Drive Shaft Rubber Gaiter

[jag]

Hi to all, i have just  had my front tyres replaced a few days ago and found that my passenger side rubber gaiter on the drive shaft is leaking and throwing grease all round. Is this a difficult job or easy enough to do DIY.  Any response would be  welcome.
Regards Jag

[Martin Tyas]

It can be a DIY job Jag but only if you have the necessary tools.

You need a road spring clamp, a good ball joint splitter to separate both the lower suspension wishbone and the steering track-rod end from the stub axle carrier. You also need a 24mm ring spanner and socket to remove the M16 nuts and bolts that clamp the stub axle carrier to the suspension leg and ideally an appropriate torque wrench to tighten them back up. Normally it would be best practice to replace these two nuts and bolts with new ones as the nuts have nylon thread-lock inserts. Also unless you use nylon tie-wraps instead of the proper stainless steel clips to clamp the gaiter in place at both ends you will also need a crimping tool.
The gaiter kit available from Renault is £16.11 plus VAT but the gaiter comes complete the two retaining clips, plastic collar and the correct type and amount of grease in a sachet.

I recently had a driveshaft oil seal leak and was going to tackle it myself but for lack of time. Instead of taking it to a Renault dealer and being charged around £90 per hour for the labour I took my 2.2dCi to a local transmission repair shop and as they were removing the driver's side drive shaft anyway to replace the seal in the gearbox I got them to replace the gaiter at the same time to avoid having to have it done some time later.... as the original has already survived 80,000 miles.
Gearbox specialists are splitting CV joints day in day out in order to remove gearboxes for repair so they have all the equipment and tools and can do them quickly. They changed the seal and the gaiter in two hours at £30 per hour. At that sort of money it's hardly worth buying the tools if you haven't already got them.

Martin

[Anders Dinsen]

They changed the seal and the gaiter in two hours at £30 per hour.

That's a fair rate. in this country, the typical rate for a shilled mechanic is the equivalent of £70 per hour incl. vat.

[jag]

Many Thanks for your prompt reply Martin.
I think I will find a gearbox specialist and leave it to them.
Once again thanks Mate.

[jag]

Managed to sort my problem out very cheap indeed. I had a closer look last night and found that the gaiter was ok but the big ring clip had broken off. I cleaned all the area and refilled the grease and used a heavy duty tie-wrap.  Thanks anyway for your help Martin.

Regards Jag

[Martin Tyas]

Well I did say that it could be a DIY job with the right tools.... really pleased for you that the right tools turned out to be just a tie-wrap  ..... great result 

Martin

[Lennart Sorth]

the gaiter was ok but the big ring clip had broken off.

Excellent Jag !
 - I had the same experience some time ago:
http://www.matrasport.dk/forum/index.php?topic=173.0

Such low-cost repairs have a certain appeal 

/Lennart

[Sparky]

Quote
"The gaiter was OK but the big ring clip had broken off. "


Just  a short note this seems to be a very common failing. Mine had gone early last year. and as it was only the clip I replaced it with a stainless steel Tie-wrap. I now check it regularly.

Maybe we should note as to which side is most common to fail, mine was the left hand side gaiter Viewing from the drivers seat.

Regards Bob

[Lennart Sorth]

mine was the left hand side gaiter Viewing from the drivers seat.

Good idea - however both mine have gone. The first to go on my car was the left hand one too, but later the right hand one went too.

But I think we can conclude that it is a common fault - luckily not a very serious one, as long as we keep them under observation, or maybe even replace the obviously inadequate factory fitted ones before they fail.

/Lennart

[brian]

how about them universal ones you cut to size and superglue together?
no need to remove anything !! they only cost a few quid and come with greese and steel ty-wraps and glue .
I have used them in the past to get through an mot, with the intention of doing a proper job when I had time. but it lasted a quite a few months, then I sold the car!!

[Lennart Sorth]

how about them universal ones

in most cases, it is not the gaiter that go, but simply the factory fitted hoseclamp / tie-wrap.

But I have had moderate success with the universal ones on my Murena - they solve the problem "right now", but the glue makes the seam harder, which seems to wear out the rubber relatively quickly - depending on how much the knuckle-joint inside is angled. That said, they have normally lasted a year or so. (yes, I have gone through several before getting a "real" one fitted)

/Lennart

[RobB]

I fitted a glued gaiter to my inside cv joint and though a bit sceptical (having read lots of negative comments) as to wether it would last it is still fine a year later.. Saved me half a days work .
RobB

[Sparky]

Tools are now available at reasonable cost;

http://www.frost.co.uk/productList.asp

And the replacement clips at the same place.

Regards Sparky