Installing Leather U-Joint Boots

[Sam Buchanan]

I've had very poor experience with the aftermarket u-joint boots purchased from our primary vendors. Here is the latest one I installed after a few hundred miles of service:

 

 

 

Installing these boots requires removing the driveshaft and is an extreme exercise in patience, frustration and creative vocabulary. There is a good chance the boot will be damaged during installation, especially by someone who hasn't installed several of the things. But this one failed even though it wasn't damaged, you can see the weather checking in the rubber. Leather boots were the norm back in the day and they are available from a Mopar vendor so I decided to try them even though I've never seen an actual installation.

 

The torn boot was removed and this is what we have to work with.

 

 

 

Here are the leather boots.

 

 

 

 

I noticed after the fact that the brass eyelets are installed backwards on the boot at the top of the photo---even these simple items have quality control problems.....sigh.....

 

Continued in next post.

 

 

 

[Sam Buchanan]

There is a wire in each end of the boot and I twisted it tightly to hold the ends in place on the drive shaft and trunion yoke. One wire was too short so I replaced it with wire I had in the shop. I had decided the boots were too large until I figured out the big end goes on the shaft instead of the smaller diameter boss where the rubber boots fit.

 

 

 

Since I've never seen one these boots installed I was left to figure out how to lace it. Maybe one of our old-timers can chime in on the correct way to do this and I'll redo if needed. But I suspect each mechanic back in the day had his own way of lacing u-joint boots. This is what I came up with after the leather thong broke and I had to use a second piece.

 

 

 

 

We'll see how this holds up with mileage, maybe this old-school tech is still effective. 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Sam Buchanan

[Dodgeb4ya]

All the old time mechanics who used to install those leather boots are probably long gone and way up in the sky..?

Martha Stewart  or sewing with Nancy  could answer the question I bet.

Edited April 3, 2023 by Dodgeb4ya

[OUTFXD]

3 hours ago, Sam Buchanan said:

Installing these boots requires removing the driveshaft and is an extreme exercise in patience, frustration and creative vocabulary.

This is the EXACT reason I called in my sister ,who is a tailor.  She looked at my car and said "You want me to WHAT?"  and drove off leaving me like, What?

[vintage6t]

This post got me curious about how they should be laced. All I found was this example of a NOS boot. No laces, just a flap on one side that slides into a sleeve on the other side. Looks like the outer clamps then hold everything in place.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234764658777?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iTHCCyh-Qy-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

 

I guess there were probably laced and non-laced styles available originally.

 

[Sam Buchanan]

45 minutes ago, vintage6t said:

This post got me curious about how they should be laced. All I found was this example of a NOS boot. No laces, just a flap on one side that slides into a sleeve on the other side. Looks like the outer clamps then hold everything in place.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/234764658777?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iTHCCyh-Qy-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

 

I guess there were probably laced and non-laced styles available originally.

 

 

That is interesting, thanks for the link! Some automotive archeology going on here. 

[TodFitch]

There are several different styles of leather boots that I have seen. The fanciest one had an inner cone that snapped together and the outer portion overlap on the leather was held with some bend over metal tabs..

[Sam Buchanan]

Update: Initial test runs are promising--didn't contribute to roadside litter....the boot and lacing are still intact!

 

Here is a quick-n-dirty pattern from the boots I have for anyone who might want to play around with this option. Print this on an 8.5x11 sheet, use the reference scale for assuring proper dimensions.

 

 

 

Edited April 4, 2023 by Sam Buchanan

[Eneto-55]

21 minutes ago, TodFitch said:

There are several different styles of leather boots that I have seen. The fanciest one had an inner cone that snapped together and the outer portion overlap on the leather was held with some bend over metal tabs..

I looked under my 46 P15, and that's what I have, although I cannot remember if it has the inner core.  When this subject came up in the past, i thought it did, but still couldn't say for sure.  (I installed this back in 81 or so.)  I tried to get a picture, but need more light under there.

[Eneto-55]

Here's a photo of mine.  To the best of my recollection, the side that overlaps the opposite side has an inner leather flap that has the metal tabs on it, and the tabs pass through the part coming up around from the other side, then through the outer flap that you can see.  (Hope that makes sense.  Trying to think how best to explain it.)

 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Eneto-55

[Sam Buchanan]

Cool! Wonder how late the Mopars came with leather boots? My service manual only shows the rubber ones. I just got in from a 35 mile drive and the laced boot still looks secure.

 

P.S. Make sure you tighten that top nut. 

[Eneto-55]

23 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

Cool! Wonder how late the Mopars came with leather boots? My service manual only shows the rubber ones. I just got in from a 35 mile drive and the laced boot still looks secure.

 

P.S. Make sure you tighten that top nut. 

I must have thought I might need to drop the "propeller shaft" again....  (Don't you get a kick out of the changing terminology over the years?  Another one: my Plymouth manual refers to the hand operated window crank as the "remote control".)  But good catch on that loose nut.  Looks like those lock washers have rusted as well.

[Young Ed]

On 4/4/2023 at 7:54 PM, Eneto-55 said:

I must have thought I might need to drop the "propeller shaft" again....  (Don't you get a kick out of the changing terminology over the years?  Another one: my Plymouth manual refers to the hand operated window crank as the "remote control".)  But good catch on that loose nut.  Looks like those lock washers have rusted as well.

We might all know them as driveshafts now but my 94 Dakota shop manual still calls it a propeller shaft

 

 

[SteveR]

15 hours ago, Young Ed said:

We might all know them as driveshafts now but my 94 Dakota shop manual still calls it a propeller shaft

I had a 1990 Dodge Dakota I bought it new and put 127k on it. Next to me 65 Barracuda it was the Best vehicle I ever owned. Her in England they call drive shats propeller shafts. It's hard to get use to some things over here.

[Young Ed]

1 hour ago, SteveR said:

I had a 1990 Dodge Dakota I bought it new and put 127k on it. Next to me 65 Barracuda it was the Best vehicle I ever owned. Her in England they call drive shats propeller shafts. It's hard to get use to some things over here.

My 94 Dad bought new. I bought it from him in 2000 with 80k on it and ran it up to 230k. It needs major repairs now

[soth122003]

Hey Sam,

 

Was the leather boot pre treated with anything or if not did you treat it with some kind of water proofing agent or install it as is?

 

Joe Lee

[Sam Buchanan]

1 minute ago, soth122003 said:

Hey Sam,

 

Was the leather boot pre treated with anything or if not did you treat it with some kind of water proofing agent or install it as is?

 

Joe Lee

 

It didn't appear to have any pre-treatment, I installed it as is. I suppose it could be sprayed with a repellant now with it installed.

[TodFitch]

1 hour ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

It didn't appear to have any pre-treatment, I installed it as is. I suppose it could be sprayed with a repellant now with it installed.

I strongly suspect that enough of the grease used in lubricating the joint will migrate to the leather and work as a waterproofing agent.

[Eneto-55]

I vaguely recall something about soaking the leather in some type of oil, but I'm probably thinking of some other leather part.  At any rate, I didn't do it on mine, as far as I can tell now.  (But it's never been on the road, either.)

Edited April 8, 2023 by Eneto-55
typing error.

[Sam Buchanan]

2 minutes ago, Eneto-55 said:

I vaguely recall something about soaking the leather in some type of oil, but I'm probably thinking of some other leather part.  At any rate, I didn't do it on mine, as far as I can tell now.  (But it's never been on the road, either.)

 

That is recommended when installing leather seals.

[Eneto-55]

2 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

That is recommended when installing leather seals.

Good point.  I kinda' figured that might be what I was remembering.

 

Edit to add: Oh, yeah, wheel seals.  I think mine are probably leather.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Eneto-55
additional comment

[rcl700]

Well I read this today and decided to ask my dad about the universal joints in the deluxe I'm getting from him. He sent me these photos. Looks like lether boots. 

Are these joints repairable? What type of U joint is this called? 

It it something I can do at home? 

Where best to find parts? 

Edited April 8, 2023 by rcl700

[rcl700]

7 minutes ago, rcl700 said:

Well I read this today and decided to ask my dad about the universal joints in the deluxe I'm getting from him. He sent me these photos. Looks like lether boots. 

Are these joints repairable? What type of U joint is this called? 

It it something I can do at home? 

Where best to find parts? 

 

[rcl700]

[Sam Buchanan]

50 minutes ago, rcl700 said:

Well I read this today and decided to ask my dad about the universal joints in the deluxe I'm getting from him. He sent me these photos. Looks like lether boots. 

Are these joints repairable? What type of U joint is this called? 

It it something I can do at home? 

Where best to find parts? 

 

 

Interesting photos.

 

The first part you must purchase is a service manual for your car. They are available in either hard copy or digital versions, here is one vendor:

 

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/plymouth,1948,p15+deluxe,3.6l+218cid+l6,1486874,literature,repair+manual,10335

 

This is a trunion-type universal joint, they are repairable and parts are available but you must have the manual in order to service them. If yours are too far gone to save a new driveshaft can be built that uses modern universal joints but it will set you back a few hundred dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by Sam Buchanan