In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 3 Jun 2021 09:29:38 -0600, John Robertson
wrote:

Have you ever replaced the steering arm boot on a FWD vehicle?

I'm going to replace a Toyota steering arm boot for a friend (yes, I'm aware
a mechanic would replace the entire arm - let's not go there please) and I
have a question about the inside large steel clamp & tools.
https://www.toyotapartsdeal.com/oem/...080-46293.html
https://parts.toyota.com/p/Toyota_20...008046293.html

It's a Toyota (I'm not sure the make but maybe a Camry of the early 2000s).
The friend is buying the parts at the dealer so they'll all be OEM.
45535-06030 steering boot
90080-46293 big clamp
90467-19021 small clamp

My question is about the large clamp. I don't have specialized clamp tools
and like most people, I'm leery of zip ties as are others as shown here.

I wouldn't call those zip ties. To me, that's plastic. These are metal
clamps.

https://youtu.be/m_iIkZEl6qY?t=293

He does it without special tools and I'm sure you can too.

I've not done steering arm boots but a long time ago I had a CV joint
with a leaking boot (but no clicking yet) in a front wheel drive car,
and I bought a split boot, did my best to fill it with grease, and
clamped it with similar clamps. It lasted at least 2 or 3 years until I
got rid of the car.

(A split boot is a mess, trying to get the grease in. Maybe I'd get
better at it with practice. But the next time I bought a half-axle
which is a lot simpler and not that much money. Of course that time I'd
plowed into a curb, there were other broken parts, and I was happy to
spend the money. The first time I was just doing maintenance.

BTW, I like the link. Didn't know (but could have assumed) that you
could start a video at a certain spot. Very convenient.

I can find all sorts of specialized clamps on Amazon but I don't know
_which_ is the specialized clamp I'd need for a Toyota clamp.
https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-30600-O.../dp/B0080J1200
https://www.amazon.com/Supercrazy-Cl...dp/B01GM9PLZQ/

Maybe I can make do with pliers but maybe not.
Maybe I can make do with a typical worm gear hose clamp but maybe not.
Everything (as you know) depends on the amount of room and what it may touch
as the boot itself tore for a reason (probably from bouncing against metal).

You don't say how old the car is. They wear out with time.

(Why these boots tear is beyond me as you'd think they'd be designed to not
touch anything while driving.)

Flexing alone is enough to war something out. That's why there is a
bellows and not just something shaped like a salami. But every time
the wheels turn to the side or go up or down, every pleat in the bellows
bends a little bit.

Anyway, do you have advice as to what kind of clamp tools are needed?


BTW, this is the first guy I've seen or read who kept track of how many
turns to get something off, so he could do the same number when putting
it back on. I did that with a tie rod end and it seemed good enough to
me, and that was a new part which could conceivably be a different
length (they looked the same). He's using the same metal parts so for
sure it's going to be the same. No wheel alignment needed, win-win.