DIY: Subaru CV Boots

Torn inner CV boots are very common on 2000MY and up late-model Subaru vehicles.
DO NOT REPLACE THE ENTIRE CV SHAFT WITH A CHEAP AFTERMARKET/REMAN UNIT! Most likely this will cause driveline vibrations, especially when stopped in drive on automatic transmission vehicles.
Here I show how to quickly replace the inner boot without removing the CV shaft from the vehicle. You can save a lot of time, money, and potential driveline problems if you don't mind getting a little grease on your hands :)
No special tools required!

[@dektarium]

Dude, you did a great job editing and shooting this video. So many people can explain how to do this but when they shoot a video they don't bother changing camera angles for visibility, or they don't use enough light, or they fail to edit out unnecessary bits, or even worse, they skip steps. You showed everything, tightly edited and clearly explained. Excellent, outstanding job. Subscribed!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Wow thank you for the compliments! Enjoy the show!

[@jnrivers]

Thanks for not editing out the parts that took some effort and time. Gives a much more realistic picture of what to expect.

[@johnwilcox2]

Lol

[@lynskyrd]

Ivan- you are SO RIGHT about aftermarket axles. I'm a DIYer and of course, I learned the hard way. My Volvo, @ 345,000 miles, had a noisy passenger side axle- I replaced it with a 'new' Cardone axle-- absolute junk. Front end started vibrating after about 500 miles. I thought the lug bolts backed off somehow or the axle bolt got loose; nope. I ended up rebuilding my 345,000 mile original axle; new tripod joint, boots, ear clamps and grease. HUGE difference--- back to normal. I LOVE your channel.

[@thagenhds]

Great video, saved me about $750 doing it myself. One IMPORTANT NOTE: even if you are only doing one side or one at a time like I did jack up both sides and put them on jack stands. I had a hard time getting the bolts back in the knuckle and of course after I realized it was the sway bar causing the trouble since I had one side jacked up and the other side down on the ground.

[@mgrzemow]

Thanks for the video. It inspired me to do this myself. Let me just add a few comments: 1. If you don't have a strong pneumatic tool like in the video - you WILL NEED at least 1m lever on a manual tool to undo the 2 big nuts on a 10y car where they haven't been moved since new. Get a looong extension. 2. On the other (right) side of the car there is an exhaust exactly below the joint making the job more difficult. ;-) 3. All the metal bands holding the shoe WILL have the locks on the upper side. If you are doing the job from underneath - well it's exactly on the opposite side from you. On top of that - the dirt WILL make the little details invisible. I thought my bigger metal band was gone and I tried to cut the rubber only to realize that it was there after all. 4. If you have all the tools - prepare for a 2-3hr job. It is not that easy and quick as on the video. 5. Having the job done yourself is still very satisfying!

[@nathanwilson1581]

Thanks! Rarely does a repair look just like the video... but it did. My one recommendation would be to mark the CV spider before removing it, so you can align it on the same spline. It ensures you don't get things upside down and backwards, making the reassembly that much more precise. Thanks again for making it simple!

[@IkeandMike1]

Thanks for this video. It really made it easy to replace the inner CV boot on my 04 STi. I've seen the videos from briansmobile1 and Ericthecarguy, but your video kept it really simple by not removing the entire axle assembly from the transaxle. A few things for others to watch out for: 1. when you move the wheel hub out of the strut mount, the spring will decompress and make it hard to align the holes of the hub and strut. I used a thick screw driver to pry the upper hole into alignment so I could insert the bottom bolt, then everything lined up. 2. put some grease on the rollers/bearing balls and they will stay in place better while you try to maneuver the cv joint back into the cup. 3. as others have mentioned, mark the camber bolt with a grease pencil before removing it. This will save you from having to get an alignment. 4. clean out all the old grease before putting everything together. 5. put half the new grease in the cup and half in the boot. 6. I reused the clamps because the new clamps I bought from a Subaru dealership didn't have the locking tabs. I don't know if the tension is right when reusing the clamps, but I'll see how they hold up. 7. The 04 STi (early model) has a DOJ inner CV joint which is different from the SFJ shown in this video. Thanks again for the video! I don't know if there's a way to send you some cash for saving me a lot of money on a repair job. Let me know if there is an easy secure way.

[@MckWells]

One thing to note, lifting the car on one side and then messing with the suspension will load one side up because the front sway bar loads up with tension. Lifting both sides will equalize the tension. So if you're having trouble lining everything up, I would recommend that.

[@jordanp6420]

Does an 06 wrx share the same DOJ axel as an 04 STI, or does it have a SFJ type like the one in this video? The same principles and instructions would apply?

[@alienUAE]

Thank you for your extra tips!

[@jukeboxzero1]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video! I just used this video to replace the 100,000 mile front inner driver side boot on my 2003 WRX wagon. I used NAPA boot kit 686-2131 and NAPA clamp pliers 776-9244. I was hoping to re-use the factory clamps and return the NAPA pliers but the large factory boot clamp broke when i tried to reuse it. This took me several hours start to finish but i expected it would. My only recommendation would be to cut the old damaged boot out of the way with some good shears as soon as possible to get it out of the way. An OEM replacement axle is ~$330 (discount parts seller price) and a dealer would probably charge $100 (or more) to install it. So i probably saved almost $400.💲💲💲💲

[@GLInick]

Good video. For DIY, I would do a couple of things differently though. First, clean all the grease off everything before installing the new parts. If some dirt and pebbles got in there, unlikely as it sounds, you could end up with scoring on the machined surfaces, and eventually too much play. If this boot has been torn like that for some time, it also doesn't hurt to check for play (and in all fairness, a mechanic subconsciously does that as they are handling the axle around, but DIYers need to know how to do that) I would also mark very carefully and deliberately the positions of all connections that affect alignment (camber here) before breaking them. If it is as easy as aligning rust lines, fine. But if this is not put back together exactly as before, you could have tire wear issues showing up a few thousand miles later, and you'd be stumped as to why that is. Most shops I know wouldn't acknowledge an error there and would tell you to go get an alignment ($$) and a new tire (more $$). I'd personally remove the axle and do a reboot on the bench just to avoid the possibility of a misalignment. I don't know how hard it is to break that axle bolt on the hub on a Subie specifically (I've had to do it in others, and it was not impossible with a breaker bar and extension). If you DIY your car, repair what you can (i.e., reboot cracked/torn CV boots as shown in this video), replace what you must.

[@georgiojansen7758]

you took the words right out of mouth.. thanks ...goedendag

[@ronbaynes2755]

Exactly my thpughts after viewing this video.

[@patrickwhitfield8280]

Seriously... checking for play should be done everything you work on any part that involves movement... and cleaning the parts before you put them back together is necessary as that grease is contaminated from stuff getting into that huge hole in the boot. Cleaning would have also kept things from being "so slippery" because you wouldn't have been wiping the old grease all over everything. It's just bad business not to clean all the old grease up... not only from the joint, but from all over the under side of the car.

[@gregsporton]

Changed both the boots on my 3.0R yesterday, no way I would have even attempted it without this video so thank you very much. Quick note for 6 cylinder owners, the dual exhaust runs directly under the CV joints so there is very little room to work with. Once I removed the wheel I noticed there is a small plastic guard that is held in with 3 clips, separating the engine bay from the wheel well. I removed the guard and was able to perform 80% of the work from the wheel well which made it much easier.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Great job, Greg! Thanks for the tip on the 3.6L engine; I'm sure others will find it useful!

[@TheJclanton]

Really easy fix. Thanks. The shop wanted $300 for a reman axle replacement and would not do a boot replacement. So this saved me $270. I am a fairly slow methodical workman and I had less than an hour in the thing, start to finish. I spent about that much time standing in line at NAPA to buy the boot. I was not comfortable reusing the OEM clamps as shown in the video. I used the clamps in the NAPA kit. This required that I buy a crimping tool for $10.00 but that's fine. Also, I found that jacking the control arm back to level made it easier to slip the boot on the cup. I crimped the small end to hold it in place and then slipped the large end over the cup. Be sure not to get under the control arm if it is on the jack. Thank goodness for KZbin and the guys who are generous enough to post the repair videos for us to use. Thanks again Jim C

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Good to hear Jim, glad the vid was helpful!

[@mikekluk87]

Great detailed video. Dealer wanted to replace the whole axle for $600+. When I told them they replaced the axle 2 years ago they then said they could replace just the boot for $320. For $25 in parts and $20 for some tools, rags, etc. it was repaired. Thanks!

[@cbr125rcanada]

Thank you for this! It was SPOT ON! I did my 2004 legacy today. The only difficult part was removing that retainer clip holding that piece onto the spline at the end (mostly because it was so hard to see where the tiny holes were to get that tool in to get the clip off!). VERY helpful video! Thank you again.

[@TheUkrnsmr]

Thanks man for a thorough video and explanations. I followed your methods and was able to complete this tedious project. I drive a 02 turbo wrx. Critical thinking will be needed to get this one completed, this guy makes it look way easier than it is.

[@robrath31]

Just split a boot in the last 24 hours, found this vid, saved me $$$ and TIME by not having to remove entire shaft as well as cost of a new shaft. With the cost of new boots, grease, even circlip piers I've still got plenty of $$$ left over compared to new shaft! Thanks!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+robrath31 Great to hear!! Should be good to go for a while now :)

[@robrath31]

That's the plan! Just need to get around to doing the other side before that goes, when I can be bothered :P Cheers again!

[@Snackwog]

Great explanation. Thanks! I did this today on the left inner CV. On to the right CV (also torn!) tomorrow since it went so well. Just like the video. I will offer a few little tips for anyone reading here. I removed the rotor and brake components to allow an easier view into the CV joint. This helped with removing the clip and also wiping everything out. I didn't reuse the bands around the boot. Too much hassle for me and I just cut them. Lastly, I used a second jack to jack up the axle at the hub so it was almost level with the ground. That made it much easier to get the the top of the boot onto the cup and get it to stay there. All in all, very successful and a super cheap repair. Thanks for your video!

[@RodrinBird]

Couldn't agree more.. just replace the boots. So long as the inner ball bearings are in good shape, there's no need for a new axle. Great video!

[@joemac9997]

Awesome video! Did both of my inner cv boots on my 99 Wrx in less than 1 hour, brilliantly presented and informative video, thank you

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Aussie car & gaming nut Nice! That's efficient!

[@Carlos-nr3rt]

A few notes. You do not need to remove the two bolts from the shocks, there is enough movement to to the job with it in place. Basically bottom ball joint pinch bolt, steering tie rod and rollbar tie rod only needed on a 2004 Subaru 3.0R legacy. The spline assembly holding the 3 bearings has a taper on one side to help you get it back on the spline. Mark the length of the tie rod between the boot clip and the lock nut and put a spot of paint on all the parts to help return it to the same place or your going to need a wheel alignment afterwards. Thanks for the video it helped me when I got stuck with the clip holding the shaft in, so much grease you cannot see its a clip. I used all genuine Subaru parts and grease etc $90.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Carlos Nice job! Yes you are right if you disturb the tie rod length it is best to get an alignment done afterwards. In my case removing the two strut bolts was the path of "least resistance" since they were not rusted in, and the other parts that you mentioned are not disturbed in the process :)

[@Carlos-nr3rt]

+motoYam82 if you measure the tie rod length before dis assembly and put a spot of paint on all the top surfaces, including the lock nut, you can return it to the exact position. If you remove the shock bolts then your going to upset the camber, I don't recommend touching them, there is loads of pivot in the shock top hat mounts.Wouldn't get to worried about brake cleaner, a spot of petrol on a clean rag and a quick wipe and your done. Thanks again for the video, it saved the day.

[@worldsails2000]

Thank you for this video. I just realized my left CV boot is torn just like the one here. I was thinking I was going to have to replace the whole shaft but after watching this I will just replace the boot. I have an '09 Outback XT so the job should be exactly the same same as yours was.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yup should be pretty straight-forward!

[@scottibass]

Man, so many years of replacing good axles with reman instead of just re-booting it. This video helped me so much! Now you do deserve the light roasting that people are giving you for not cleaning the grease. I did and it was so much easier to slide the new boot on the cup without slipping and sliding all over the place. Also on my 2008, the clamps were not reusable, I had to cut them. And the new clamps from the genuine Subaru kit was a pain in the ass, I was able to put the small outer one back on, the big one broke when I was trying to get it to tighten, it felt like it was too small a diameter for the cup. Going with zip ties for now until I can get a metal band of some sort that would allow clamping without having to remove the axle.

[@andrewpaige9152]

Thank you so m much, as a newbie and given up on paying thousands upon thousands for mechanics to do the job right the first time or to find the problem at all when you know there is I'm now repairing my own cars and loving and learning so much and this video was so helpful and so many times I was told to buy a whole new CV when I had a spare boot laying around. Your the best. Cheers from Sydney Australia. Just wish we had more similar model vehicles than you guys as we tend to get the more Japanese models or also known as JDM like our WRX GC8 etc

[@MrDaveusa]

Just replaced the inner front right CV boot on my 2000 OBW. Thanks very much for this video, it was spot on and saved me a butt-ton of money.

[@happytrails7179]

This was a great video. I had somebody help me with it but didn't have to buy a non OEM CV shaft as one of the mechanics wanted and I didn't have to buy a new CV shaft. THank you so much.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davidgoldberg]

I didn't know the inner CV boots could be slipped in like that. Nice video Ivan!

[@kinkbiker531]

I was getting ready to buy new axles for my forester, but after watching your video I’d rather just replace the two torn boots. It doesn’t seem as much of a PITA. Thanks dude!!!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yeah it's not a bad job, good luck!

[@ChanceSummer]

Thanks! I just followed this for my 2004 Impreza RS 2.5 on the inner passenger side. It was PAINFUL due to very limited space to work. Your method did work but it would have taken me 1/3 the time to pull the whole shaft haha. But I did want to try this method and indeed it gets the job done. Thanks for posting.

[@PsicoShadow84]

Thanks for the video, since I lifted my '07 Outback 2", I found out she likes to chew through front inner CV boots like gum. I'll be testing different brands and lengths to see what works longer than 3 months, so your guide really helped saving a lot of time and making the job a LOT easier! Started doing the passenger side and even having the exhaust underneath the axle, it was a pretty simple job.

[@QZHEARTYgrantmanerproductions]

Any luck with more durable boots?

[@PsicoShadow84]

@@QZHEARTYgrantmanerproductions nope, finally decided to go back to stock height and oemboots.

[@migalito]

Best thing - reuse old bands and Napa for new boot. Old low mileage impreza both sides were cracked and just starting to throw grease. Good summer time project to work on daughter's college car. 4x4 subie. Thx ruskie dude.

[@larrygomez6637]

It has been years since I have serviced any CV axles and I thank you for this very helpful video!

[@brooklinbillingsley3058]

This video was super helpful! I just bought a ‘91 Subaru Legacy and I believe one of the boots on the front left side is torn because it looks a little greasy near the inner boot in the engine bay and kind of smells burnt after driving for a bit. I just have some suspicions but I think this video will 100% come in handy so thank you!

[@arciefan]

One two bbq ! Kinda like spiking the ball after a touchdown. Always good to take a little victory lap. Whipping the job, and not it whipping you. Great job and thanks for the upload !

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

This same Subaru is actually in my shop right now! It runs fantastic and doesn't leak anything ;) Check Engine light was on, turned into a neat diagnosis actually...coming up soon.

[@kenfederico6001]

Really good vid, dude!! Worked perfectly on my '09 Legacy. Did the r/s today...all by myself !! Knowing to need the 19mm socket and wrench, and snap ring tool made the job easier. I looked at other videos, but yours was/is the best, by far !!! Everything you said, I did...although, instead of lining up the camber bolt with the rust, I notched the bolt and the bracket to make sure it lined up and I wouldn't need a wheel alignment. One other thing, I did't use those cheap crimp bands that came with the kit, I used good old fashioned hose clamps. For a DIYer, it took me just under 3 hours, but very satisfied that I didn't have to pay some mechanic 250-350. Just cost me $26 & change.

[@TheBolacreen]

Excellent demo of a good job and nice short cut .You did not upset wheel bearing nor removed the inner end. Thanks

[@knobblyknob]

Still really helpful after all these years, cheers man.

[@AnWe79]

Thanks for the guide, just did this on my 03 Outback H6. I was going to take the cat off to get easier access, but sadly, one of the exhaust manifold nuts was rusted to oblivion, ended up rounding it, so I had to do it with the exhaust in place. It was quite a struggle, but there was just enough room to get in there and get it done. You weren't kidding about the grease, keep plenty of paper at the ready, that stuff gets everywhere!

[@trefflek]

Great video!! Made my job super easy. 1 hour total from putting the car on the lift to setting her back down. Loved you showed the part number, made it an easy purchase when i went to NAPA.

[@Zebisnz]

Awesome video! like others just did my 98 legacy gtb the same way. I did jack my wheel hub up just a tiny amount for less angle on the CV making the boot easier to hold in place while strapping it. Job done!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Nice job!

[@theanticrust42]

Thanks so much for an excellent video! We struggled a tiny bit more than you did but we got it done without consulting any additional guides! 2001 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. I forgot to put one of the clips back on and had to take the boot off again to put it on, so for us it was '1 2 3 bar b que'

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Glad to hear, Adam! Feels good to do-it-yourself!

[@raymondfoster219]

Thanks teacher, im an old fart and just thought i should check before diving ( falling ) in. I grew old in the 70s and honestly its as easy as your guidance, lol just finding it difficult to leave the car at the wshop. stay well mate and thanks from aus.

[@yamon234]

Shout-out for this good walk through. Just did this job today and this guide saved me some unnecessary work

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Nice!

[@adamdoerr4785]

REALLY well done video! Just got home in my wife's 09 Outback. Smoking like a bastard. Popped the hood and looked down... grease burning up on the catalytic converter due to a split CV boot. Feck! Now what am I gonna do?! Apparently I'm going to watch a kick ass video and take care of it myself. If nothing else, it showed me there's no reason to be intimidated by a fairly easy repair job like this as long as you have the right tools. THANKS!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Nice, hope the repair goes smooth. Your wife will think you're a hero :)

[@stephenkehrer9152]

Great video! I was watching it and thinking, "Man, why doesn't this guy just clean some of the grease off as he goes?" Once elbow deep in it I see that it can be a truly nasty job and the axle grease is REALLY hard to contain. I think I went through 20 shop rags! Thanks for the awesome information!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Hah it always looks cleaner on a computer screen than doing it live yourself on a creeper with grease up to your armpits :)

[@barrylong3129]

Thanks for the detailed video! I'm not very handy when it comes to car repair, but I can follow detailed instructions. I replaced the passenger side front inner cv boot with this video then realized my driver's side needed replaced as well and replaced that one. Saved some bucks on my 07 Outback and learned a lot. Thanks again.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Hey Barry I'm glad my video helped you out! Nice job on the repair!

[@1sttttt]

I've been toying with this for a year and a half (and trying to find late model instruction for DIY ). This seems to clear up a misconception of replacing the whole axle. Will give it a try !

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Go for it!

[@stevenadams1181]

Thanks for this video as it was very helpful. For those who don't want to reuse the factory clamps I suggest buying NAPA's BK 7769244 CV boot clamp pliers to tighten the clamps that come with the boots.

[@normparadis]

Thanks for the video, went ahead with the boot replacement filled with confidence. My 2005 outback is 12 years ols.... lets say the lower strut bolt didn't not come off as easy as in the video, all manual here no air tools, i had to take off the caliper and rotor in order to have an acceptable radius with my 24in power bar. Afterwards smooth sailing until cam time to remove the roller cross ...didn't slide off or on as smooth as yours. Tried to reuse the OEM clamps but no avail...could not get them as i wished, so used the ones supplied with the boot kit (a good thing I borrowed those pliers) Lastly my Outback has the 3.0 6 cyl so i had the exhaust in my face through the whole time. But with determination. GOT HER DONE!!!

[@bradleymarshall5591]

Great video. Was just about to do the inner on my 99 wrx by popping the 32mm nut and pulling the lot out. Glad I watched this first! Big time saver!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

You can go either way, but if the axle is seized in the hub splines, this is the way to go :)

[@jef9711]

Good video, I have two subies and I just discovered torn inner CV boots on the 07 with 67k on the clock. I was not looking forward to swapping out the entire axle and was considering a split boot, but after seeing your vid I'll go with regular boots. Thanks!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Yup regular boots are the way to go for sure. Good luck!

[@MrBoo-zg2hz]

You literally just saved me hours of extra time and potential pains! I am buying a Subie 440 miles away with a recently ripped boot and will replace before i leave! Life save man! #subscribed

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Corey Boosinger Win.

[@vinago100]

Just did my 07 Impreza. Thanks for uploading this video, it made this job so easy. 👍👍👍

[@officialdjhoody]

Hi mate, I have the same car (Hawk) when you unbolted the strut did the hub move back far enough to get the axle out of the green housing ok? On mine it seems I need another 10mm to get it clear but it aint budging any more. Any tips gladly welcomed. :)

[@vinago100]

@@officialdjhoody i didn't remove anything, i went the easy way by installing a split axle boot. It saves lots of work and time. They just wrap around the shaft and them you clamp it.

[@davidpardy]

Thanks for your video, made the job so much easier and I was able to buy circlip pliers BEFORE starting and finding out I needed them!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Glad it helped you!

[@SnoopyCoupe]

Thanks for this. Just did this job on my 2003, and the only real issue I had besides the mess (fair warning, there!) was getting the dang aftermarket band clamps on. They worked fine, but trying to get them hooked, much less getting the special pliers in there to crimp them was a bear without taking the axle out completely (OEM bands weren't an option - the boots have already been replaced by a previous owner at least once with aftermarket items.) I may risk pulling the entire axle when I do the driver's side.

[@dogrulzes4392]

Good job. Better than those other axle replacement videos.

[@brucemadden1626]

Thanks for taking the time; your attention to the smaller things to watch out for are excellent

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Sure thing, thanks for watching!

[@aramakaraka]

Watched this once and then did the change on the Exhaust side on my 2003 wrx, awesome tutorial man thanks so much for this

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Nice job! My buddy has a 2003 Subaru WRX wagon. What a cool car!

[@everestcomputer]

was trying to decide about a boot or a whole axle, think you just cleared it up for me. thanks man!

[@gianfrancoa]

Great video Ivan, these are getting better and better. Agreed with you on the aftermarket shaft. It doesn't make make sense to replace the whole axle if the boot is torn. In this instance you were lucky that you had enough space not to remove the whole axle out of the car!!

[@ontherhodes8088]

Thank you so much. You have saved us an absolute fortune. Cheers from Australia.

[@sixpacksandsrts9122]

Hey buddy. I got a tip. I was over bs-ing with mi inspection mechanic and noticed something and at first was like nah. But then tried it and love it. Save all my old newspapers. Use a piece at a time for wiping 99% oh grease from hands parts or ?? Followed by a rag. Saves a shitload of greasy rags and exspensive paper towels Like your vids ......

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Jason Curry Only one problem with that...we don't get newspapers lol. Dang internet making everything paperless nowadays!

[@markhanson8366]

Nice work man! Great lighting and dialog. Helping folks save $-worthy!

[@grzegorznozko9806]

Thanks, man. Did this on my 1999 Outback and your video helped a lot, especially with removing the rings.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Awesome! Glad to hear!

[@spelunkerd]

Another excellent video, Ivan. I'm gonna miss your auto repair videos. Hopefully you can keep doing a few, when not on the road.

[@filmmaker89]

Super helpful video! Just followed along while changing the boot on my 08 Forester.

[@MrJTHines]

Awesome video man! Very well explained, and I just did this job today on my Outback. I might have messed up may camber because there's no rust on my strut (yet) to reference how the bolt was in there. Well done, and thanks.

[@waynec6059]

All kindsa first. woot! No brake clean? You're killing me smalls. Thanks for this, informative, and entertaining.

[@Namaka101]

Thank you so much, i have a Subaru Legacy with the same problem. Looked a bit the same, now to wait for the new boot to arrive and try your method out.

[@4gtcs]

I just want to thank you for your tutotrial. The boot on my Subaru needs replacing and it would've cost me (the first time) $400 and now it will only cost me $20.

[@carlzimmerman8700]

I pulled the axles and did them on the bench. It was a pain doing em even that way. Guys that can do this on the ground are real animals.

[@BrickNewton]

Needing to do this myself and was hoping it could be done without taking the whole axle out. Thanks for the Vid, will have it going when I get around to doing mine

[@Rosher18]

I have this generation of Outback. I wound up replacing the driver's side shaft because I had no options aside from driving it in the rain for a month 60 miles a day with a torn boot. (It was original with 70k miles on it) Now that my passenger inner boot just tore, I'm replacing the boot, since I caught it in time. (This one was replaced by the dealership about 30k miles ago)

[@kenfederico6001]

Well, you guessed it, the L/S - drivers side cracked at 113K miles on my '09 Legacy and since I did the L/S side last August at 112K, I guess I was due. Again I used PHA video as a reference guide to do the job. I did everything the same as last time...the only change was I just used a marking pen instead of notching the camber bolt. This side was a B***h to get the axle out and the new boot onto the cup. This time it took me 4 hours but the satisfaction in doing it yourself and saving big bucks was totally worth it.

[@peterelios7568]

Thank you for making this video. Just did this on my wrx wagon. Worked beautiful! Much appreciated!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

No problem! WRX wagons are awesome :)

[@czierwo]

It's much easier to just get the axle out, work on the bench, then put back in. inner cup has a spline on it that slots into the differential with little retainer clip at the end of the spline, and it pops out rather easily. All in all, thank you for the video. I am glad you noticed the Camber adjuster bolt. It is important to mark it which way it was turned before coming off, or, I undo the stabilizer bar, tie rod, and lower control arm instead leaving shock attached to knuckle undisturbed. My stuff is well greased as it was apart, but may not work that easily on cars that do it for the first time heavily rusted. Thanks for the video!

[@SSgtJohnT]

Jesus H Christ... thanks for showing the part number. I've purchased 3 improper cv boots. And they show as the correct one per the parts store. Even napa. Their recommended part number is 686-2404 for pre 3/2009 and 686-2474 for post 3/2009. Neither of them are correct fit. 🤯 Why doesn't napa have the part number you have affiliatedwith rhis car!?! I just called and asked for the pn# you showed and they said yeah we have that...😐😑😖 they have given me 3 wrong boots and when I ask for one that I have no way of finding, other than from you, they have it.😵‍💫😵😵‍💫😵‍💫 Thanks a million guy.

[@andybrown6318]

Thanks for the great video! It was really instructive. I just did my 2012 Outback and it is a little different. There wasn't a wire keeper to hold in the shaft in the inner joint. After getting it out of the socket the snap ring on the end didn't have any holes in it, it was more like a C clip so I had to pull the axles to get it off. Even on the bench, I had to ask my wife to help. That was the only difference. Note, I think that both outers failed because I had struts put on and I think they used a torch and heated the boot up too much.

[@haywardkong1213]

Andy did you think I have to pull out the Front Axle to change out the outer CV boot since I accidentally tore mine. I have a 2014 Outback which is the same generation as yours.

[@jordanp6420]

Awesome video! Exactly what I needed to be taught for my 2006 Subaru WRX

[@c230benzito]

Very good video. I was gonna do both axles on my 07 Tribeca but now im gonna do the passenger axle and driver side boot. Driver side boot busted this week so it should still be good. Passenger side is clicking so i figure it need to go! Thanks again!

[@ericallen9038]

Great job on the guide. Really well explained, I appreciate the time you took to share. Helped me out for sure.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Glad the video was helpful, Eric!

[@julesdim1758]

I just did this the other day for the same boot on my 2005 Outback 2.5i. It was MUCH more difficult on my car than your model year because the exhaust is routed directly underneath the inner boot leaving very little room to work. I did get the job done, but I recommend that people with a 2005 outback to remove the axle from the car. Great video though!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Jules Dim Oh you must have done the right side lol...did you try working from above? Usually Subies are pretty generous with underhood access once you remove the airbox :)

[@julesdim1758]

+motoYam82 No it was the left side, here is a real crappy picture taken from above: postimg.org/image/4j8d6z25t/ - right below the yellow transmission dipstick you can see the exhaust, which is right below the inner boot. I wasn't sure if I could take anything apart from above to get better access so I just kept my patience and tried to find the right angles to get everything to work.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

The new boot looks good! Nice job!

[@RodrinBird]

This honestly has to be most detailed DIY Subaru video I’ve ever seen. I too was debating why change a whole axle when all one needs is to change a rubber boot, unless the axle is bad of course..Will this same procedure apply on a 2001 Forester? Great job! Subbed

[@JeremiahMuchangi]

Thanks for this. Was about to replace the whole axle.

[@danmc2678]

I bought the kit, put in the new grease and tried to put on the boot but realized the housing was about 3-4 mm larger in diameter than the factory one on the other side. Apparently, someone previously replaced the axle with an aftermarket. Fortunately, the old boot was still good, it was only a clamp failure. Old boot on and off I go.

[@HUBBABUBBADOOPYDOOP]

I guess you should hang out more/watch more SMA- the end would've been great for *Brake Parts Cleaner* for that greasy rotor! Great job, Ivan- you are exactly correct; those reman axles are usually lower quality, and slightly different specs. It's always better to rebuild when possible.

[@milo963]

Great video but NOTE (DAMHIK)...if you have an old Subie ('03 Forester with 200K) with unknown provenance you might go through all of the effort and find that you have an aftermarket axle and have to replace the whole because the end doesn't come off. Check the boot clamps, if they look like the video you're probably good. I've got the engine out to change the clutch so it's pretty spacious.

[@anthonyevans4367]

Just wanted to say thank you for this awesome tip!! Saved me so much money

[@RealCadde]

Neat little video and great explanations and tips. And i totally agree about not using reman or aftermarket parts if the original parts are still in a decent condition. Question: Should one clean the cup and axle from the old grease in case some grit or water has made it in there? I am thinking the grease that's already there is in less of an optimal condition and cleaning it out first wouldn't hurt. And a few notes: 1) When using a camera, lighting is key to the camera being able to focus and get rid of the grainy/compression artifacts. If you put a strong but even light (Softbox) shining into the area you are working on it will focus right and it will also help you in your work. Not saying you should buy some expensive photo studio lighting, you can use a floodlight with a canvas in front of it and get decent effect. Nor am i saying you should position that light every time you move the camera around, just for those dark places where both you and the camera needs good lighting. 2) Use clean paper towels. ;) Messing around with the outside boot was just unnecessary, a clean paper towel round the boot and your greasy fingers would have saved you the frustration. 3) When you filmed the new grease in the cup you should have let the camera stay for another second or two.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Cadde All great suggestions! It was quite a balancing act trying to get the right shot and not get the camera coated in CV grease lol Sure, if the old grease looks really dirty you can thoroughly clean it out. In this case it looked like a fresh tear, so no worries just adding some fresh stuff and sealing her up :)

[@RealCadde]

motoYam82 I couldn't really tell, to me it looked a bit slushy in the video that's why i asked.

[@carsonwiecking7785]

Great video bro. I used this video to fix my car. Thank you.

[@rolo4445]

If I may offer an opinion to your excellent video when removing the snap ring, grasp the opposite side of the trunnion and push the trunnion in the direction of the snap ring as you widen the snap ring with your snap ring removal pliers. IF you do this the ring and trunnion will be forgiving. I had to discover this after trying to only use the snap ring pliers to free up the snap ring from its well-grooved placement in the trunnion

[@dsanchor]

Thnk you very much!! Very clear and well explained, captions are very good, precise. Full thumbs up! More Subaru Outback videos please!

[@teejays2553]

I didn't see the EP#0 grease go in and the bands tensioned , white spirite is a good evaporative cleaner . The lower strut bolts must be position marked before removing and replaced exactly for the camber set. If you get a non circlipped needle roller , use flosing string to hold the needles so the roller can be put on.

[@liangchen2360]

Perfect video clip. Just follow it to have my 2006 Outback CV boot changed. Thanks a million!

[@alienUAE]

Thank you for the video. Now I can fix my 09 legacy.

[@happytrails7179]

What an excellent Tutorial. The best part of the educational video is that we don't have to get ripped by putting a new Chinese part which is recommended by the Mechanic. It's time to find a new mechanic. Where are you located? I would bring my car to you if you are close to New York.

[@SubieSpecial]

Very helpful video for my '05 Impreza WRX

[@SuperYellowsubmarin]

Your video has been very helpful, thank you very much ! I have found the Subaru manual to be very general "remove assembly" ...

[@joeljbean]

Buddy amazing video. I just need Jack's and a torque wrench. Only thing I would suggest is to be more specific with the rust thing and the camber thing you were talking about for idiots like me. Ty

[@trailrunner1948]

Excellent demo video, thanks, you gave me the incentive to do it myself

[@alpalchevskiy3886]

Nice! man you're my hero! about to tackle that cv boot myself, and after watching a lot of video I started thinking about possibility of replacing the boot without taking out the whole axle, and what do you know there is a video just for that.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Ikera Palchevskiy Sure why work hard when you can work smart, right?

[@bradleypool4187]

Thankyou for boosting my confidence to do it myself. 👍