fortitude

Any suggestions on what product I can safely use on my rubber CV boots to hydrate them?

NickTee

Nothing's going to hydrate them.

808mcv20l

you can try putting some dielectric grease/silicone grease on them to try to prolong them but really, it's just a matter of time that the boots will corrode.

Oro

Smear this on them and it will hold it off a little while longer:

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...351_0361061267

It will help slow it down but not avert it as 808... said.

Other good uses for this great stuff are to lube your window, door, trunk, sunroof seals with it. Also lube your caliper pins when doing a brake job; it won't cook off and then seize your pins like chassis/brake grease will over time. Put it on the back of new brake pads and forget the anti-squeal stuff. This is a great lube that has a lot of uses on a vehicle.

And last, don't sweat rotting boots if you live in a "clean" climate (don't know where in CA you are). I live in Seattle met. area and my SUV had torn boots for 2+ years, I did not attend to it until I had a real reason Then I got serious and did some bearing re-packs inner and outer, ball joint inspection, etc. I cleaned out the long-exposed CV joints with gasoline several times, re-packed with moly CV grease, re-sealed with new boots and all was perfect. I could get away with this with no salted roads, easy use, etc. So while I would never recommend neglecting needed maintenance, this is a very variable thing based on climate and usage - like many other maintenance aspects.

fortitude

Thank you for the info. I will try the syl-glide

LeX2K

Don't slather grease all over it too messy and will attract a major amount of dirt. A better solution is use 303 protectant.

Oro

I would worry about 303 - I have seen cases where it reacts with some PU compounds and degrades them. A number of car dashboards have been destroyed with it - but then that's pigmented and in heated UV. Probably safe underneath on basic black synthetic rubber.

LeX2K

Which cars specifically? Any links? I have not had any issues with the product I find it does a great job of protecting rubber. 303 is silicone and petroleum free so what's in the stuff that is potentially harmful? 303 is widely used on all kinds of rubber, vinyl, fiberglass it has an SPF rating of 40 which is great.

Sil-Glyde is mostly polypropylene glycol I don't know how it reacts with some rubber compounds.

PFB

I agree with Lexus2000. 303 is an amazing product. I also use it on the leather interior of my 2001 ES300. As well as the dashboard, door panels, and headlight covers. They never yellowed.

Oro

I think Toyota and Lexus would be safe. The ones that I have seen damaged were more in the south, and I think more often than not Fords. More UV, inside high heat temps in summer, etc.

I am going to remove and refinish fully my headlights this summer, and I was going to use that afterwards. Being as far north as we are (2 degrees more than Montreal even), I am not worried about it. I have machine-polished the lights a few times and they look good only briefly; they need full sanding and re-finishing, but then I intend to protect them.