaft out of the 'box. like i said, if i was keeping the car d do a proper gaiter, but for a quick fix theyre ok!

[Chris Wilson]

Did you know the CV boots are the hardest stressed rubber parts in or on a car? NEVER buy aftermarket ones, OE ones will last, cheapo ones won't. Rember the original Minis, 1100's and Maxis? They were FOREVER splitting a CV boot, at less than 20,00 miles. Modern syntehtic techniques allow FWD outer CV boots to go to 150 to 200,000 miles on the original ones. Split repair kits? <SHUDDER> Don't go there, a real bodge.

[~Rob~]

Quote[/b] (Chris Wilson @ Aug. 12 2005,13:17)]Split repair kits? <SHUDDER> Don't go there, a real bodge.
i learned this one the hard way.... i got through two split kits in a week to get the civic through its MOT! definately never again.

[Martin F]

Well i eventually ended up going with aftermarket 'normal type' gaiters. The local Ford dealer (which supplies others in the area) only had outer ones in stock and no inner ones so went with third party. If they last a couple of years that will be long enough for me to be long shot of the car.

Can't say i was impressed with the plastic cable ties i was given for attachment, but trying to reuse the old metal clips was not going to happen easily without the tool.

BTW, there is a type of boot that is supplied with a cone which allows you to stretch the boot over the joint somehow. :shrug: