Steering boot replacement

[CMF_zfind]

Hi guys,

This is my first post here after picking up a '95 K11. She's a great car with only 92,000km and is in mostly good condition, however a few little things need doing.

The most important at the moment are the rubber steering boots. Both sides have split open and sprayed grease everywhere (fun to clean off). I've gaffer taped them closed as a temporary solution but I know I need to get them replaced a.s.a.p. They are the boots just behind the wheel hubs, not the inner CV boots.

What I'd like to ask is, how hard is it really to replace these? I'm pretty good with cars but have never done this before. I've got the Haynes manual but it seems very complicated for what it is. This is what I found on MSC:

"ok take the wheel off,
undo the big nut on the driveshaft,
undo the 2 suspension bolts that go though the wheel hub you may have to remove the clip that holds the brake pipe to the suspension,
then move the hub down and push the driveshaft out
if the driveshaft is tight put the big nut on a few threads and give it a wack that way you wont damage the threads"

Is that all there is to it? I got the split pin out but not surprisingly, couldn't budge the driveshaft nut. If I get a breaker bar and get that off, should I be able to do the rest fairly easily?

As a note, I've just done the gearbox fluid - replacing the outer boot doesn't need the driveshaft to come out does it?

Thanks and sorry for the longish post

 

[smidge]

dunno if this is the same for micras, but on other cars, often it's best to crack the driveshaft nut with the wheel still on the car and a big meter long breaker bar with big socket

its the ONLY way you can get enough torque on them i reckon

 

[CMF_zfind]

Yeah I'm going to have to get a breaker to tackle this one.

How expensive are the boots in Australia approximately? I'm having trouble finding one so have turned to eBay. Being that Micra's are a dime a dozen in the UK, parts are cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NISSAN-MICRA-...ryZ10402QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

That one is about $30 a side. Seems steep though! Are there any substitute parts we can use (i.e. pulsar)?

 

[smidge]

check with NSM he has a good list of micra specific parts

how hard have you looked? most spares places should be able to help you out

nissan genuine is an option also, they generally arent that expensive

 

[CMF_zfind]

Well I tried Supercheap and Coventrys (the guy I spoke to was a ****) but have yet to give Repco or Nissan themselves a go. I might give 'em a call tomorrow and see how much the genuine article is.

Have been reading a few more guides and alot of them seem to suggest that its split pin/castellated but/driveshaft nut off -> suspension shock nuts off x2 -> pull hub and shaft apart = access to boot. Is it really that simple? If so I will definitely DIY!

 

[CMF_Geoff_S]

You can get universal split ones where you just glue them together, no need to split the cv joint.

 

[smidge]

and universal ones that you can stretch over the joint... bit more expensive but less dicking around sometimes

 

[CMF_Yom]

May as well split the joint so you can clean it out properly. You need to get all the old grease out to make sure theres no dirt in there.

No point putting new boots on and having the CV's wear out 10,000km later because you didnt get the dirt out.