2000 xc70 Whipping that tie rod boot into submission

instarx · Post by **instarx** » 09 Oct 2015, 16:55

I changed my inner and outer tie rods today and as with most people I found the hardest part was getting the new boot over the rack flange. After trying for half an hour with no success I had a brainstorm... the rubber boot just needed to be softer and more flexible. So I boiled some water and dropped the end of the boot into it for a few minutes. When I carried it back outside to the car the end of the boot slipped over the rack flange almost effortlessly!

I've never seen this super easy technique mentioned in any of the write-ups so I thought I would share.

Post by **erikv11** » 09 Oct 2015, 20:47

Or, heat gun for the win! Just don't melt the boot ...