CV Boots - Why O Why do they make these things out of rubber?

Be wrote in news:BEA26A87.273EF%n3wsr3ad3r_@_sbcglobal.net:

They do use a different material now. The boots I've currently got on my '91 Integra's original CV joints are some sort of plasticky material. They are OEM for the new Civics, which happen to have the same size CV joints.

This plasticky material is supposed to last much longer than the old-style ones. I notice the new boots have a very different profile than the old ones. The new ones have a radius at the bottom of each pleat, and have sharper points on the pleats as well.

CV joint boots are subject to weather, steering stresses, road impact, salt, and budgetary constraints. Only the last could be applicable to oven mitts.

Since you are not a chemist who understands polymer technology, you have absoultely NO way of knowing whether what you're calling "silicon" is even remotely suitable for CV joint boots.

You never looked at the boots and one broke on you, didn't it?

You are correct - that's why I posted the statement here. I am perfectly fine with being enlightened and shown the error in my thinking or assumptions. That's how learning takes place. I am quite capable of coming to terms with the possibility that the material that is currently used is actually the best possible choice.

But when I hear that some folks have to have the CV boots replaced every couple years, I wonder...

Be

I'm not sure it can really be considered a critical item. Brakes are critical. If they fail it can easily be life threatening. Probably could consider fuel and ignition critical (could be dangerous to be stranded somewhere; ie: on the railroad tracks or in an intersection). Wheel attachment and steering are critical (hate to lose any of them).

But cv boots? I'd guess even when they fail the car will continue to run for a long time. Of course this will accelerate the failure of the cv joints but my experience is that cv joints complain (noise, vibration, etc) long before they fail.

For non-critical parts the manufacture has to balance reliability against initial cost.

Probably because they don't show when the hood is up. No flash factor.

It's probably a cost issue. I don't generally hear of people needing to replace the cv boots all that often (at least among people who buy new cars. And I doubt that manufactures care much about people who buy used cars ;)

Just out of curiosity: what kind of car (I assume you own it) has the cv boot issue?

Be wrote in news:BEA2B645.27428%n3wsr3ad3r_@_sbcglobal.net:

They probably drive over every piece of debris on the highways.

My daughter's 1995 Civic; however, I have had other cars that needed this repair. I had a 1992 Lexus ES 300 that went through a CV boot by1999 (but I had only owned it since 1998 and it was one of those so-called "certified pre-owned" models; I also had this repair on a 1997 Altima in early 2004.

I have a 2001 Odyssey (with just 35K on it) that doesn't have this problem (yet). I'd like to know what I can possibly do to make these suckers stay in top shape and not crack/tear/dry out. Would some kind of silicon spray help at all?

And when you think about it, why in the world would something like an Odyssey even HAVE front wheel drive to begin with? A big, heavy car would do fine with rear wheel drive.

Be

Be wrote in news:BEA2B645.27428%n3wsr3ad3r_@_sbcglobal.net:

It's a problem, but not one that conspiracy theories explain.

CV joint boot failure on a Honda and most other Japanese 2WD cars takes a couple of years from the first sign of cracking to when it splits wide open. This gives a savvy owner lots of time to occasionally inspect the boots at each oil change, and deal with it before the CV joint gets exposed to the weather.

CV joint boots have a tough life, subjecting their polymers to unique stresses unseen even by the tires. Every time the wheel rotates, the bellows flex. It's a bit like bending a paper clip back and forth until it breaks. Cold weather, steering, and drive axle angles all conspire to destroy the boot through simple, repeated flexion.

Some vehicles, such as AWD Subarus, appear to have shorter CV boot lifespans than Hondas, probably due to their relatively extreme drive axle angles relative to the wheel's axis.

Considering the major strides automakers and their suppliers have made in the longevity of most components -- from engines to shock absorbers to tires to transmissions to body steel -- over the decades, I suspect the CV joint boot problem is primarily one of being unable to find a cost- effective substance that has the characteristics the CV joints need, but that still resists cracking for the life of the car.

Remember when shocks and tires had to be replaced every 20,000 miles? Remember when engines and transmissions rarely made it past 100,000 miles without a rebuild? Remember when body steel would perforate in five years?

Be wrote in news:BEA2CBD5.27435%n3wsr3ad3r_@_sbcglobal.net:

No. Nothing you can do.

Check them every oil change. Replace about a year after the first sign of cracking.

In that case: attention all car makers - please make rear wheel drive common again!

Be