Torn BX24 tie rod boot = $47?

[mpowrd]

I've got about 20 hrs on our new BX24 now and while moving some brush piles last week I managed to slice one of the rubber boots that cover the inner joint on the right tie rod.

Called my dealer's parts guy this morning and they say the only way Kubota sells that boot with as an assembly with the inner pivot joint. P/N is K2561-01630 "Joint axial ball" and cost is $46.72. Can it be true that you can't just replace the rubber boot?

Either replacing the boot alone or the whole joint will require resetting the toe-in, but I found the specs for toe-in, so I'm not worried about doing that.

Has anyone found a way to replace just the rubber boot on a BX24 and where did you get the part?

 

[Tom_H]

Unfortunately it is true. I just had mine replaced while the backhoe was being mounted. They call them "knuckles". The dealer sold me mine for $40 ea. and didn't charge extra for the labor on that or my cruise control since I was already getting the Woods backhoe.

I have to say though, those boots were torn for several years, and the inner joints did not seem to suffer from the torn boots. I'd recommend just using the tractor for awhile and see how it does. If the joints do fail after a number of years, you'd still pay for exactly the same thing you would by replacing them now.

Good luck.

BTW, you have all the implements that are still on my wish list. Where in CA are you?

 

[milkman]

I let one of mine go for a long time with a tear and finally I noticed that that joint began to have some free play in it, I bit the bullet and bought the new joint and installed it, shortly after, I noticed the other side had a tear in the boot so I bought a new bicycle inner tube that was the right diameter to slip over the big end of the knuckle and clamped it on with a wire tie leaving enough tube sticking out to fold it back over the tie and then put another tie over that, I did that on both ends of the piece of inner tube and it is still holding. If it gets ripped, I still have a lot of inner tube left to make several more to keep the dirt out. Before I closed up the one end of the innertube, I put grease in the joint.

 

[mpowrd]

I'm in the Santa Cruz mountains on the San Jose side. Probably a little more hilly than where you are if you're in the Central Valley.

I might get the new joint to have it available, but try putting a "bandage" of either bicycle inner tube material or heavy vinyl sheet I have around the torn boot after cleaning and re-greasing and tie-wrapping it in place and see how long it lives.

I'm moving a lot of brush and the bucket grapple has been great. I'm also moving a bunch of 1'-2' diam rocks and building a retaining wall on the slope of a gully and then backfilling behind it. The thumb is great for "harvesting" the rocks that we have all over our property and the grapple makes it eash to move them 2 at a time to the wall location.

 

[RobJ]

I've never seen just the boot. Might be some aftermarket dohickey that'll cover it up. Personally I would just grease it twice as often and call it good. It you replace it, it'll probably just get tore up again.

 

[Renob]

Depending how bad the rip is. Try some black RTV silicone.

 

[mpowrd]

This group is great for useful advise on little things like this.

I'm going to try greasing up the joint, try some silicon goop glue that I have on the old boot, then put a piece of inner tube over that like milkman did. I'll see how long the joint goes before it develops any play.

I'll post some pics before and after the fix (I promise!).

 

[milkman]

Here's pics of mine, still dirty from some woods cleanup.

Edit: Looks like the new boot has a cut, time to get out some more inner tube. Wish someone would come up with a way to put a guard on those things so I wouldn't have to think one up myself.

 

[Redbug]

I have an L3830. The boots cost $10 from the dealer. When you take the tie rod off, count the number of screw turns you took when you separate the rod to replace the boot. When you assemble it back, use the same number of turns to screw it back together, then tighten the locknut. Your toe-in will stay the same. By the way...your boot looks like mine. I think they DO have replacement boots for your tractor. The boots are made to be replaced. Make sure you clean up the knuckle good and regrease, before putting on a new boot. And...by the way, better buy a couple boots since you will only tear another one up in the near future.

After tearing up a couple boots...this is what I did. I got pretty good at taking it all apart and putting it back together, again. I cannot understand why they make these tractors so delicate! They should have better protection...

My Fix...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/111337-home-made-tie-rod-boot.html

 

[mpowrd]

milkman: How did you get the inner tube over the tie rod?
Did you unthread the tie rod adjustment from the outer end or can you just unbolt the outer ball joint from the hub and slip the inner tube over from the end by the ball joint?

Is the threaded end of the outer ball joint a straight thread or is it a taper fit (like a car) that requires a ball joint puller to get it out of the hub steering arm?

 

[milkman]

Redbug, I saw your fix in the other thread, wish the BX had something to hook the mudflap material to. I'll have to look again and if I can come up with a way to make something like you have, next time my brother comes in off the road, he'll be missing a mud flap when he leaves. I keep telling him those curbs are killers when he's backin' up.

 

[Redbug]

I never pass up a good mudflap laying alongside the road...good for lotsa things...

 

[offcamber]

Anybody try an autoparts store...looks like a standard rubber cap for a tie rod end....you can buy just the rubber boots for those...
Worth a shot....

 

[Tom_H]

Another possibility is rubber pond liner from a landscape supply business. It's about 3/32" thick and probably a bit more flexible and workable than the mud flap. It comes in rolls 5' x 50' and they might give you a little scrap for free.

I am thinking about using some as a gasket between the boom and thumb when I clamp on the Bro-tek thumb after it arrives.

 

[simonmeridew]

My left boot tore with 3 (yes, 3) hours on a new L4400. Same deal: brush poked it. I wrapped it with duct tape for a while till I got to the dealer. Like someone else said here a new boot was 10 bucks. Easy fix: taper fit into the steering knuckle. Jack up the ailing wheel,take off the nut, tap the side of the knuckle while pushing up on the tie rod part and off it comes. Be sure not, repeat not, to tap on the threaded part that the nut fits on. It will bugger for sure. count turns to realign, etc.
simonmeridew

 

[mpowrd]

Follow up:
I unthreaded the tie rod adjustment from the outer ball joint after measuring the distance from the lock nut to the edge of the machined and threaded part plus I counted the turns to unthread the tie rod.

I had an extra 26" mountain bike inner tube lying around and it is a nice tight fit over the large end of the existing tie rod boot. I cleaned everything up, worked some good synthetic CV joint grease into the joint, and used the inner tube to create a second boot over the original torn one.

Pics of finished product are attached.

Thanks to all for the hints and suggestions. Saved me $47 bucks for now and I bet this tie rod joint will go many more hours before needed replacement.

 

[milkman]

Good lookin' job, those inner tubes are a lot tougher material than the original boots, and you got an almost endless supply unless you're like me and can't remember where you put the rest of the tube for safe keeping the next time you need it.

 

[allen in texas]

Here is a point of interest...
The white tie wraps you used will not last long. UV and all that.
Black ones, (like I use in the telephone business, UV resistant) are much more outdoorsy is you know what I mean.

 

[Zick]

Here is a point of interest...
The white tie wraps you used will not last long. UV and all that.
Black ones, (like I use in the telephone business, UV resistant) are much more outdoorsy is you know what I mean.

I was just thinking the same thing. Those zip ties are nice but they don't last long when exposed to the sun it seems.

I may have to do this trick to mine before I tear a boot.

 

[rfogle]

New Holland has a part number for the boot only. It's pricey (~$27.00) if memory serves correctly. Can't remember the NH model line but it's the 24 hp
subcut. Kubota BX and NH subcuts use the same steering system....