Reboot or Replace CV Axle - Subaru Content

The passenger CV boot split on our 01 Subaru Legacy sedan and sent some grease onto the cat-converter. I Saran-wrapped / zip-tied it so the wife could get to work today (it held up!)... but I need to fix it for real of course.

I don't think it slung a lot of grease out - there wasn't much of a mess - so I'm hoping the insides are still ok.

Would you: 1) Remove the axle, clean it all up, and reboot with Subaru parts from the dealer ($40-50) 2) Reboot but with aftermarket universal ($10?) 3) Replace the axle with OEM ($300+) 4) Replace with something like "EMPI" from RockAuto ($50)

I do not have a banding tool - not sure if the Zone rents one or sells it. But I think I need to find one for #1 and 2.

Also - do I really need to replace the roll / spring pin?

Thanks!!!!!!

Edit - I admit I'm leaning towards option #1... had a rough time with cheapie reman's on a different car - replacing them every 2-3 years

I have heard good things about Raxles, a company based out of Gainesville, FL. Their website suggests that they only take orders over the phone. Perhaps they will hold up better than other brands.

AFAIK Subaru axles aren't that hard to swap, so I would vote for a reboot. The Dorman universal kits are fine, but I'm sure the factory one is better.

axle should be super easy to pull, I always tried to just sell an axle rather than reboot it because it paid the same, took longer to reboot, and had a chance of coming back because, by the time they brought the car to the dealer, the joint was already compromised from running dry.
if it isn't clicking yet then you should be good to just reboot it though. the clamps are gonna be a bitch though

raxles are fine, but I would just reboot it if it hasn't been broken long, it shouldnt be too hard to do. Dont use the universal boots, they will break in a couple weeks.

I have used two zip ties instead off the metal band on CV boots in the past with out issue. Get the good ones from an electrical supply place or the electrical isle in home depot not the cheap ones found other places. I did one on my brothers car and it went two years. I only know this because I went under his car and found them and then remembered I had done it years back as a temporary repair.

Get the subaru boots or subaru axles. For some reason the quality on reman and aftermarket axles for subarus has been thoroughly mediocre.

I always re-use the pin, but I'm just like that. And I bought my own banding tool so I don't know what to tell you about that.

I've always had great luck with EMPI shafts, very good quality. If they're the same cost as an OEM boot, save yourself the time and just throw an EMPI in.

The rebuilt axles from Napa have been good to me. They were out once for a particular application and I bought a new one. They had the crappiest looking castings with splines that were will pitted and uneven. Junk for more money than the rebuilt ones.

Assuming it's the inner boot that ripped(they all do), the choice is yours. I've had good luck with the cheapie Empis, but then the Subaru inner CVs are tough as hell, they last a HELL of a long time with that boot open to the elements(my record is 3 years).

Sure is quicker to replace the axle, but a bit of a shame to toss a good quality axle for a bad boot. I'd opt for the dealer boot.

Rebooting is a slimy, greasy, nasty affair. By the time you get to the clamps, you'll be covered in grease to your elbows and they are fun.

If a reman axle is available cheaply, I'd go that way for one of our commuter cars. Clean and easy. Maybe I'm just getting old.

I had to have the axles on the MR2 custom rebuilt as they're NLA and didn't like the torque of the V6 after 170k miles of turbo abuse. Had a good experience with Rockautos return and rebuild program.

For average cars now, a reman axle is only about $20-30 more than the boot kit.

I'm sure someone can reboot an axle neatly and cleanly, but it isn't me. Invariably I get grease on all the surfaces I want to clamp tightly, so they just squirm off shortly.

I did see a clever youtube video showing how to use a funnel and some silicone spray to slip the boot on right over the joint. He made it look so easy I might try it some time on a spare axle.

For all the time I waste trying to reboot, and all the fun I have doing it, I generally prefer to simply replace the axle shaft.

OK, Thanks for the tips. Based on the feedback here - and the prices I'm getting - I think the best plan is to get an EMPI from RockAuto for $58 delivered. I'm going to buy a boot kit from subarupartsforyou.com as well and try my hand at fixing the original so I'll have a spare. They quote $40 for the kit - my local dealer said $60 for the equivalent.

I think my Saturday will be spent improving the durability of my Saran Wrap fix so it will hold up until the EMPI parts show up!

Boot it with Subaru parts. The reman axle will be E36 M3, and you wife will complain about the vibration, and then you will post here and we'll have to tell you all about how reman axles are E36 M3, and somebody will tell you how they paid $1.25 for axles somewhere and they were the best axles ever...

The reason people get gooey is because they don't clean things up properly. Foir inner joints, dissassemble, wash all the parts and your hands, squeeze tube of grease into the great big empty outer portion of the inner joint, mount it in the vice, slip the shaft, new boot and inner portion into the outer portion, but don't push it so far in that you squeeze the grease out, pop the boot on and clamp it, reinstall. It sometimes helps to have a second set of hands to hold everything in place. The crimping pliers are cheap, but if you are careful, the clamp can be done with sidecutters.

Subaru specific hint: The roll pin holes are slightly offset, so there are not two spots where it fits, only one.