I see they now sell "universal" driveshaft gaiters that stretch the small end over the CV body so as to avoid having the strip the driveshaft.

Anyone tried them ? Do they work ? Do they last ?

I would have thought that it would be stretched beyond the limit, and will be a poor fit on the shaft

Or are they the best thing since sliced bread ?

Watching with interest as I've often wondered the same, but so far have stuck with what I know and separate the CV joint from the driveshaft when I'm doing mine.

If anyone has experience of these, do you use a lubricated funnel or an air tool to open them, and how do the boots hold up over a few years?

cut off traffic cone works

never kept a car long enough to know how long they last

they are grand , the rubber is softer than normal , maybe more silicon so they spread easier , but I have never had grief with them ,,, they tend to be a bit of a '' universal '' fit so that can cause issues , universal tends to be the case that they dont quite fit anything well , but they fit kinda well enough with a bit of effort and imagination.

My mate who does my MOT s has been using them for years because they're so convenient. He's done a few for me and I've never had a repeat failure and I tend to hang on to my cars for as long as possible.

I use them pretty often with the air operated tool. They're not as good as an oe spec boot but they do last well and you don't have any issues with removing CV joints. If the temperature is low it's worth sticking them somewhere warm for a few hours before use. When I fit one I normally put it on with the tool and then try leaving it for a while to shrink back down to size before fitting the clips.

I use them pretty often with the air operated tool. They're not as good as an oe spec boot but they do last well and you don't have any issues with removing CV joints. If the temperature is low it's worth sticking them somewhere warm for a few hours before use. When I fit one I normally put it on with the tool and then try leaving it for a while to shrink back down to size before fitting the clips.

Funny you mention that about the clips, I’ve had a stretchy boot fitted to my Transit Camper. When it was Mot’d the mechanic said there is a clip missing, that may explain it.

I've used them in the past on driveshafts that cannot be split. I used the tapered plastic cone and found it was impossible to do on the vehicle.
Even with the shaft held in a vice it was not easy. But it worked and it lasted for a few years. Also a lot cheaper than a new shaft which was the alternative.

Used to do loads of stretch boots when I was an apprentice, the cones work fine but needs a waterbased lube unfortunately making the job even messier. Bailcast Duraboot were good and they do different size universal boots so measure what you have first and check their website for sizes.

From memory most CV joints can be knocked of with a copper hammer or plastic dead blow easy enough but some will damage the wire clip so I preferred to fit stretch boots to reduce the risk, Vauxhalls were easiest with the proper circlip tool.

My mate's got a tool that allows you to stretch them out and over the outside end of a driveshaft and onto the inside - all with the driveshaft still connected to the gearbox. I haven't seen it in action but he used it to do my daughter's Tigra a few weeks back.

My mate's got a tool that allows you to stretch them out and over the outside end of a driveshaft and onto the inside - all with the driveshaft still connected to the gearbox. I haven't seen it in action but he used it to do my daughter's Tigra a few weeks back.

Thats interesting. Vauxhalls are my daily of choice, and I have never had a boot go on any of them, even at 300k !

Many thanks all.

My problem is that I like everything just so. Annoying thing is that this shaft has only done around 5k miles over 2 1/2 years.

Whole new shaft is only £55. Correct boot is £28. Stretchy ones a lot less. What price having to do it again though. ........

Stretchy boots are good - I buy in loads of differing ones for the workshop - all the uni ones slightly different - so you need a good selection to get the right one.

I got the air tool - that is real good.

If you use the green rigid funnel type tool - furniture polish is the lubricant of choice.

I buy the packs of stainless CV clips in packs of hundreds - that is how many we do...

I even stock three sizes of ball joint boot - for real awkward to remove joints that have no play and only failed MOT on the rubber boot.

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The only thing I can't get a uni stretch boot to stay on is newer type front wheel drive Ford Transits. For these I just go for an exchange driveshaft...

. As for lubricating stretch boots ask your chemist for some KY jelly

Be sure to ask if they sell it in a 5:litre container.......

Some older models of Vauxhalls it was possible to replace the CV gaiter without even taking the wheel off in less than 5 minutes . As for lubricating stretch boots ask your chemist for some KY jelly

What ? And have the person serving looking questioningly at me

Yes, might have been the Mk1 Astra, along with being able to change the clutch without removing the gearbox !

A mate was a mechanic and he tells me the tool to stretch the uni boot onto the driveshaft is one of the best tools he had.

The boot on my nissan went, I took the shaft off and took it to my local workshop . They knocked the end off using a copper mallet then fitted a new boot and told me they can't do that on Toyota shafts as the barb is a "Once fitted it says fitted" type.

A mate was a mechanic and he tells me the tool to stretch the uni boot onto the driveshaft is one of the best tools he had.

The boot on my nissan went, I took the shaft off and took it to my local workshop . They knocked the end off using a copper mallet then fitted a new boot and told me they can't do that on Toyota shafts as the barb is a "Once fitted it says fitted" type.

I understand that the mk6 & 7 Transits the drive shafts don’t come apart either.