Poor man's tie rod end (or ball joint) boot

A simple & cheap way to seal any ball and socket type joint after the boot has been compromised.

I teach High School Automotives and while replacing a clutch (and most everything else we came across!) in a faculty member's car, we found the tie rod end boots were completely torn off. I didn't want to send the car down the road without any protection, and the faculty member (being a teacher) had no extra funds for any more replacement parts...

...so I came up with a cheap to keep idea!

This should work with any ball joint, or tie rod end type of joint.

Step 1 Tools and supplies

You will need:

- A piece of heater hose (we used 3/4")
- A means to cut the heater hose
- - Band saw (use power tools whenever possible!)
- - Utility knife (Razor type knife)
- - Diagonal cutters (Dykes)

Comments

[kneedragon76]

Good Temporary fix. I'm probably going to do this on my F350 with blown tre's. However I think it to be advantageous to use FUEL hose as the grease used to lubricate the balljoint will disolve the heater house potentially putting small particles in the ball joint which could increase wear.

Ever used a radiator house as a fuel line to the gas tank? Yeah about like that.

[Mikey D]

Very good point!

Excellent in fact.

Just have to find fuel line big enough to wrap around it.

Thanks for your comment,

Mikey

[Rocksterr]

Hey Mikey,  Thanks for the clear and  concise presentation.  Some of the best solutions are the simplest. The OEM boots are too easily damaged as are CV joint boots.  Reinforced rubber, such as that used for heater hoses, would last a lot longer than the wimpy rubber boots our vehicles come with, I think.

Cheers!
Rocky

[Mikey D]

Thanks Rocky!

It does seem like these will last longer.  I (as you) wish I could find a substitute for those silly CV boots.  They are the demise of a good joint.

Mikey

[FeedTheGrid]

Nicely done!

[SurferGeek]

Great job... now I just need someone to do one on CV joints for a 1996 Honda Accord. ;)

[wrksnfx]

You can buy a rebuilt half shaft for about 110.00 (Left side) including the 50.00 core from autozone that was w/ the 2.7 L v6 motor model take in your old one get the new one w/ a 90 day warranty the left side costs a little more than the right though.

[Mikey D]

Hmmm... maybe one of those 4" flex couplings you use to fix a waste sewer line? ;-) Thanks!

[danielmilhousechun]

great fix!

[wrksnfx]

If you use rubber hose with nylon filament which can be seen from the side of the cross section of the rubber tubing, you will see what looks like little white threads this is used for fuel lines

[Decepticon]

Great Instructable! I'll be sure to bookmark this one when my boots 'go up'!

[bhunter736]

Excellent idea! Great instructable too! Next time mine start to weep, I will probably do this. Thanks.