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Steering rack boots worth buying?
by
Dakotakid
on 10 Jul, 2014 23:12
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On a Mk. II with MANUAL steering.....what accordian/rack boot can a guy buy which is CLOSEST to the fit/design/quality of the originals?
And don't say Uro-brand. What a nightmare. Dik-rubbers at best and like trying to fit an extra-small on an unsuspecting elephant......
I had one relatively good one (unmarked and long-ago purchased so I don't know what brand it was) and two Uro-brand ones. When I tried to install the Uros....the elephant hit me with his trunk and I ended up cutting them off with my jackknife..................
I ended up refitting a 30 y.o. boot on the other side and I will soon be living to regret this.
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#1
by
theman53
on 11 Jul, 2014 04:56
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No idea. I bought the ones you used there from auto haus and put a smaller aerosol can in it for a couple months until I was ready to use it. The can stretched it out and instead of taking 4 hours to put the boot on the job was done in 30 minutes.
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#2
by
Dakotakid
on 11 Jul, 2014 09:28
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I thought about attempting to stretch them. However, I had little time to do this. For short-term stretching, they were so ridiculously resilient that I discounted trying it.
I turned the end inside out and tried to "roll-back" into place and every other trick I had learned over the years. Nothing worked, I am sorry to say.
Sure wish the other one had some sort of molding marks/brand name or something on it....it did not. Would have been from Arizona or Rock Hard auto.
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#3
by
wolf_walker
on 11 Jul, 2014 09:37
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#4
by
vanbcguy
on 11 Jul, 2014 12:12
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Try some silicone spray lube. It won't hurt the rubber but it should make it easier to get it on.
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#5
by
Dakotakid
on 11 Jul, 2014 19:41
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Yes, the lower CRP in the photo looks like the one I had a "win" with. However, the upper one looks just like the Uro.
Last year, when I rebuilt the younger friend's Mk. I, the boots we had worked out well. Must have been the CRP's.
Stupid question, but, can a person still buy oem boot from VW dealer? Probably way too expensive if they sell?
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#6
by
bajacalal
on 12 Jul, 2014 09:57
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#7
by
srgtlord
on 12 Jul, 2014 17:25
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I purchased a set from 1stvw.com awhile back and it was about $15 a peice for genuine vw rack boots. I too had an issue where I battled with the boots for 4 hours...and I had one side fall off when I brought the car in for an alignment...
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#8
by
wolf_walker
on 12 Jul, 2014 19:49
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So are they same as the rabbit? Last set I bought went on fine, were probly CRP.
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#9
by
scubagli
on 13 Jul, 2014 13:15
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Couple years ago I replace the rack in my mkii, the boots were fairly easy to get on on the bench. But the shop where I got the alignment promptly tore both new boots while adjusting toe. I was pretty mad when I noticed a week later.
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#10
by
TimpanogosSlim
on 23 Jul, 2014 12:55
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Wish i had anything to add that has some meaning. Your post made me afraid that i was going to have issues with the rack boot on my mk1 with power steering.
I didn't. Febi/Bilstein boot went right on. perfect fit. Didn't come with a clamp so i used a zip-tie on the fat end. the skinny end is a tight fit.
findpart.org indicates that Febi makes a mk2 manual rack boot, and it is either their part 02537 or 08498.
ecstuning is selling the crp part.
