Rapid Flexx Boot Gun
By Lex Dodson
Despite the name and looks, don’t expect the alien horde to wave these around when they come for Earth. This $310 oddball is designed to spread CV joint boots wide enough to slip the narrow end over the bearings to save time. I can’t say I’ve ever met anyone without the patience to remove the joint’s circlips to install the boot, so this is probably a production-only or very specialized tool. It seems to use an adjustable air supply to apply enough torque to spread the boot, but I can’t be sure since I’ve never used one.
The only reason I mention the Rapid Flexx is the sheer oddity of this thing. Why spend over three hundred dollars to save five minutes? Maybe some CV joints are just more of a headache than I’m used to, but I honestly have trouble seeing the point of this one. And I own a special socket for Ecotec oil filter cartridges. What say you, Toolmongers? Can you think of a time when the cost would be justified?
Rapid Flexx Boot Gun [SJ Discount Tool]
October 15th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
-saw a demo of it at a trade show 8yrs ago
-worked great& can’t figure out why they’re not used by all shops
October 15th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
if you rebuilt half-shafts all day long i’m sure you could find this a very handy tool. it’s overkill for one or two boots but fine for production work
October 15th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I had a boot replaced by one of these when my car had an emergency repair on holiday in a repair shop in Denmark. The job was completed much, much quicker (and thus pretty cheap), but the boot had to be replaced again when we came back.
So, a point for speed, but take one off again for overstretching the boot.
October 15th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
You would have to do quite a few and save a lot of time to make it worth it.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:20 am
looks like a gynecological tool from hell, got to show it to the woman to see her reaction heeheehee