DIY: How to Replace outer CV boot on C5 A6 (and most Audi's)

[KoralKrab125]

I was looking for a good write up on this when I was doing passenger side CV boot and couldn’t find much so I figured I would do one while I noticed my other side was torn also. I did this write up on my 2002 C5 A6 but I know the process is identical on almost all Audi’s.

Most of you have probably had a CV boot that looks like this at some point and had a shop quote you around $250-$300 per side


Don’t wait for your CV joints to go bad. If you have some basic mechanic skills you can replace this boot for ~$20 and at most 2 hours of your time, if you’re experienced probably under an hour.

Tools needed:
-Torque wrench
-Breaker bar
-Ratchets or Impact Driver
-Chisel/Screwdriver
-Wire Cutters
-17mm Allen Socket
-10mm Allen Socket
-17mm Socket
-2x 16mm Socket/Wrenches
-13mm Socket/Wrench


I bought my CV boot kit from FCPEURO. I like this Rein kit because it comes with the new axle bolt, snap ring, and metal spacer in addition to what a normal CV boot kit comes with.


1. Before you get ahead of yourself don’t forget to take off your center cap and break loose the axle bolt with the 17mm Allen socket and your lug nuts before jacking up that side of the car and take off the tire


2. Remove the 16mm bolt on your tie rod end


3. Remove the 13mm bolt on top of the tie rod, use a chisel/screwdriver the help spread the knuckle


4. A 10mm Allen socket/wrench fits in the top of the tie rod end, you can tap on it or twist it some to help get it out.


5. Next use two 16mm sockets/wrenches to remove the bolt holding in the upper control arms in the knuckle



6. Use a screw driver or chisel to help spread the knuckle here also


7. Make sure the 17mm axle bolt is completely removed. Turn the knuckle and you can slide the axle out the back side. Don’t let the knuckle just hang because it pulls on your brake line and wiring, I like to slide one of the upper control arms back way in enough to hold it upright.


8. Reinsert the 17mm hex bolt into the CV joint and make sure it is straight in line with the axle shaft. This is designed so it will remove the CV joint from the snap ring when you tighten it down. I used my impact driver but it can be done with a breaker bar.




9. Before removing the remaining portion of boot from the axle shaft wipe off enough grease to note the position of the spacers on the shaft


10. Now remove the snap ring from the axle shaft and the remaining portion of the old boot.


11. Clean up the axle shaft and CV joint after everything has been removed. Put the new boot on the shaft with the clamps, orient the new metal spacer (should be concave side pointing towards you), orient and reuse the plastic spacer (tapered end towards you) and place them on the axle shaft. Lastly push the new snap ring on the shaft.



12. After cleaning up the CV joint, fill the axle shaft hole with the supplied grease (this will pack the CV joint with grease when installed on the axle shaft) and put a healthy amount on the CV joint.


13. Double check that all of your parts are on the axle shaft as needed when installed. Fill the bolt hole with grease on the CV joint, this will pack the CV joint with grease when you install it.


14. To get the CV joint seated back over the snap ring. Screw the 17mm Allen bolt into the CV joint so all of the threads are engaged and tap it into place with a hammer, it doesn’t take that much so don’t be beating on it, if it doesn’t go on relatively smoothly there is something misaligned.


15. Now put any remaining grease in the pouch into the CV boot for good measure. Slide the CV boot over the CV joint and crimp the clamps. Now your New CV boot is installed and you can put everything back together in reverse order.


16. Re install the upper control arms, I have found it easiest to put some upward pressure on the knuckle with a jack while spreading the knuckle holes with a screwdriver if they don’t want to slide in all the way.


17. Re install the tie rod. I like to tap it in with a rubber mallet until I can get the 13mm bolt in the top to pull up the rest of the way.

18. Tighten down the NEW 17mm Allen bolt on the axle

19. Put your wheel and lugnuts back on, and put the car back on the ground

20. Torque the NEW axle bolt with the 17mm Allen socket to 148ft-lb. Torque your lug nuts and replace your center cap on the wheel

21. Remove your wallet from your back pocket so you can sit comfortably (because it’s still so fat with cash).

22. Go for a test drive by the shop that originally quoted this job and laugh

[julex]

Well, it is actually much easier to swap boots with proper tools. I have this and replaced three boots in last two years between all of our cars. The beauty of it is that all you need is to pop the cv joint from hub with axle staying on car and no need to remove joint itself.

Cut old boot off the axles, use the tool to stretch new boot, slip the tool over cv joint and onto axle, deflate, slip boot off the tool onto shaft, re-inflate without boot and remove tool. Voila.

Saves a lot of time and the whole mess with popping joint off.

[JustMtnB44]

Nice write up! I have seen others but this is most complete. When I did it, I removed the lower control arms instead of the upper arms and tie rod end, but either way will work.

8. Reinsert the 17mm hex bolt into the CV joint and make sure it is straight in line with the axle shaft. This is designed so it will remove the CV joint from the snap ring when you tighten it down. I used my impact driver but it can be done with a breaker bar.

I would strongly suggest to only use an impact driver for this step. I just used a ratchet, but the slow process of doing that, unknown to me at the time because you can't see it, mangled the last couple threads on the bolt. So when I removed the bolt, it tore up the threads on the CV joint and I had to replace the whole joint. The guy at the local driveline shop where I bought a new joint suggested to only use an impact driver if removing the joint this way.

Well, it is actually much easier to swap boots with proper tools. I have this and replaced three boots in last two years between all of our cars. The beauty of it is that all you need is to pop the cv joint from hub with axle staying on car and no need to remove joint itself.

Cut old boot off the axles, use the tool to stretch new boot, slip the tool over cv joint and onto axle, deflate, slip boot off the tool onto shaft, re-inflate without boot and remove tool. Voila.

I saw that tool advertised before and always thought it was a bit ridiculous (and not cheap either). I don't have confidence that a boot stretched that much is not weakened somewhat, and even more prone to failure than the boots already are. Plus it is harder to clean the joint with it still on the car. And really, removing the joint from the axle takes only a few more minutes. But to each their own I guess.

[redneck truck]

Very nice writeup! And I don't know about you guys, but that boot stretcher tool looks a little bit too much like something that you'd keep in a locked chest under your bed. Not sure if it would fit in my tool box :-\

[KoralKrab125]

Thanks for the positive feedback.

I personally choose to disassemble the uppers because there not taper fit, but yes either does work. That is good to know about removing the cv joint with a Rachet, I will have to update the write up. If you don't have an impact or that boot stretcher tool then you always can do it the normal method of disassembly for every other type of car and remove the whole axle and use the good oll vice and hammer disassembly method.

[Gumby]

Very nice write up!

I copied this over to the tech section.

[Scotty@Advanced]

Well, it is actually much easier to swap boots with proper tools. I have this and replaced three boots in last two years between all of our cars. The beauty of it is that all you need is to pop the cv joint from hub with axle staying on car and no need to remove joint itself.

Cut old boot off the axles, use the tool to stretch new boot, slip the tool over cv joint and onto axle, deflate, slip boot off the tool onto shaft, re-inflate without boot and remove tool. Voila.

Saves a lot of time and the whole mess with popping joint off.

Great tool but it doesn't clean all the old grease, dirt and small animals that found their way inside the CV joint via the broken boot.

[julex]

Great tool but it doesn't clean all the old grease, dirt and small animals that found their way inside the CV joint via the broken boot.

of course. The tool is not for negligent bastards who drive around torn boots without attending to the problem asap.

[redneck truck]

LOL. Julex, I would love to meet you some day. You could not be as off-putting in person as you seem to be on this board!

[Scotty@Advanced]

of course. The tool is not for negligent bastards who drive around torn boots without attending to the problem asap.

Which would be 99% of the driving population.

[KoralKrab125]

of course. The tool is not for negligent bastards who drive around torn boots without attending to the problem asap.

Of course, that is obvious. Because cv boots make so much noise when they rip in half and you can tell the instant it happens while driving.....

Really to each there own, $20 cv boot and an extra 10 mins to install it or buy a tool at 6 times the cost of a part you may replace every 5 years on any given car.

[Kievskiy]

lol don't you have a cvbootfaluire warning light?

Of course, that is obvious. Because cv boots make so much noise when they rip in half and you can tell the instant it happens while driving.....

[julex]

The signs are pretty obvious. Grease all over the rim, usually burnt smell when it contacts hot rotors on stop, etc, etc.

[JimmyBones]

When I did it, I removed the lower control arms instead of the upper arms and tie rod end, but either way will work.

That way works too. Most dealers and some other shops will loosen up the tie rod and then the lower curved control arm so they can turn the wheel bearing housing to get the joint out.

To do this the way that the OP showed I would recommend hosing the pinch bolts in penetrating oil for a week prior to attempting the repair.

[KoralKrab125]

To do this the way that the OP showed I would recommend hosing the pinch bolts in penetrating oil for a week prior to attempting the repair.

That is a good point, luckily i replaced all of my control arms a few weeks before (thats when i noticed the torn CV boots) i did this so they slid in and out relatively easily.

[julex]

That way works too. Most dealers and some other shops will loosen up the tie rod and then the lower curved control arm so they can turn the wheel bearing housing to get the joint out.

To do this the way that the OP showed I would recommend hosing the pinch bolts in penetrating oil for a week prior to attempting the repair.

Makes sense since any shop has a lift so they work from underneath. Arguable popping control arm joint is much easier than undoing baked in pinch bolt.

[kleinewunder]

This is good for cars with steel hub carriers. If you have the alloy hub carriers, do not try to spread the knuckles with a chisel, screwdriver, etc.

[awdjunkies]

of course. The tool is not for negligent bastards who drive around torn boots without attending to the problem asap.

LOL. Julex, I would love to meet you some day. You could not be as off-putting in person as you seem to be on this board!

LMAO!!

[julex]

LOL. Julex, I would love to meet you some day. You could not be as off-putting in person as you seem to be on this board!

[Austenaa]

Hi ! I need to change my cv boot, but can i use an impact gun to loosen the 17mm bolt from the hub or can i destroy the transmission then ? I have read another place that impact gun can do that and i only can use a braker bar. Is that right ?

[Hobartian]

A very helpful guide indeed!

I recently replaced the CV boot on the right hand side of my Allroad by completely removing the drive shaft so I could work on it on the bench.

The method detailed here would be so much quicker than undoing those pesty triple square bolts and manipulating the drive shaft to get it free.

[glennda5id]

Disconnecting the tierod from the upright upsets your Toe constant alignment setting. Audi's with quadralink suspension have two toe settings. The normal one and the toe constant setting which is adjusted by the depth the tierod is inserted in the upright. Pretty much only an audi dealer will set the toe contant properly. I personally would not disconnect the two. You can wiggle the CV out without removeing the tierod anyways. It helps to turn the steering wheel.