Drive Shaft Boot Kit

[Brit-Car-Nut]

Lotus is honoring the aftersales prices on a case by case process.
You now MUST pay the 20% VAT PLUS shipping to the US.
Like previous Aftersales offers, you need to specify a UK dealer to receive your parts and then make arrangements with them to ship them to your address.
£93.60 + 20% VAT = £112.32 x $1.65/GBP = $185.33.

Big problem is they don't list the r/s driveshaft on the March2011 list. They had 54 of the left shaft available.
For the LEC Aftersales group buy, lotus showed 8 r/s shafts available and we took 4 of them.

You should call Chris Brown to verify stock. You can contact me for his number.

Shipping to the US seems to be around $100.00 for the driveshaft. Specky can verify that as he has shipped several to US members from the last group buy.

Boots are usually measured at the large opening, small opening and length plus number of ribs.

In Charlotte, there are several driveshaft rebuilders that will sell you the boots individually, or rebuild your shafts as necessary for a fair price: USUALLY ~~ $100.00 each.

I have obtained boots for friends with odd Kias and other weird imports and they have all been happy.

I will drive out and bring one of my spare driveshafts with me and see what they can offer for the Lotus shaft. If they have a reasonable solution, great. If not, then you can decide if $300.00 is a fair price (if Lotus still has any left).

[nsr250]

Just replaced my outer boots yesterday. Actually quite easy to do. I was really worried about how hard it was going to be to get the boots to stretch the required amount. Heck, that was the easy part. I cut down a transmission funnel and it worked great. The hardest part is tightening the clamps!! That and trying to clean up the greasy mess left by the tattered boots.

[tigerdog]

. I was really worried about how hard it was going to be to get the boots to stretch the required amount. Heck, that was the easy part.

Did you soak in boiling water first? We had the devil of a time with mine but didn't do that step; I'm thinking that's the piece we missed.

[nitroman]

Here's an excellent video showing the generic steps involved:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEKY0uFlBpc

[nsr250]

. I was really worried about how hard it was going to be to get the boots to stretch the required amount. Heck, that was the easy part.

Did you soak in boiling water first? We had the devil of a time with mine but didn't do that step; I'm thinking that's the piece we missed.

Yes, I did put the boots in hot water. I wasn't sure how much difference that made though. Perhaps a lot! The hardest thing I had to do with replacement was the small boot clamp. Everything else was simple.

[Peter_W]

I know the boots can fail dramatically quickly...

I just yesterday experienced that in (almost) the worst possible way. About 1,000 miles ago replaced the right outer boot, new pads, machined rotors; within the last 2 weeks alignment, new tires - a great shop where I can look around/inspect under the car while the work is being done...everything is great. Then yesterday some highway driving, traffic slows ahead, and then I am steering into a skid caused by moderate straight line braking!!!??? Check it out this morning and the left outer boot has split and lubricated the rotor. My new, hard earned, lesson is to treat them like headlights, brake lights, etc. - if one side goes, replace both because the other is probably not far behind.