Driveshaft Gaiter

[kruder 0]

how hard is it to change a driveshaft gaiter, im a complete novice and would like to learn more about maintaining my pug, the gaiter is badly split and have been advised that it will fail an mot in its present condition.

[welshpug 1,666]

inner or outer?

 

which driveshaft is it and what's the car?

[Grim.Badger 15]

Technically easy but in reality very hard; you need a big plastic cone thing to stretch it over the spider (part of the CV joint with all the bearings), I had one done on my short shaft and it took two men to do it (shaft was off the car).

 

You can get gaitors with a big split down the side that you glue together but I have no idea if they are any good

[EdCherry 34 1 Cars]

With unclean surfaces and without a vice its a quite a fiddly job getting the boot over! If you got the time and patients (something I dont have at the moment) you can do with with very little tools.

[AndyJ 1]

...you need a big plastic cone thing to stretch it over the spider...

 

Reminds me of when I did my XLD one the day before the MOT...of course the only day it poured with rain, was a complete PITA! Took 2 hours with a hairdryer and a pot of grease trying to stretch the thing over the cone and get it on before it pinged back off.

[welshpug 1,666]

I hate those cone things, I'd rather dismantle the whole shaft and do it properly, that's if its a 1.6, if its a 1.9 there's no need for a cone whatsoever, just knock the joint off the end of the shaft.

Edited May 8, 2009 by welshpug

[swordfish210 20]

I wrote a beginners guide here:

 

http://www.talk-torque.com/forums/viewtopi...f=11&t=3295

 

Might be of some use to you. Dont bother with the gators that you glue togeather, they're completly wank!

[DamirGTI 344]

...and some info from "joke book" :

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/230685365/13-supplement.pdf.html

 

Myself , i prefer dismantling method

 

Damir

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

It's quicker to change the shaft.

Time for me is of the essence - I never seem to have very much.

[swordfish210 20]

If theres nothing wrong with the shaft though it doesnt make sense to change it. I changed a split gator on one of my shafts 8,000 miles ago and the shafts still doing just fine, even after being overly abused on track