Corn stubble, rocks, wear and tear, whatever the cause, a torn CV boot if neglected, gets more expensive. Always better to repair a torn boot asap; a worn half shaft is dangerous.
To repair a torn ATV CV boot, remove the following components in these eight steps:
1 Remove driveshaft
2 Remove old boot clamps
3 Remove outer CV joint and boot
4 Clean and inspect
5 Fit new clamps and boot
6 Refit CV joint
7 Pack with grease
8 Tighten boot clamps
In this post, you’ll learn how to replace an ATV CV boot, you’ll learn about the tools you’ll need and techniques required to nail the repair the first time.
Removing ATV Half Shaft
Removing the driveshaft is necessary to fit a CV boot. Removing isn’t that difficult, and you won’t need any special tools. I wrote a whole post on the subject which you might find helpful, check out “ATV driveshaft removal.”
The procedure requires the removal of the following components:
1 Wheel
2 Drive nut
3 Brake caliper
4 Steering arm
5 Upper ball-joint
6 Lower ball-joint
Remove CV Boot Clamps
CV boots only last so long, so unless your boots are pretty new, I’d go ahead and replace both inner and outer. Boots, clamps, and grease aren’t expensive, but your time is valuable. You don’t want to revisit this corner of your ATV.
There are a couple of different type clamps employed, the reusable type and the one-time-only fit. Either way, you’ll have a new set with your new boots.
You’ll need a crimp tool to fit the one-time-use mushroomed type clamps.
Remove ATV CV Joint
CV joints (outer at wheel) are fixed to the shaft with either a hidden snap ring or a snap ring that needs squeeing. Inner joints are usually held in place with a circlip, however not all inner joints are removable.
Either way, both inner and outer boots can be replaced by removing just the outer CV joint.
A hidden snap ring on the outer joint is most common.
- To remove the outer joint, set the drive in a vice griped by the shaft wrapped in a shop towel.
- Pull the old boot down the shaft and clean the old grease away from the joint.
- Examine the outer CV joint where the CV meets the shaft. If it’s held in place by a snap ring that needs squeezing, you’ll see it. A suitable size snap ring pliers will make compressing it easy, but you’ll need to squeeze and tap the joint simultaneously to slide the joint off the shaft.
- If you can’t see any evidence of a snap ring at the joint, then it’s fastened using a hidden snap ring which is the more common type and just requires a sharp tap or two to remove.
Using a plastic hammer or a drift, sharply tap the inner CV splines ring, where it meets the shaft.
The CV joint will slide from the shaft and drop to the ground, so place some old packaging on the ground to break the fall. With the CV joint removed, you are free to slide the old boot off. If the inner boot needs to be replaced, go ahead and slide it off now too.
Clean & Inspect CV Joint
Clean as much of the old grease off as possible. A torn boot attracts grit and debris that will damage the CV joint. If your CV joint is noisy or has free-play, you’ll need to replace the CV joint or the whole half shaft.
Position CV Boots & Clamps
With the old grease cleaned from the drive and joints, slid on the new boot(s) and clamps. We’ll need to keep the boots and joints mating surface grease-free.
Re-fit CV Joint
Refitting the CV joint is easy. Just be sure you have all the boots and clamps assembled in the correct order. Pack the center of the CV joint with the CV boot grease (Molybdenum disulfide grease) supplied.
Position the CV joint in the vice with the CV joint side facing upwards. Position the shaft square over the CV joint end and strike the drive end with a plastic hammer (a metal hammer will damage the drive).
Pack additional grease into the boot(s). Clean the boot, and joint mating surface, grease on these surfaces may cause the boots to slip off. Position the boots in place.
Fit & Tighten Clamps
Slide clamps onto boot collar and align centrally. Using your channel locks or crimping tool, tighten boot clamps. When tight, it won’t be possible to slide the clamp left or right.
That’s it, refit the half shaft. Job done!
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John Cunningham is a technical writer here at ATVfixed.com. He’s a Red Seal Qualified Service Technician with over twenty-five years experience. He’s worked on all types of mechanical equipment, from cars and trucks to ATVs and Dirt bikes.