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Axle boots tore prematurely? I replaced both inner/outer boots last summer

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    Axle boots tore prematurely? I replaced both inner/outer boots last summer

    and have driven roughly 20K miles since. I put the car on the lift yesterday to take a closer look at why my steering was a little loose and had play, and my friend suspected its the U-joint that has failed. While up on the lift, i noticed both (drivers + pass) side of my inner axle boots have torn + the outer ones look severely dry rotted already. I installed them brand new June/July of 2011.

    Is this common to tear this quickly? They don't appear to have torn from anything I had driven over, rather just from the flex of the suspension + maybe premature dryrot?

    Not sure if there are other factors internally that can cause premature boot tearing. I wanna make sure before I go thru the hell of replacing these boots again.
    www.instagram.com/snwmble
    #snwmble

    Current:
    '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
    '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
    '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

    Past:
    '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
    '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
    '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
    '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
    '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

    #2
    Is the car lowered a significant amount? Where they BMW parts or cheap boots? I have done boots on previous cars to have them fail after 8 months or so. My problem was cheap boots.

    Comment


      #3
      I've heard there are cheap aftermarket boots that do not last very long. they are hard/plasticky, apparently.

      the only boot that's ever given me problems while being lowered is the passenger inner boot, because it's so close to my headers. it's been fine since I got them ceramic coated but I still want to make some sort of heat shield.

      I've never had a drivers side boot fail, except for the original 140k mile inner ones right after I dropped the car on H&Rs. It failed within 20 miles, lol.
      Build thread

      Bimmerlabs

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by future rs View Post
        Is the car lowered a significant amount? Where they BMW parts or cheap boots? I have done boots on previous cars to have them fail after 8 months or so. My problem was cheap boots.
        Originally posted by nando View Post
        I've heard there are cheap aftermarket boots that do not last very long. they are hard/plasticky, apparently.

        the only boot that's ever given me problems while being lowered is the passenger inner boot, because it's so close to my headers. it's been fine since I got them ceramic coated but I still want to make some sort of heat shield.

        I've never had a drivers side boot fail, except for the original 140k mile inner ones right after I dropped the car on H&Rs. It failed within 20 miles, lol.

        I used GKN Loebro ones which i thought were the same manufacturer as OEM? The car is on H&R sport springs + bilstein HD shocks. Its not that low at all. I'll look into the OEM BMW ones.
        www.instagram.com/snwmble
        #snwmble

        Current:
        '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
        '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
        '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

        Past:
        '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
        '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
        '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
        '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
        '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

        Comment


          #5
          those are the ones I have too. Somebody told me they aren't the same as the ones you get from BMW. they're certainly much cheaper. maybe I'll try the BMW part for the one that I keep breaking, and use the cheap ones everywhere else.
          Build thread

          Bimmerlabs

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by nando View Post
            those are the ones I have too. Somebody told me they aren't the same as the ones you get from BMW. they're certainly much cheaper. maybe I'll try the BMW part for the one that I keep breaking, and use the cheap ones everywhere else.
            Yeah I just added the OEM BMW ones to my large order i just placed :(. I'll let you know if they appear to be the same as the GKN ones. I do remember the GKN ones being a hard plastic out of the box.
            www.instagram.com/snwmble
            #snwmble

            Current:
            '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
            '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
            '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

            Past:
            '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
            '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
            '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
            '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
            '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

            Comment


              #7
              I am almost positive the BMW OEM boots are a more rubbery feel. I haven't held both in hand but I do know the BMW ones are a nice rubbery feel.

              Comment


                #8
                got the new boots in the mail saturday.....the OEM axle boots are pure rubber unlike the cheap ones I ordered from AutohausAZ which were hard plastic. Hopefully this time around it won't tear on me as easily as the GKN Loebro ones
                www.instagram.com/snwmble
                #snwmble

                Current:
                '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
                '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
                '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

                Past:
                '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
                '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
                '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
                '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
                '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

                Comment


                  #9
                  interesting find, good to know!

                  FWIW I've never had the GKN boot fail on the outters or driver's inner. the passenger inner boot seems to last maybe 1 year though.
                  Build thread

                  Bimmerlabs

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by nando View Post
                    interesting find, good to know!

                    FWIW I've never had the GKN boot fail on the outters or driver's inner. the passenger inner boot seems to last maybe 1 year though.
                    yeah the GKN ones on the outer's are fine on mine....it was both inners that tore on me. I did notice some cracking on the outers though when i inspected it last week, so even though its only a yr old, i'm changing all inners & outers w/ the OEM ones. Hopefully this is the last time i have to mess w/ this for a while!
                    www.instagram.com/snwmble
                    #snwmble

                    Current:
                    '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
                    '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
                    '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

                    Past:
                    '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
                    '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
                    '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
                    '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
                    '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Good luck!

                      simply based off the feel and material my money is on the OEM boots lasting longer.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by future rs View Post
                        Good luck!

                        simply based off the feel and material my money is on the OEM boots lasting longer.
                        thanks man!
                        www.instagram.com/snwmble
                        #snwmble

                        Current:
                        '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
                        '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
                        '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

                        Past:
                        '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
                        '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
                        '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
                        '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
                        '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

                        Comment


                          #13
                          This is disappointing seeing as I had them all replaced two years ago and have yet to drive the car since. Even more disappointing is the fact that I have two more full sets of the oem equiventlents as backstock some of them are even labeled as Ford as I believed the part manufacturer reused the same part on a focus years later. Would you guys think that giving the non BMW ones some sorta of soaking coat of a protectant would help soften them up? I would think it'd be worth a shot to try and prolong their life before buying the BMW ones. Maybe giving them protectant might help prolong the life of them. Any thoughts?
                          Last edited by AWDE30; 10-21-2012, 10:50 PM.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Just tore another one. 3rd or 4th time I’ve had to change them....I’m guessing there still is no silicone option for the ix’s yet?
                            www.instagram.com/snwmble
                            #snwmble

                            Current:
                            '05 BMW M3 - Silver Grey/Imola Red
                            '90 BMW 325iX - Sterling Silver/Houndstooth sport(5-speed converted)
                            '15 Mini Countryman - Blazing Red/Carbon Black

                            Past:
                            '01 Audi Allroad - Light Silver/Platinum Saber Black
                            '88 BMW 325iX - Diamond Schwarz/Silver sport *Sold*
                            '01.5 1.8TQ - Brilliant Black/Nogaro Alcantara ...after 8.5yrs, *Sold* =(
                            '90 BMW 325i - Schwarz/Tan sport *Sold*
                            '89 BMW 325ix - Diamond Schwarz/Black sport *Sold*

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by audiquattrot View Post
                              Just tore another one. 3rd or 4th time I’ve had to change them....I’m guessing there still is no silicone option for the ix’s yet?
                              Anything unusual about the boot-process on the iX?

                              I'm hoping it isn't much different than this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S-ofMoWsr0&t=114s

                              If there's an iX-specific DIY out there, I'd appreciate a link :)
                              1985 E30 S52 - Daily Driver
                              1986 M635Csi - For the best days

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