Run boots with my shocks

[BoatsRcool]

I just got new rear RS5000's. The boots are being WAY too hard to put on. Do I really need to run them? I kinda like the look without them anyway.

 

[RFR2212]

Sure you can run em w/o the boots...but, if ya do some real off roading. rocks can come up and hit the part of the shock that would normally be covered by the boot
Pete

 

[mdrut]

The boots are there to keep sand and mud from harming the seal and piston shaft..If you are not off roading with it, shouldn't hurt anything..But if going offroad, you want the boots.. Sorry, Welcome to the site.

 

[BoatsRcool]

hmmm. Ok. Well. I will off road some, but its mostly nasty mud. And I wash my car alot. I will run the front with boots, since those are more visable to debri. The back shocks, the piston where the boot should be is way up there.

 

[rpenner54]

No you don't need the boots! They are just for looks! Heck they are worse off road, they keep mud and water stuck in there and ruin the shocks quicker. Three of my shocks still have the boots on them, the other one I ripped off because I didn't want to keep it on there anymore.

 

[BoatsRcool]

haha ok I like that advice. Really though, I think I will just run them on the front, and not in the back. Thanks guys. PS, does it say pinto everywhere whats up with that

 

[mrboyle]

Ryan is correct about the boots being worse off-road, especially if you run in mud or sand alot. If you can't live without running the boots do yourself a favor and DO NOT install the zip tie that is supposed to hold the boot to the shock. This will allow more of the dirt that does get under the boot to come back out. If you are still conserned that the life of the shock will decrease if you don't run the boot, don't sweat, mine have over 110K and I have never had boots on them.

 

[BoatsRcool]

Getting that advice from a ASE Certified Master Tech.
seems good enough for me. Thanks, i may not even run them on the front now.

 

[briantf]

Don't want/need boots....

I've got all the boots from my RS9000's on the shelf (along with the stickers), and my Rancho steering stabilizer didn't even come with boots.

If you care about your shocks, you won't boot them - the crud stays on them instead of getting washed off when you get back from wheeling.

If you hit something hard enough to ding your piston rod, you'll break your shock - other pieces are a lot more fragile.

Boots are like chromed shock bodies - for looks only.

Regards,
Brian in CA

 

[Clint]

i am onother person who doesn;t run shock boots one of the reasons is they hold all the crap inside them and another is i like the look without them

 

[Scott B.]

I don't run boots, either. You can see some small dings in the rod on my rear shocks (probably from rocks on the highway), but the shocks don't leak, so I haven't damaged the seals.

Actually, boots are probably more useful on the highway - off-road, they trap dirt and water. You might be thinking, who cares about trapped water? Well, in the winter, it freezes! I was riding with a buddy of mine, and shortly after a water crossing, he had problems steering in one direction. The water froze in his shock boot! We just cut off the boot, and haven't used them since.

 

[Rhett]

I'm right in the middle of installing my RS9000X's and the boots are being a pain.
My only fear is that dirt will get inside the shock if I don't use the boots.

 

[Rhett]

Oh, and these boots have drain holes at the bottom, kinda neat I thought.

 

[Hokie]

Yeah, the rear RS9000X boots are a PITA to get around top mounting piece. it can be done though, just keep working at it. I liked the drain holes on the bottom too..

 

[X~FACTOR]

Wouldn't a little oil on the boot make it slide a little better, so it's easier to put on?

 

[Rhett]

Oil might work but it also might make it too slippery to get any grip.

I finally got the boots on the rears and it was a major pita, it was far worse than actually bolting up the shocks. But it still took me 5 hours total just to do the rears. I am wondering if I should quit doing my own work...

 

[TarHeel085]

my boots are open at the bottom and the only thing they really do is to cover up the rod.

 

[BIG COUNTRY]

i wouldnt leave them off...if you do that, then you might as well take your cv joint boots off, steering boots off, cuz sand and crap will get in and destroy your seals...then it is off to the store to get a new pair!!! hey, if you got the $...go ahead....im just saying its not the brightest thing to do, (so wait until morning when the sun is out...cuz it is kinda dark there for ya, hehehe)

 

[Maniak]

CV boots, axle boots (including steering shaft boots) are not the same as a shock boot.


The shock shaft has a dust seal that keeps out the dirt etc (and keeps the oil in).

A CV boot is the "only" line of defense for the CV.. Without the boot you have an open joint full of grease. It isn't sealed with an oil seal or dust seal.

Same with the axle boot. The axle boot is an open joint with some grease in it.

both the CV and Axle boots are the only way to keep dirt out/grease in.

On a shock the boot can hold in dirt/mud (the weep hole will only allow so much out) which then will eventually scratch the shaft which then means it will start leaking oil.

If you take off the boot you get rid of that problem BUT you can open another problem. In my case I do NOT run the boots. I don't have mud to deal with.. I only have small rocks/sand/dry dirt. With the shock boot off I get nicks etc on the shaft from small rocks hitting the shaft. With the boot on, I don't get them (it protects them), but If I had to deal with mud/wet dirt I wouldn't run the boots, or I would have to clean out the boots once a week or so.

~Mark