I have OEM look clamps for steering rack boots. Many if not most rebuilt racks do not include OEM type clamps for the boots. The larger boot generally requires a special plyers to cinch them on but I found a parallel jaw nail puller/wire cutter (what is the correct name for those anyway???!) worked just fine. If someone can post a picture let me know and I'll email you a picture of these clamps and that tool. I will also have a free set or two to send out for R&D. Special tool not included.

The large clamps are stainless steel and the smaller clamps are steel with a black plating.

------------------
PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS

Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories
7604 Treeview Drive
Caledonia, WI 53108
(262) 835-9575

www.rodneydickman.com

I can post them for you. Send to skitime@ptd.net

------------------

Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 INTERCOOLED SUPERCHARGED
White 88 GT Stock
Please give me a rating if you appreciate my contribution.
Click here to read the History of Skitimes Car

Rodney, the type of pliers you are referring to is Lap Joint pliers. There is also a similiar tool called End cutters.

While these type's of pliers can and will squeeze the crimp of a CV / bellows boot style clamp, they do not have the ability to lock the crimp.

Having used both styles of pliers in the past I can say that without using the special pliers designed to crimp these clamps, the crimp can and sometime does loose tension and the clamp comes loose. Also it is a bit tricky to hold the pliers perfectly parallel to the clamp when squeezing them. This can cause the clamp to crimp crooked, allowing it to slide out of position.

The proper clamping pliers have a 3rd central peice that presses down onto the crimp slightly compressing the top of the crimp inward, locking it.
Some of the crimping pliers have 3/8" drive holes so that you can torque the clamp to the correct spec. In honesty I can say I do not, nor have I ever seen any other tech actually torque a CV or bellows boot clamp.

Here are 2 quick pics I found online of typicial CV / bellows boot clamp crimping pliers.

In this picture there is a close up of the end of the pliers showing all 3 crimping components.

Another problem with using end cutters like in your picture is that it is very easy to chop the crimp off of the clamp if your not careful.

I didn't post this to put a hash on your plans, I'm just speaking from experiance

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 12-31-2004).]

quote Originally posted by jelly2m8: Rodney, the type of pliers you are referring to is Lap Joint pliers. There is also a similiar tool called End cutters. While these type's of pliers can and will squeeze the crimp of a CV / bellows boot style clamp, they do not have the ability to lock the crimp. Having used both styles of pliers in the past I can say that without using the special pliers designed to crimp these clamps, the crimp can and sometime does loose tension and the clamp comes loose. Also it is a bit tricky to hold the pliers perfectly parallel to the clamp when squeezing them. This can cause the clamp to crimp crooked, allowing it to slide out of position. The proper clamping pliers have a 3rd central peice that presses down onto the crimp slightly compressing the top of the crimp inward, locking it. Some of the crimping pliers have 3/8" drive holes so that you can torque the clamp to the correct spec. In honesty I can say I do not, nor have I ever seen any other tech actually torque a CV or bellows boot clamp.

The boot pictured has a clamp installed with the end cutter tool in the picture. I found it very easy to use and it did a very good job. I do have the correct tool here and there is little difference between them. My special tool looks almost the same other than the ends being thinner and having a rounded end instead of sharp. I crimped it very tight and to me it felt I would have had to squeeze a terrible amount more before I felt it would ever cut into the stainless steel in any way. I have no doubt this clamp will never come loose. Keeping it straight did not seem to be a problem at all.

------------------
PLEASE NOTE MY NEW ADDRESS

Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories
7604 Treeview Drive
Caledonia, WI 53108
(262) 835-9575

www.rodneydickman.com

quote Originally posted by Rodney: The boot pictured has a clamp installed with the end cutter tool in the picture. I found it very easy to use and it did a very good job. I do have the correct tool here and there is little difference between them. My special tool looks almost the same other than the ends being thinner and having a rounded end instead of sharp. I crimped it very tight and to me it felt I would have had to squeeze a terrible amount more before I felt it would ever cut into the stainless steel in any way. I have no doubt this clamp will never come loose. Keeping it straight did not seem to be a problem at all.

You offered a set or 2 for R&D, well I just gave you 18 years and possibly thousands of that style of clamp crimping R&D, but what do I know?

I have no doubt that you did a good job when you did yours, but you must realise that alot of people are not as careful as you and I.

I debated on posting what I did, I was thinking about this even before ski offered to post your pics, but then I thought " you know some guy is gonna get this from Rodney, slap the pliers on the clamp and give it a good squeeze, cut the thing off, then next thing you see a post on how Rodney's clamps and pliers suck".

On to the 2 sets of pliers having little difference, well, they are pliers, they look similiar. A notchback Fiero looks like a MR2, but they are not the same car.
If you look closely the outboard ends of the proper tool, you will see that it would be impossible to cut off a clamp with them as the ends will not close to the point where they touch. That's just one obvious difference among 5.

Clamping a steering rack bellows boot is the same procedure / method as clamping a CV Boot clamp using this style clamp.

Again, don't take this the wrong way, I know you want to provide only top quality parts and accessories, I just wanted to point out a potential for someone screwing this up and pointing fingers at you.

For example it's kinda like the guy driving around with a faulty rear balljoint / pinch bolt and or knuckle, and when the balljoint pulled from the socket in the knuckle, he claimed having a swaybar on the rear was the culprit, nevermind the actual cause was the dude doing the work on the car wasn't careful / experianced / compatent, etc.

[This message has been edited by jelly2m8 (edited 12-31-2004).]

I suspect that the issue is moot on a rack boot as it sees none of the forces that a CV joint does.

JazzMan

Calm down guys... You both have points.

I think I have to go with Jazz on this one...

A CV boot takes a huge amount of beating compared to a rack bellows. As long as the rack bellows doesn't fall off I don't see what it would matter. It is fairly common for shops and DIY to just zip tie the bloody things. Not that it is correct but even that holds up pretty well for this.

I don't think I'd try the cutters on a CV as those usually do need more torque on the pincher than you can get with even the correct tool unless you use the torque wrench and a breaker bar with it. Anyone that doesn't crimp those correctly is just begging for comebacks and lost customers.

The pliers shown are likely made for softer material. If you can cut Stainless with them I'd be kind of surprised. SS and Hard steel (Piano wire) will usually ruin pliers that aren't specifically hardened to deal with them. I long ago lost count of the number of notched out cutters I've seen from people trying to cut stuff harder than the cutters that are made for, which is usually things like soft iron nails and copper wire.

------------------
The only thing George Orwell got wrong was the year...

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

No worries Ogre, nothing there to get upset about. I even stated I was certain Rodney did a good job on his install.

The main point I was trying to drive across was the fact that if you put the wrong tool in the hands of the wrong person, they will most likely screw it up. See it happen time and again as I'm sure you guys have.

I agree that a rack bellows boot will never see the abuse a CV boot does, I've got plastic zip ties holding the bellows boots on the rack in my T-Top since I replaced the bushing with one of Rodneys a few years ago and they are holding up great.

Maybe I went about that post wrong and obviously didn't add enough to it, but I have nothing I feel that needs to be edited out.

I think a set of instructions expressing not to go silly with those pliers would be a great addition to the kit