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lee
Debbie's Servant
You can probably snap it back into place but you better tip the final drive and see if there's a bunch of water and rust in there.
WWeldin
Member
You may want to inspect it to see if it has a hole in it. Spread the "peaks" and look in the "valleys" where the boot is closest to the u-joints.
I was involved in a Tech Day with Boxflyer recently and he has found quite a few of those final drive boots (on GS bikes) with holes in it. I have an RT and I know what that one is supposed to do and yours should be the same part, but I cannot comment on its condition, as you described; yours looks like it is not properly seated. There also appears to be a rust spot developing on the swing arm at the very bottom center of you photo. It is where the rubber part of the boot is supposed to seal. Moisture is likely to get by and depending how long the boot was not properly seated, it could be a source for rust,.
I do know there is a a wire ring around the round, plastic part of the boot where it joins the rubber part. That needs to be checked to make sure it is not damaged too; the boot can be easily torn away from the plastic portion, rendering the part unsuable.
If no holes are in it then the F/F needs to be removed and properly cleaned around the mating surface before applying some white lithium grease. The swing arm surface area for the boot should be free of the dried out lube, too. The plastic tabs on the inside need to be pushed in to fully seat the boot.
Check out one of his videos about that boot on the RT. Skip to 15:50 or so. You will get a better idea about the plastic tabs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_1gPRA274
I was involved in a Tech Day with Boxflyer recently and he has found quite a few of those final drive boots (on GS bikes) with holes in it. I have an RT and I know what that one is supposed to do and yours should be the same part, but I cannot comment on its condition, as you described; yours looks like it is not properly seated. There also appears to be a rust spot developing on the swing arm at the very bottom center of you photo. It is where the rubber part of the boot is supposed to seal. Moisture is likely to get by and depending how long the boot was not properly seated, it could be a source for rust,.
I do know there is a a wire ring around the round, plastic part of the boot where it joins the rubber part. That needs to be checked to make sure it is not damaged too; the boot can be easily torn away from the plastic portion, rendering the part unsuable.
If no holes are in it then the F/F needs to be removed and properly cleaned around the mating surface before applying some white lithium grease. The swing arm surface area for the boot should be free of the dried out lube, too. The plastic tabs on the inside need to be pushed in to fully seat the boot.
Check out one of his videos about that boot on the RT. Skip to 15:50 or so. You will get a better idea about the plastic tabs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1_1gPRA274
marcopolo
Active member
Just had BoxFlyer replace my FD rubber boot ($64 USD for the part), in the process of lubing my FD splines. I had bought the rubber boot beforehand, and fully intended to replace it, regardless of what he found, after dropping the final drive to inspect/lube the FD splines. My bike is a 2015 GSA. He certainly found many GSs/GSAs with holes in the rear FD rubber boot.
When my wife and I two up camp on my '13R1200GS LC with the stock shock it is overloaded at 1100 lbs GVW and we ride dirt roads.
I'm on my 3rd boot in 30,000 in 2 years and know that the overloading was kinking the boot and then the universal would rub through it giving me a permanent kink and a hole.
I've invested in a Trac-Tiv ESA rear shock with a 180 NM/mm spring and don't plan on kinking the boot any time soon.
My sag is perfect 2 up without our camping gear when set on 2 helmets, much better (higher) than before.
I'm on my 3rd boot in 30,000 in 2 years and know that the overloading was kinking the boot and then the universal would rub through it giving me a permanent kink and a hole.
I've invested in a Trac-Tiv ESA rear shock with a 180 NM/mm spring and don't plan on kinking the boot any time soon.
My sag is perfect 2 up without our camping gear when set on 2 helmets, much better (higher) than before.
