Steering rack boots worth buying?

[Dakotakid]

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.

[theman53]

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.

[Dakotakid]

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. 

[wolf_walker]

Not same as rabbit?  CRP still makes some.
http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=jis0a4azwuxtvy45g25gti55&makeid=800026@VW&modelid=1285455@RABBIT%20L&year=1984&cid=26@Steering%20System&gid=7384@Rack%20&%20Pinion%20Boot%20Kit

[vanbcguy]

Try some silicone spray lube. It won't hurt the rubber but it should make it easier to get it on.

[Dakotakid]

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?

[bajacalal]

Jim Ellis VW on their sites lists them as being the same for vehicles w/o power steering mk1-mk3. They're $29 each. 
http://www.jimellisvwparts.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=743561

[srgtlord]

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...

[wolf_walker]

So are they same as the rabbit?  Last set I bought went on fine, were probly CRP.

[scubagli]

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.

[TimpanogosSlim]

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.