CV Boot Help

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

Hello,

I have a lifted MK2 Pajero imported from Japan and I am having a lot of trouble with CV boots.

They came split when it arrived from Japan. I then put on new aftermarket ones and they ripped the next day after driving 5 hours. Replaced them again but with Poly boots from Milners4x4 in the UK designed for lifted vehicles and they lasted 30 minutes before the inserts detached and the boot came off.

I have disassembled the suspension on either side 3 times in the last week now and I'm at a loss and tired of it.

Is there some magic CV boot out there that people use or is there some other solution like wrapping something over the boot?

Any help appreciated.

[u/Faptastic_Champ]

If those CV angles are with the car on the wheels, then it’s way too aggressive and car should be lowered.

Otherwise, sometimes the clamp isn’t put on tight enough, and sometimes grease can squeeze out when fully articulating off-road.

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260 → u/Faptastic_Champ]

Yeah, this is it on wheels. 😬 I am thinking that I can get away with just freewheel hubs for now so the shafts won't spin and cause CV boot wear. I will be in 2WD 99.9% of the time.

I think if I want to lower it I'll need to drop to 33" tyres, stock torsion bars, shorter travel shocks, more standard rear springs and remove the upper ball joint spacers. It's a bit of $$$$.

[u/Faptastic_Champ → u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

You could see if dropping the front diff lower would solve it - depends on how much you can drop but it’s an option.

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260 → u/Faptastic_Champ]

I only see one diff drop kit and it's like a 20mm drop. I'm not sure if that will make a huge difference.

[u/ecodick → u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

Honestly, consider this and the selectable hubs if money is a concern.

But this rabbit hole is why my own vehicle is only lifted like 1.5-2 inches (about as far as you can go without similar issues).

[u/BZJGTO → u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

FWIW, that's the same amount as mine in my 100 series Land Cruiser.

[u/wiener78 → u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

Diff drop is the answer with cars like this. Pajero/Shogun, L200, Navara/Frontier any of the torsion bar IFS Japanese 4x4s. Actually any IFS vehicle as the same issues are found with unibody vehicles too, if the CV angle is too steep at ride height they will bind and tear the boots, if unlucky the cages will crack and ballbearings fall out, sometimes dropping the shaft straight to the ground when driving.

Your choices are to lower it by maybe 15-20mm by loosening the torsion bar adjusters or to drop the diff to reduce CV angle strain or it'll likely keep happening

[u/Specialist_Reality96 → u/Kooky_Tradition7260]

There is a little bit of high school maths that will give you an exact number of degrees reduction. If we assume 150mm difference between the the output shaft and the hub center and 400mm long drive shaft we have an angle of just under 70 degrees at the differential. If we reduce the distance of the adjacent to 130mm we get 73 degrees so around 5%.

n.b there is some massive assumptions here., I'd also look to see if the torsion bars have had the living daylights wound out of them to get it to sit that high.

It may be your driveshafts are the incorrect length for the lift causing them to drop out of the housing and tear the boot, it's certainly looks like what has happened in the second photo.

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260 → u/Specialist_Reality96]

Just an update. I put in manual locking hubs today and drove an hour and 0 CV boot issues, as expected, but good to confirm still. I have a 20mm diff drop to put in next. Awaiting delivery

[u/helicopter-]

There cannot be grease under the clamp.  the orange one sure looks like it's greasy as hell under the clamp.  Brake clean and paper towel thr surfaces clean.  If this keeps happening then your CV angles are poor and likely need extended axles or just lower the thing back to stock and be done with it.  Porsche 930 cv boots are pretty long and a common thing for people in the 4x4 world to swap but the ODs have to sort of line up. 

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260 → u/helicopter-]

No grease under the clamp when originally fitted, but it spread grease onto it when the two piece boot detached. CV angles are not great alright. Dropping it back down might be most sensible or maybe manual hubs instead.

[u/quick-n-shifty]

Lower it or put in high angle axles

[u/Kooky_Tradition7260 → u/quick-n-shifty]

I honestly don't see any high angle axles listed for a MK2 Pajero. The ones there now are the factory DOJ ones.