BILITOOLS Heavy Duty CV Boot Clamp Pliers, 3/8" Drive CV Joint Axle Boot Clamp Tool for Ear Clamps

Works great

This clamp solved a problem of CV boot clamps coming loose on washboard roads. With enough force, this one works great, like the factory did it.

As many others have noted, the machine work and tolerances are loose but a trip to the hardware store, easily resolved the slop, in the primary pivot point on this tool (side to side). As with many Chinese produced knock off tools, I have purchased over the years; I typically go ahead and replace the hardware that came with the tool. The higher quality hardware or in this case; the addition of a washer; eliminated the side to side play that was there from poor machine work, very loose tolerances. I also swapped out the original set screw and got another one that was longer, and of higher quality. This is typically the downfall of cheaper tools; low quality hardware and the hardware used, tends to be soft, not heat treated to correct spec, to professional tool standards and in this case, have poor out of tolerance machine work, spotty quality control. After installing the new set screw and added washer; the tool feels much better but the other pivot points are still loose but the jaws are straight now and I believe it’s a usable tool at this point, once you get rid of the slop, by adding better quality hardware, shim the pivot area. UPDATE: a After going to the hardware store and thinking about the pivot primary point still being loose, I decided to use a 1/2” drill bit to drill out the loose holes, poor machine work. I then bought a 1/2” steel pin, installed that and used a fine pitch 1/2-20 die to thread it, then added another washer and a thin lock nut to finish it off. Then I cut off and shorten things down, filed down the remainder of the pin. This has pretty much eliminated any slop at the primary pivot point but the other pivots with the threaded adjustment rod and 3/8 socket drive, are still loose but this seems to have really improve the usefulness of the tool. After drilling out the pivot point with a half inch drill, I found the crimping jaws to be slightly out of alignment; I added some thin metal to shim it and restored alignment, to both jaws. These modifications, really made the tool much better and with a couple of improvements like this, really helped bring things back to what I would consider “normal”, level of functionality. When crimping the heavy duty stainless steel Oetiker CV boot clamps, some of the ears did not perfectly crimp in the center; with practice, I found that if I use another crimping plier like the KNIPEX OETIKER oem type and “pre-crimp” it, that may help ensure you get a more centered, crimp, rather than using this tool to do the whole crimp, from the beginning. As you can see in the photos, I posted, the crimp was not perfectly “centered” but just crimped off to one side. That being said, I believe my torque spec for the crimp as per my Volkswagen factory service manual at 25 newton meters is still achieved. More practice and “pre-crimping”, maybe needed to “perfect” my crimping technique with this tool. I’m noting, when I look at the factory HAZET or the GKN OEM tool; the jaws seemed to be at a different angle, not as drastic as the design of this one, I cannot compare the both tools together, as i just have this version but looking at the design differences, i am thinking that might ensure a better crimp? Overall, I’m glad I got this tool, that way I can torque my clamps, to the VW GKN factory recommended crimping protoco, to ensure the TPE boots are installed to factory spec. Hopefully my boots will last longer and the TPN plastic boots that are now standard in the oem GKN cv boot kits will not prematurely fail, split or leak grease! Time will tell and here is too, hoping my new CV boots will last for a long time! :-)

Works great and makes it look like a factory clamp

The tool worked perfectly. Happy here!

Worked as expected. Wish I had bought one years ago instead of trying to use a pair of side cutters pliers

good

Work wonderfully until the threads strip out.