**Update** Help! F#@&!n U Joint Boot!!!

[Black Dog]

OK...  Got all the parts necessary to get mobile again, after having a Pinion Cup fail, on the way back from InZane.

New U Joint (original being bad was my first guess, but I was wrong), new Drive Shaft (also spring, oil seal, clips and stuff), new Pinion Cup.  

Ready to start putting things back together, and am having a bitch of a time getting the U Joint boot back on.  The new U Joint is in, the front part of the boot is on, but my big meat hooks are just not able to get the rear part of the boot on.

I've used Silicone spray, tried different angles with the swing arm (using a Jack Stand to support the arm at different heights), and invented lots of new and expressive words...

Anyone know of any 'tricks' that may work, or do I just need to keep trying and hope something goes right?

Black Dog

[R J]

It has been a long  time since I put my new boot on.

But I rolled it up and then inserted everything and rolled it back down.

Yeah, I remembered some of my Marine saying back then also.

Other than that, just keep working with it.    DO NOT USE ANY SHARP TOOLS.  If you do, you will be ordering another boot.

Don't firkin bother asking how I know.

Just talked to my son and asked him if he remembered how we put #2 on.

He said I used a long handled hex key tool to get under and help lift it enough to pull it back on.

[DenverDave]

Try putting the rear part of the boot on first. Move the rear brake reservoir out of the way and getting the big end of the boot on last.


Hope this helps

Dave

[Joe Hummer]

I use WD-40 on mine.  I get the bottom started and twist it around until the whole thing is on...pushing the bottom edge on as I twist.  Last time I had mine off, it literally popped back on...shocked the piss out of me...it never goes on that easily. 

Joe

[pancho]

Maybe the WD-40 is magic ingredient...  took me about 15 minutes to find a method that worked,,, found that keeping the swingarm straight, doing the big end first, putting the top on and pulling the bottom from under the bike did it for me, small end was not MUCH of a problem... 

I think I may try WD next time.

[saddlesore]

PITA for sure.   Not sure if WD40 would degrade the rubber after time I used alcohol based hand sanitizer.  Some people use rubbing alcohol but the cleaner doesn't evaporate as fast.
I have small hands, doesn't help.  Time and patience.  

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

A brand new boot is around $15.00 .... I think its money well spent.... I hate that damn boot .

[Black Dog]

Thanks for the ideas guys...  Sad part is that I had the back part of the boot on, before I tried to install the U Joint    Stupid, stupid, stupid...

Once I wake up tomorrow, have my coffee, read the paper, before I shower, and before it gets too warm, I'll see if I can't work a bit of magic, and get that sucker on.

Gonna seem like a new bike with everything new from the shaft, joint, pinion cup, and as long as everything was apart, a new rear tire 

I've gotta have everything done by July 11th, so I can hook up with Timbr n Chilli, in the UP, for some great upper midwest riding.

Thanks again everyone.

Black Dog

[Gryphon Rider]

Maybe also put some heat on it with the low setting of an heat gun or the high setting of an hair drier to make it more flexible.

[Crackerborn]

I know when I did my u-joint and had to put the boot back on, I was inventing new swear words. I hooked the back (inside) and stretched the POS over the rest of the way.

[Black Dog]

Well, that didn't go as planned...

Did what I said I was gonna do on Saturday morning, and about 30 seconds in to trying the boot again, I noticed a tear (front to back) about an inch long in the boot 

I musta done that in on of my frustrated earlier attempts last week...  Damn.

New part should be here tomorrow.  My hope is that a 'new' boot will be more plyable than the 17 year old boot it will replace...

I'll keep ya posted.

Black Dog

[Daniel Meyer]

New ones are MUCH easier to install...

The swearing still helps though.

[Jess from VA]

Put a small tear in one (not an inch) and repaired with liquid electrical tape.  It's still in there.

[wiggydotcom]

Black Dog,

Try what RJ said. With the new boot, roll the big end back onto itself, like rolling a sock. Then push it toward the swingarm all the way and then unroll it. I struggled for about an hour before trying this method, which worked the first time. Don't remember if you then have to pull it forward to seat into a groove or not.

The front end should then be easy to put on.

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I had good luck by waiting to get bike back down on ground and on sidestand before trying to put boot on. good angle and more room to work.

[Ken Tarver]

some of those long 45 degree needle nose pliers from harbor freight are a wonderful tool....and not just for the U-jt boot

Ken

[houstone]

A "sharp" tool that has helped me immensely over the years is a Craftsman Cotter Key Extractor.  It is good for any EXCEPT removing cotter keys!  The point on  mine is dull as can be, but the hook with the handle on it works awesome for helping any kind of boot or hose on or off.  You do need to be careful, but it is one of the best tools in my shed!  ;-)
Jeff

[HayHauler]

some of those long 45 degree needle nose pliers from harbor freight are a wonderful tool....and not just for the U-jt boot

Ken

This method works for me.  My fat fingers would never be able to get that boot on without them.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[mustang071965]

did mine back in april, with the brake resivor removed it was easy to reach under the swing arm and hold the back of the boot on the swing arm. then slowly walk it around the swing arm grove ( with your right hand from the side where the resivor was ) till it fell into place. i lubed it lightly with vasaline to allow it to slide on the swing arm grove.

[gordonv]

I remember it also being said in the past to have the swing arm horizontal, not sagging down,

[Black Dog]

I'm back on the road!!  Almost...  Raining here, so no test ride.  I put her on the centerstand, put her in gear, and she is butter smooth, and whisper quiet 

My new boot went on in 20 minutes of putzing...  Not too bad    The major thing being how soft the new boot was compaired to the old one (17 years).  I also rolled it up, as you told me to, and that helped, along with a level swing arm.  Thanks again for all the ideas    The Big Guy musta felt bad about the grief I've had the past two weeks, because the Drive Shaft went in first stab! 

Special thanks go to my buddy Jim C, from near by to where I live.  He's the one who rescued me when I broke down, on the way home from InZane (2 hours away, 30 miles south of Rockford IL). He then spent last Wednesday helping (supervising), the many ill fated trys at the boot, when we had a small WI wrench party.

Tonight, he checked to see if I needed any help, and came over for a couple of hours to help me with putting the Beast back together...  A finer friend would be very hard to find 

So...  New U Joint, new Pinion Cup, new Drive Shaft, new Rear Tire.  I think I'm good for another 86,000 Miles 

Black Dog

[Jess from VA]

Excellent.   

I too have had the excitement of a Ujoint failure and (first time) home repair (and the @#$%* old boot).

Thou I did everything right (so far as I know), I too was amazed it all went together and ran like a champ.   

Took my time and did a bunch of other repairs (tire, dampners, rear end dope, rubbed wiring, rust, brake caliper detail, loose lower fender half, polished wheel), and it only took me four days (much of the last day was the boot  ).  Only my Ujoint grenaded, the shaft and cup were fine.

[JimC]

Black Dog,

I think the reason it went together so easily this time is because there was not a whole bottle of Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey involved!

Jim

[wiggydotcom]

I'm back on the road!!  Almost...  Raining here, so no test ride.  I put her on the centerstand, put her in gear, and she is butter smooth, and whisper quiet 

My new boot went on in 20 minutes of putzing...  Not too bad    The major thing being how soft the new boot was compaired to the old one (17 years).  I also rolled it up, as you told me to, and that helped


Black Dog

Glad it worked out for you, Blackdog. After lots of frustration, the roll up method has helped for more than a few. I'm pretty sure it was Lady Draco that I got that tip from.

[riredpt]

Hi - Just put the boot back on.  I spent over 3 hrs trying everything I could think of.  Nothing worked.  Then took some time to read these posts and found the one about rolling the edge back.  I did that and it went right on.  Thanks