The rubber boots on your Mercedes drive axles are there to protect them from dirt and debris and avoid excess wear. A torn or missing boot allows dirt to accumulate on the wear surfaces of your axles (at the CV joints) and creates scratches and wear. In a short time, your worn axle components will affect the drivability of your Mercedes and create vibrations and shuddering that gets worse with time.
To avoid these problems, it's important to have a trusted professional like our experts here at Burdi Motorworks inspect your Mercedes drive axle boots from time to time and replace them at the first sign of cracking or tearing. Properly greased and covered axles can last the lifetime of your vehicle, so don't let a small tear in your boots create major problems that can take your car out of service and cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Replacement Frequency
Mercedes doesn't list drive axle boots as a service item, meaning they should last the life of the vehicle. Damage due to accidents, impacts with objects on the road or abnormal wear and tear can damage your boots, however, which requires immediate attention. When you bring your Mercedes vehicle into Burdi Motorworks of Schiller Park, Illinois, we always inspect your drive axle boots to ensure they are in proper working condition.
At the first sign of wear, we suggest replacing your boots to guarantee they keep water and other debris out of your axle joints. When you compare the cost of new boots relative to the cost of new axles, you'll quickly understand why boot service makes a lot of sense at the first sign of a problem!
Signs of a Bad Drive Axle Boot
Your Mercedes drive axle boots are designed to withstand years of normal driving and wear and tear. Over time, however, the boots can become hard and brittle and start to crack. Impacts with curbs, objects in the road and rocks can also create tears in your axle boots. Once this occurs, you may quickly suffer CV joint and axle damage that shows up as:
- Rough vibrations coming from your front wheels
- Clunking or metallic grinding noises when you turn at low speeds
- Traction control or antilock braking issues
- Uneven tire wear and wheel shuddering
All of these signs are potential evidence that you have a bad axle boot and are starting to do damage to your Mercedes axles. Instead of waiting for these signs and requiring costly repair, let our Burdi Motorworks technicians inspect your axle boots for signs of abnormal wear, tears or cracking. We can replace them before they fail and ensure your axles are protected from damage.
Come and discover how we've become an area leader in Mercedes Benz maintenance, service and repair and arrange for your vehicle inspection and service today!