Lisle 30600 Offset Boot Clamp Plier

This is the o key tools to repair boots. Recommend it.

Must have, works as it should!

Awsome!

In all honesty, I don't know precisely what I was hoping for but this isn't it. This tool does an adequate job of tightening ear clamps from the side, but it does not do a great job of keeping the crimp flat. It's possible that the tool was intended to be used where no other option was possible and it's a "take what you can get" type of thing, but I used it mostly as a convenience and due to the height of the crimp it didn't really end up saving time or effort. I could have just removed the bracket that was in the way and used a standard plier. Eh, you live and learn, and the price is not high enough I regret the purchase. So, four stars because it does crimp clamps from the side and does seem well made... it just doesn't do a GREAT job.

2010 Toyota Sienna AWD, there's not a good way to install the OEM-style clamp without some major disassembly. While the quality of materials and construction of this tool aren't top-notch, I was unable to find a better-quality tool of similar function at any price, and it worked splendidly for the one clamp I needed it for. Even if I had to re-purchase this tool every single time I needed to clamp that boot clamp, it would still be worth the price. Will it hold up to five or ten uses? Maybe, maybe not. Does it cinch the clamp perfectly square? No; Lisle has done a good job of designing non-articulating jaws that have a compromise radius, and honestly IMO it's Good Enough. The cinch that it produces exceeds the tension of the silly sardine-can wind-up bands, and is worlds better than a zip-tie. And it can be operated parallel with the boot, which is necessary on the AWD version of this Sienna.

Works great for inner tie rod clamps

Good set

As other reviewers have noted, this tool takes gorilla strength to make really good crimps. If you're trying to get that strength with your hands, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG. Clamp a set of vice grips on the ends of the handles when you've done as much as you can by hand. If you're doing CV axle boots with this you also probably have the wrong tool. This tool is meant more for inner tie rod bellows. CV axles are important enough that they'll often give you a torque spec or ear measurement specs. This tool has no provisions for torque specs, unlike its bigger brother that has square drives on the handles. Due to the shape of the anvil on this tool you're not going to make perfectly uniform crimps. They've made an effort to mitigate the issues of a right angle type of this tool as best they can, but the inner part of your ear will likely be a little tighter than the outer part. It's a small price to pay for allowing you to service inner tie rods on the vehicle rather than needing to drop out the steering rack.