Community Forums

ricere · 10-23-2011, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor1949

I dont think you have to worry just yet, give them a few years???? But I would keep a real close eye on them. Does your new ones have grease zerks, if not you might want to consider it.

I don't believe zerks will help. My boots are deteriorating from the outside as well as inside. They are simply rotting off the ball joint. Time seems to be the enemy of the ball joint boots. Not mileage. Now, all 4 of my boots are split and the rubber seems to be deteriorating more even after they have split. The way they are going, if I don't get them replaced, it appears they will completely fall apart in a couple of more years.

VanDiemen23 · 10-23-2011, 09:08 PM

So for all you guys that replaced ball joints because the boots were cracked, did the joints have excessive play? Once out of warranty you might as well wait until they are totally shot.

My guess is that heat is the problem. The boots on my 2001 GMC K2500HD split within the first couple of years. The brake rotors are so close there's no way the boots will last. Took until 2011 and 102,000 miles for the joints to get excessive play, and I didn't really take as good a care of them as I have on other car's I've owned with split boots.

All the boots do is keep water and grit out of the grease. Grit has to migrate a long way through the grease to get to the metal. Buy a good waterproof grease like Mobil 1 and pump some through the joint every few months and it's likely they'll last as long as if the boots aren't cracked. Sounds like a better solution than spending a couple grand.

I've also had a lot of luck cleaning off the boots with acetone, aligning all the cracks, and then schmearing a lot of RTV over the boot.

Urethane or silicone boots would probably do the trick - both are a lot more heat resistant. You could take some thin silicone sheet and some spectra fishing line and sew a protective cover around the whole assembly. It doesn't move a whole lot.

Dunner · 10-23-2011, 10:37 PM

I used to split a boot on my sand rail once a year and it would take out a CV joint before I knew it was split. I went to leather boots and haven't had a split boot since. I know the boot is not the same, but the solution is. The leather is treated with something like wax, but doesn't collect dirt or sand.

VanDiemen23 · 10-23-2011, 11:18 PM

there's a lot more churn going on in a CV joint tho....

Dunner · 10-24-2011, 07:36 AM

Ball joints, ball joints.... My bad, I read boots and thought you were talking about axle boots.

303 Protectant also protects against ozone. I wonder if that is what is eating the boots. Worth a try.

Mr_D · 10-26-2011, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregd

If mine are cracked then it may be time for a visit to my attorney's office.

Greg

You need to post that in the "jokes" section. Spartan/Reyco Granning and your attorney would get a good laugh over it.

Mr_D · 10-26-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dutchie01

Didn't buy the tool from spartan, they don't make the front suspension....

No, but they are the ones that supply the tools and parts. I don't think Reyco Granning supplies them to owners directly.

Razor1949 · 10-27-2011, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor1949

Heres a little update on mine. I contacted the previous owner and he remembered who installed the new ball joints.I contacted them and they were replaced 9/7/07 with 73296 miles on it, right now it has 79,980 on it. The service provider sent me a copy of the work order . It cost him $2,199.86 in 2007.
So if any body thinks their problem is cured just because they had their ball joints replaced good luck. Mine have the black boots on them.So much for BAD ones as being clear and the good ones being black.
I contacted Rayco Granning and spoke with their engineer, he told me a outfit called Z F made the parts.He couldn't believe they have cracked and split already. Going to get more information later stay tuned!!!!!!!!

On 10/11/11 a Spartan engineer along with 2 people from Z F Industries came to the house and checked out the suspension. The Z F people were the ones who wanted to see for themselves what 4 year old cracked, split boots look like.
The Z F poeple flew from Atlanta Ga. and the Spartan man drove from Lafayette Ind. I live on the far west central part of Illinois.
We all crawled around underneath the Dutch Star for about a hour and they took a ton of pictures. The ZF people couldn't get over how bad all the ball joint boots were, along with the tie rods ,and drag link.
Z F man asked the Spartan man about who made the boots for the tie rods , drag link. And you should have seen his expression when he was informed that they were from Z F. He couldn't believe they came from ZF.
Z F took what was left of the boot on the drag link back with him.
I asked the man from Zf if they were going to help me out with the ball joint problem. His reply was I didnt have or could not provide what maintenance was done on the joints. Also he insinuated that someone could have cleaned the boots with a very harsh chemical.
He told me it wasnt a good idea to tap and put grease zerks in the ball joints. And I asked him what else could you do to keep moisture and dirt out of of the split, cracked boots. The damage has already been done what harm after the fact would the zerks have. He didnt answer that one.
Well to end I havn't heard back fron anyone yet and dont know if I will. I asked the Spartan man if he would at least send me a courtesy email.
One last thing I'm sure I made points with the ZF man. I told him I had worked as a locomotive engineer for 39 years . If anything would ever go wrong , get tore up, derailments or things plain worn out and fall apart. The first thing the rail road asked was well what did you do wrong and how could you have prevented it from happening. Told him the majority of the time it wasnt the employee but the rail roads problem.
Will see how this plays out , and let everyone know.

RVNeophytes2 · 10-27-2011, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razor1949

Also he insinuated that someone could have cleaned the boots with a very harsh chemical...

Damned. That ruins our case, everyone.

Apparently, we ALL have been cleaning our boots with a very harsh chemical, and didn't realize it...

Nice work, Raz. Hopefully, we can get some help on this one from the factory before someone gets hurt.

gregd · 10-29-2011, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVNeophytes2

Damned. That ruins our case, everyone.

Apparently, we ALL have been cleaning our boots with a very harsh chemical, and didn't realize it...

Ya...that rain spray can be pretty harsh.

sl29 · 10-31-2011, 10:02 AM

razor1949....this is just one of many reasons American companies lose business....if the Japanese got into the RV chassis business it would be a no brainier for me....I have friends with revolutions, country coach etc etc and they all have had a rediculous amount of chassis related problems...with very low mialage.....BUT a have a friend with an old American eagle with 90,000 miles, takes it to the same shop I do and he has had zero chassis problems.......seems like most chassis problems are on RV's 2000 and newer....I have a friend with a Neptune pusher and he had to have major components changed on his rear end .....we were at the quartzite RV show...they had a warning bulliten....he had his inspected and sure enough they were cracked all to hell.....they were breaking and causing the whole rear end housing to come lose......its such a crime for these companies to shove this crap on us.

Dunner · 10-31-2011, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sl29

razor1949....this is just one of many reasons American companies lose business....if the Japanese got into the RV chassis business it would be a no brainier for me....I have friends with revolutions, country coach etc etc and they all have had a rediculous amount of chassis related problems...with very low mialage.....BUT a have a friend with an old American eagle with 90,000 miles, takes it to the same shop I do and he has had zero chassis problems.......seems like most chassis problems are on RV's 2000 and newer....I have a friend with a Neptune pusher and he had to have major components changed on his rear end .....we were at the quartzite RV show...they had a warning bulliten....he had his inspected and sure enough they were cracked all to hell.....they were breaking and causing the whole rear end housing to come lose......its such a crime for these companies to shove this crap on us.

Maybe because the steel they are using comes from China? China can make good products, but not much of it ends up in the hands of mainstay U.S. consumers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gregd

Ya...that rain spray can be pretty harsh.

Never heard of Acid Rain?

sl29 · 11-01-2011, 08:28 AM

dunner what are you saying by "but not much of it ends up in the hands of mainstay U.S. consumers" ?.... and "acid rain".....your being funny right?

Dunner · 11-01-2011, 01:03 PM

I'm saying that precision equipment would usually go to high-end machine shops or medical facilities, etc. You won't find it at Walmart.

Acid Rain - Google is your friend.