Dumb question: Boot clamps

[jtison]

Anybody ever lubricated their driveshaft slip yokes like Ford says every 30K miles?

Service manual says you gotta remove the driveshafts (main rear, and RH front), slide the yokes out, remove the rubber boots and fill them w/grease.

The clamps on those grease boots seem to be dealer parts. You'd need a special clamp crimping tool to shut them. Bleh. Anybody ever done this and just used radiator hose-style clamps? (You know, the ones you can screw-adjust to open & close?) Any troubles? I hate giving Ford $10 for stupid little clamps ... if I can avoid it safely, I'd like to.

Thanks,
--Jim--

 

[ld50]

I`ve heard of people using hose clamps, I guess the only worry would be your rear wheel drive shaft becoming unbalanced. The front shaft would never turn fast enough to be affected by a little off-balance, since it only spins in 4x4.
I lost one off my main drive shaft and just left it off, the boot is still held from one side and I never seem to cram stuff in there, but I`m a rebel that way.

You could always use two hose clamps, keeping the bolt sides opposite, or if two don`t fit on the rubber, just put one on the shaft close to the boot.

good luck!