I replaced my cracked ****py offshore tie rod boots with Energy Suspension boots. I was under the car yesterday, figured I would grease a few things and TWO of the boots are cracked. So much for a better product! In the interim until I got those, I fished an old one from my parts bucket made in 1975 or before and used that for a couple of months, that one would probably still be good, I'm sure I have it...
Well,that ****s... any chance that a chemical got on them that doesn't play well? such as brake cleaner?
Click on this and scroll down,they pride themselves on "real phone support" give them a call and let us know how it turns out. https://www.energysuspensionparts.com/
Thanks, I will for sure. Never got any chemicals on them, every part on the front end was painted before it went together. I have the packaging saved so I know that part number.
OK guys, let's put our heads together on this. Rubber boots cracking have been an issue for many of us in the past years. Tie rod boots wouldn't be a huge replacement problem, but Ball joints another story. So first question......is there any reason why the boots, particularly on ball joints, have to be totally flexible? I'm not sure how much the boots are "distorted" at maximum spindle deflection. Can you see where I may be going with this? My balljoints are fine, except the boots are split. I talked to Rare Parts about their $175ish ball joints, and asked him where the boots were made. He did not know! Thought that was a strange reply for a part that supposedly was made in "their shop". Anyways, I've been reluctant to spend that kind of money to fix the boot issue, when even Rare Parts units may not solve it. Lots of work, plus realignment. I had thought about buying the Rare Parts stuff, and replacing the boots with Energy Suspension before I installed. So, I was thinking about trying that repair tape that fuses to itself. I've currently got a super glue product that looks like electrical tape, but bonds to itself after a 24 hour cure. I repaired a plastic radiator neck in my Grand Cherokee with a similar product that lasted for years (was still on there when I sold the car). Has to be non-oily or greasy surface, which will be a problem with cracked ball joint boots, so I was thinking of a wrap with aluminum foil before applying the repair tape. What do you guys think. Sounds mickey mouse, but just needs to keep dirt out/grease in, and there are apparently no "for sure" fixes available at this point. I guess I need to do a trial application on something to see how flexible or hard it gets when cured.
My ball joint boots are cracked too. The older Mopar ones (1972/1980) had a metal ring and they were held tight around the ball joint body. But they still had the flexible portion. I feel it still has to flex. I am going to verify with ES that I have the correct tie rod boots and see what they say for my lower BJ boots. I'm just amazed that ones from 40 or 50 years ago are still good. We have that fusible tape at work, thick and a reddish brown. We are allowed to take what is out of date and I should have some at home. It may work if the surfaces are clean and maybe the foil would be a good idea. I was even thinking of shrink tubing over the broken boot, I may have some big enough. There are Raychem (now Tyco or T.E. Engineering) boots used on connectors. As supplied, they are over-expanded and shrink to a shape with heat.
The super glue tape product I have says it is flexible, and is black. Problem with big shrinktubing over the boot is it has to be dis***embled to get it on. That's why I was thinking the fusible tape.
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