Rear Axle Boot Replacement

[scoot]

Hi -

I've searched the forum and read several threads and think I basically understand the process for replacing the axle boot at the differential.  I am confused about a few particulars.

First of all, I'm not doing this on my 250 SL.  I'm doing it on a 1963 220 Sb sedan, which as I understand it is the same process.

"The old split boot number was #110 357 03 91" - I understand that I need to buy this and that if I get it from Mercedes it is $125 MSRP and if I get it from AutohausAZ it's about $10.   So I've got that part figured out.

But the references to staples -- ?   

And adhesive?   

And clamps...   Do I already have clamps?  In EPC I don't see a reference to clamps as a part (for either 111 or 113) so I'm not clear on this part at all.

Currently the rear axle boot is just a mess, with some sort of disk spinning around, which I assume is part of the boot but I don't know that.   I'll take a picture when it's light out.

I realize some of this is "asked and answered" but I have no idea what I would be stapling, and I didn't see a description of clamps and where to get them or are they already there and re-use them, etc

Thanks!
Scott

[scoot]

Just to make things a little trickier, I consulted the BBB 35-9 which explicitly states "The cuff (boot) must not be coated with sealing compound", and also says to use special Mercedes pliers to install 9 special Mercedes clips (staples?) AND that the compensating spring should be removed.

How much of that is true?

Adhesive?
Compensating Spring removal?
Staples (how to do)?

thanks

[ja17]

Well Scoot,

You can't always go by the book. Finally after 40 years I found and purchased the special factory tool for installing the staple-like clips on the boot. About a year later Mercedes changed the design of the staples. They no longer supply the flat "staple-like" clips that use the factory tool !  Instead they are now supplying a" hog ring" type clip which installs easily by just using std. "hog ring pliers".  Since old inventories of parts are still in circulation, I am not sure which version "clip" you might receive.

Years ago you could order a nice installation kit for the split boot installation. It had the two clamps and all the clips. Th kit was # 110 357 05 91.

I am not sure if it is available these days or what you might get. It was only around $13.00 back then. Nine clips are needed as one goes in every valley and one on every peak of the boot. Two clips go under each clamp. Clamp size information is available from most suppliers.

Yes the book says not to use sealer. Others have used sealer with good results. Clean the seam thoroughly with alcohol so that the rubber surface is clean or the sealer (if you use sealer) will not stick. The seam should be positioned horizontal toward the rear. Removal of the compensator spring makes the job much easier. I think I have done it both ways.

The early BBB  (Workshop Manual for Passenger Cars Starting 1959) has good information and photos on pages 35-9/1, 35-9/2.  Book time on the job is just less than two hours for the split boot and over seven with the one-piece boot.  Those times are for factory trained  technicians on new cars, with all the special tools, excellent working conditions and years of experience. Plan to spend a little more than book time.

[George Des]

Joe. Good info. Do you have any pics of the newer clips? Are the hog ring pliers the same as the ones use to do upholstery?  Have done this job using the normal unsplit boot and it is a real job since the entire axle needs to be disassembled in order to do it. Have always shied away from attempting the split boot because of the special tool requirement. The hog ring pliers makes so much more sense since they are readily available. MB seems to love one purpose special tools for some reason or other one example being the vast number of pin wrenches this car requires!

[scoot]

Years ago you could order a nice installation kit for the split boot installation. It had the two clamps and all the clips. Th kit was # 110 357 05 91.

I am not sure if it is available these days or what you might get. It was only around $13.00 back then. Nine clips are needed as one goes in every valley and one on every peak of the boot. Two clips go under each clamp. Clamp size information is available from most suppliers.

Unfortunately, kit no longer available.  Can clamps be re-used?

The early BBB  (Workshop Manual for Passenger Cars Starting 1959) has good information and photos on pages 35-9/1, 35-9/2.  Book time on the job is just less than two hours for the split boot and over seven with the one-piece boot.  Those times are for factory trained  technicians on new cars, with all the special tools, excellent working conditions and years of experience. Plan to spend a little more than book time.

Yeah, the early BBB is what got me started about adhesive given that it says no and the forum posts say yes...   If I take off the compensating spring I assume I replace the pads that go under it at each end?  Are generic hog rings acceptable or is getting them from MB better?

Thanks!

[ja17]

Here is a pic of the new clip, old clip and special tool for the old clip.............

[George Des]

Tnx, Joe. The new clip Like you said looks pretty much like a standard upholstery hog ring. Are they?

[ja17]

Hello George,

I believe they are just a standard hog ring.

[thelews]

I recently performed this fix on a 190 SL.  I did use sealer on the joint.  I believe that with practice, this solution can work, but there is a learning curve and success on the first try might be fleeting.  The workshop manual says to expect minor leaking (maybe it was weeping).  That was certainly true in my case, but not from the seam, but from where the boot wrapped around the axle housing, it was not a perfect fit. The contact surfaces on the rear end need to be perfectly smooth and clean.  Fed up with the weeping, I had a local shop put on a solid boot and have not had one drop of leaking.  Make sure the seam is facing you when working from the rear, the position of least flex at the seam.

And yes, those are plain old hog rings.  Don't squeeze too hard, just enough.  When you're all done, elegant will not be the description you use to describe your work.

[Tomnistuff]

Here's a photo of the one I just put back together.  I reused the staples, except for the end ones.  The staples in the folds were made of copper and were still perfect from 10 years ago and the end ones were missing.  So much for paying someone else to do the job.  It always leaked anyway, so I decided to do it myself during my restoration.

I made the end "staples" from aluminum trim flashing material that had been painted black, hence the black finish.  Notice that they are flat, not bent in the middle, so that the clamp will not be disturbed by a "bump" in the end staples.  The rest of the staples (reused) could have been made from household copper electric wire but it wasn't necessary.

My technique, since I did not trust myself with crimping in-place, was to press the boot split together by hand (off the axle) and measure the uncompressed length of the slots where the staples would go.  I then wire brushed the staple ends on my bench grinder to eliminate sharp edges (to avoid cutting the rubber) and pre-bent the staples to provide a finished compression of the rubber of about 2 millimeters.

I installed the split boot and, using needle nosed pliers, hooked one end of each staple in its place and stretched the staple to hook into the recess on the other side of the split.  When all were in place, and after minor adjustments with the needle nosed pliers (more or less bend in the staple), I rotated the split boot to locate the split at the rear as shown in the photo and as required by the BBB, and installed the end clamps.  NOTE:  locating the split horizontally at the rear of the car minimizes flexing of the split and should minimize the tendency to leak.  I did not use sealer.

The car is not finished so I don't know if it will leak, but It certainly looks better than any of my car's previous boots.

This is just to let you know that the crimp tool is not necessary and neither are "manufactured" staples.  You can make them and install them yourself without the crimper.

Tom Kizer

[garymand]

Nice job Tom, the pic helps.  Nice clean job.

[thelews]

Tom has the correct amount of staples, I had not placed the ones in the inner fold.

One fellow I know swears by gel superglue on the seam.  Tight bond, but still time to work with.  Add glue as you "sew" it up from one end to the other.

[rutger kohler]

Reading this thread with interest because I had heard that the split type always leak.  How many people have used this meathod with no leaks over say 1000 miles?

[Tomnistuff]

When I trailered my car to Quebec in 2003, it was -37 degrees C on arrival.  At minus forty, C and F are the same (cold, as many of you are experiencing right now).  At that temperature the original 37 year-old non-split boot, which had never leaked, cracked like a potato chip just taking the car off the trailer.  I parked it and put a tray under it until Summer.   The split boot that I subsequently had installed was installed without end staples, just clamps, with copious amounts of RTV sealer and with the split on the top, against my written instructions.  Apparently the mechanic knew better than me.  It subsequently always leaked like an incontinent cow.  This time, for my restoration, I did it myself.  If it leaks, then at least I have no one else to blame.

Tom Kizer

[jlennon3]

I replaced mine with a split boot and super glue over 15 years ago, and it's still holding up fine with no leaking. For the most part the steps in the posts above are what I did. I did several dry runs before I used the super glue. I used the old style staples and was able to maneuver them in place & tighten with needle nose. I did use a sealant of some type (not super glue) on the ends where the boot fits round the axle housing. I was able to reuse the original roller type clamps on each end of the boot to secure it around the axle housing.

If you do use super glue, be sure you wear rubber gloves and safety glasses!

Oh yes, it's a lot easier to get access to work on the boot if you remove your fuel tank.

[scoot]

 When you're all done, elegant will not be the description you use to describe your work.

Thanks for the picture!!!!   I hardly care if it's elegant.  Although I think that one looks very nicely done. 

[scoot]

Here's a photo of the one I just put back together. 

Also an excellent photo.  I'm curious though - you have no clamps at the flanges....   What's up with that?

[scoot]

Thanks much for the photos and comments people.  Sounds like we are still divided on the use of adhesive.   How many of you removed the compensating spring???

I'm not too worried about the fuel tank, I don't think it's in the way on a W111 sedan which is my car to fix.  But I'll check again.

[Tomnistuff]

Also an excellent photo.  I'm curious though - you have no clamps at the flanges....   What's up with that?

I've got clamps but the photo is pre-clamp so that you can see the "special" wide and flat end staples that I made to go under the clamps.
Tom Kizer

[scoot]

Minor status update:   I have the old boot and clamps off (very potato chip like hard plastic now) and I have a new split boot.  The classic center has the original style staples that are used with the tool shown in this thread, and I have borrowed the tool.  The classic center has two styles of clamps - the original long double wrapped kind and a more modern easy to use kind.  I opted for the easy to use kind at Tom Hanson's suggestion. 

One note - the boot from Mercedes is MSRP $125.00, online discount dealer price is $93.38.    Autohausaz has the part for $10 so I bought it there...   The one from Autohaus is provided by CRP, which is a company I know nothing about...

[J. Huber]

Well Scoot,

You can't always go by the book. Finally after 40 years I found and purchased the special factory tool for installing the staple-like clips on the boot. About a year later Mercedes changed the design of the staples. They no longer supply the flat "staple-like" clips that use the factory tool !  Instead they are now supplying a" hog ring" type clip which installs easily by just using std. "hog ring pliers".  Since old inventories of parts are still in circulation, I am not sure which version "clip" you might receive.

Years ago you could order a nice installation kit for the split boot installation. It had the two clamps and all the clips. Th kit was # 110 357 05 91.

I am not sure if it is available these days or what you might get. It was only around $13.00 back then. Nine clips are needed as one goes in every valley and one on every peak of the boot. Two clips go under each clamp. Clamp size information is available from most suppliers.

Yes the book says not to use sealer. Others have used sealer with good results. Clean the seam thoroughly with alcohol so that the rubber surface is clean or the sealer (if you use sealer) will not stick. The seam should be positioned horizontal toward the rear. Removal of the compensator spring makes the job much easier. I think I have done it both ways.

The early BBB  (Workshop Manual for Passenger Cars Starting 1959) has good information and photos on pages 35-9/1, 35-9/2.  Book time on the job is just less than two hours for the split boot and over seven with the one-piece boot.  Those times are for factory trained  technicians on new cars, with all the special tools, excellent working conditions and years of experience. Plan to spend a little more than book time.

I chose this thread about the infamous Rear Axle Boot Replacement... I really need some help! If it would be better to start another, let me know...

Ok, I recently had a leaking fuel hose repaired. The local tire shop did it rather easily for me -- they don't "work on MBs" per se -- unless its real basic like this. Fixed no sweat.

However, while it was up on the lift I took a long time just staring at the essentially original underbelly of the old Pagoda. I don't get to look upward very often. Well, the midst of my studying I saw that the rubber axle boot has a gaping hole in it! That cannot be good! The fact that its on the top explains why it doesn't leak right? -- but I suppose its gotta be replaced?

Here is my real set of questions:

I have to have a shop do it for me.

Can anybody give me real-time ballpark cost for full versus split. Is it worth the risk to do split?

More importantly does anybody know a mechanic in northern California who HAS done this and is recommended?

Thanks.

I just get the impression that all you do-it-yourselfers know the intricacies -- can I assume a Mercedes shop will figure it out?



 

[scoot]

I chose this thread about the infamous Rear Axle Boot Replacement... I really need some help! If it would be better to start another, let me know...

However, while it was up on the lift I took a long time just staring at the essentially original underbelly of the old Pagoda. I don't get to look upward very often. Well, the midst of my studying I saw that the rubber axle boot has a gaping hole in it! That cannot be good! The fact that its on the top explains why it doesn't leak right? -- but I suppose its gotta be replaced?

Yes, it should be replaced. 

1.  Can anybody give me real-time ballpark cost for full versus split. Is it worth the risk to do split?

2.  More importantly does anybody know a mechanic in northern California who HAS done this and is recommended?

3.  I just get the impression that all you do-it-yourselfers know the intricacies -- can I assume a Mercedes shop will figure it out?

1.  I have no idea what the costs would be.  For full CV boot instead of split I think it requires disassembly of the axle, so I would guess that would be fairly expensive.  Unless you are rebuilding the rear axle anyway it would be odd to not use the split boot.

2.  I defer to others.

3.  A Mercedes shop will be familiar with this if the work or worked on Mercedes from 1960 - 1973.  Same procedure for all the cars, nothing "Pagoda specific" about this.

[Rick]

I have used both the one-piece and split boots.  I strongly suggest you do not use the one-piece type.  Disssembly of the rear-axle tube can be a huge job and a nightmare.  That lower hinge pin is a problem and it often results in the pin being damaged which you really don't want to do that.   Get the split boot and take your time installing it.   The split side goes to the rear of the car. You use the staples to hold the split boot together.   Factory says to use no sealer. I use a product called "shoe-goo" availabe in a lot of stores, hardware stores, OSH and such.   I know that product sounds weird, but I got this recomendation from another many years ago and it works great and better than any gasket sealant specifically for auto use. Drying time is slow and it never leaks.  Definitely do not use silicone sealant! 

Drain the real axle oil, also raise the right side tube, tilt the car to the left some also helps, so the oil also drains out of it before beginning.  Let the oil run out completly, then level the car. Install the left and right side screw clamps first.  You might need to raise or lower the axle tubes to do this. Then one by one- work the clips onto the boot split junction, Again, take your time and sometimes a second person helps to hold the boot togerther while you set the clips.  Many will advise to remove the fuel tank to be able to better reach the back of the boot.  It really does make it alot easier, but it is not impossible to do with the tank in place, but it is a whole lot more difficult to reach.  Use proper plyers to set the clips.   Some of the aftermarket shops have these.

I have replaced four split boots in the last 20 years and every one has ended up completely leak free and dry and they look fine. 

[ja17]

The split boot is a good alternative if done right. These days we are finding that a lot of the other rubber parts and seals on the rear axle are failing. Some require complete tear-down to replacement. In this case a solid boot is the best alternative . The parts list of rubber bushings, mounts,  seals bearings etc will run around  $1200.00 these days add for labor unless you tackle it yourself. Ride quality is greatly enhanced!