Catalog

VAG 1K0498103 DRIVE SHAFT BOOT

VAG 1K0498103 DRIVE SHAFT BOOT
VAG 1K0498103 DRIVE SHAFT BOOT
VAG 1K0498103 DRIVE SHAFT BOOT
VAG 1K0498103 DRIVE SHAFT BOOT

Product Specifications

Product quality
OEM Equivalent Grade
starstarstar
3000 sold
Wholesale price USD $9.72
Wholesale price CNY ¥66
bolt MOQ (Minimal order)
100 pcs
local_shipping Production time
40-50 days
package_2 Shipping Weight: 0.25 kg
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VAG 1K0498103
VAG 191498103C
LYNXAUTO CI8008
FEBEST 1417PNA
Overview & Operating Principle
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The DRIVE SHAFT BOOT is a CV joint protective boot — a pleated rubber or thermoplastic elastomer accordion sleeve that seals the constant velocity joint against contamination ingress and retains the specific grease lubricant packed inside the joint. The CV joint is a precision mechanical assembly of steel balls running in grooved races that transmits engine torque through the driveshaft to the driven wheel at a constant rotational velocity regardless of the joint's operating angle — which changes continuously as the suspension travels and the front wheels steer. The joint's internal components — balls, races, and cage — operate under extreme contact stress and require continuous lubrication by a specific molybdenum disulphide or lithium complex grease that maintains the required film thickness at the ball-to-race contact zones; this grease must remain contained within the joint and must not be contaminated by water, road grit, or road salt, all of which are abrasive and remove the lubricant film, causing the ball-to-race contact zones to wear within a short operating period. The boot performs this sealing and retention function across the joint's full angular range — typically 0–8° for inner tripod joints and 0–47° for outer ball-and-groove joints — by flexing through its accordion profile on every suspension and steering movement without cracking, splitting, or allowing the grease to escape through the bellows folds. The boot is retained at its large-diameter end on the joint housing and at its small-diameter end on the driveshaft by crimp-type or screw-type steel retaining bands that provide a controlled clamping force without cutting into the boot rubber.

This unit — VAG 1K0498103 — is manufactured to OEM-equivalent specifications: large-diameter end bore and small-diameter end bore for the joint housing and shaft retention dimensions, boot length and bellows profile for the joint's full operating angle range, material compound for grease retention and road salt resistance, wall thickness for the required number of articulation cycles, and retaining band groove geometry are matched to the original part. Supplied as a complete boot kit including retaining bands and the correct quantity and type of CV joint grease. Available wholesale from 9.72 USD, MOQ 100 pcs, production lead time 40-50 days.

CV joint boots fail through rubber cracking and splitting from ozone, UV, and heat cycling — the accordion folds are the highest-stress zones and crack first; through physical tearing from road debris impact or contact with an adjacent suspension component; and through retaining band failure that allows the boot to slide off the joint housing, immediately expelling all grease. A torn boot that has been driven on for any significant distance allows road grit to mix with and displace the joint's grease within a few hundred kilometres of wet road driving, destroying the ball-to-race surface finish and making joint replacement unavoidable — the boot-only repair opportunity is lost once the joint has been contaminated.

Symptoms & Diagnostics
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Grease spray visible on the inside of the wheel arch, on the suspension components adjacent to the driveshaft, or on the inner surface of the wheel rim — dark brown or black grease flung in an arc pattern — the boot has split and the centrifugal force of the rotating driveshaft is flinging grease out through the split; the flung grease pattern's direction and location identifies which joint — inner or outer — and which driveshaft has the failed boot; inspect both inner and outer boots on both driveshafts at every service inspection.
Clicking or popping noise from the front of the vehicle during low-speed tight turns — audible when turning at full lock in a car park or executing a U-turn — the outer CV joint has been contaminated following boot failure and the ball-to-race surfaces have worn sufficiently to produce an audible click on every ball-to-groove engagement at high joint angle; the noise is load-dependent — present under light acceleration and typically absent on deceleration; if clicking is present the joint requires replacement, not boot-only repair.
Vibration felt through the steering wheel or floor during straight-line driving at motorway speed — the vibration frequency increases with vehicle speed — an advanced inner tripod CV joint that has worn from boot failure is producing second-order imbalance vibration at driveshaft rotational frequency; inner joint wear vibration is felt primarily at highway speeds under sustained drive torque rather than during low-speed turning, distinguishing it from outer joint click noise.
Visible split, crack, or hole in the boot body — the tear may be a pinhole from stone chip impact or a full-length split along a bellows fold crease — even a small hole is a significant defect; a 3mm hole in a rotating boot at 1,500 RPM pumps grit-contaminated water into the joint on every revolution; replace the boot immediately on discovery of any breach, regardless of size; a boot with surface crazing but no through-cracks should be monitored closely and replaced at the next service.
Retaining band that has unwound or the boot large-diameter end that has slipped off the joint housing — the screw-type band has loosened from vibration or the crimp-type band has fractured; the boot is partially or fully displaced from the joint, exposing the joint's grease-packed interior directly to road contamination; the boot displacement may have occurred recently from a retaining band failure on an otherwise intact boot — in this case boot-only replacement with new retaining bands is appropriate if the joint shows no contamination evidence.
Grease on the inner face of the front brake disc or calliper — fresh dark brown grease visible on the non-friction surfaces of the braking components — the inner CV joint boot on the inboard end of the driveshaft has split and is flinging grease onto the adjacent brake components; any grease contamination of the brake friction surfaces requires brake pad replacement simultaneously with boot and joint assessment.
Logistics & Customs
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International HS Code
4016.99
EAEU Customs Code (TN VED)
4016 99 970 9
Typical Net Weight
0.25 kg
Country of Manufacture
China
Standard MOQ
100 pcs
Production Lead Time
40-50 days
Always verify the exact 8-digit or 10-digit subheading with your customs broker for the destination country, as tariff schedules and duty rates vary by jurisdiction.
Installation Tips
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  1. Inspect the CV joint for contamination and wear before deciding between boot-only replacement and complete joint replacement — wipe all old grease from the joint and rotate it manually through its full angular range while feeling for roughness, catching, or play between the ball and race surfaces; a joint that rotates smoothly with no roughness and whose balls show no visible pitting or spalling can be regreased and fitted with a new boot; a joint with any roughness, catching, or visible surface damage requires complete CV joint or driveshaft replacement — a new boot on a worn joint will fail within a short period as the worn surfaces generate metallic particles that abrade the joint from within.
  2. Clean the joint housing and driveshaft boot retention zones completely before fitting the new boot — remove all traces of old grease, grit, and corrosion from the large-diameter housing groove and the small-diameter shaft groove where the retaining bands will seat; any debris under the retaining band prevents it from achieving full circumferential contact and reduces its clamping force below the value needed to retain the boot against centrifugal force at operating speed.
  3. Pack the joint with exactly the correct quantity and type of grease specified for the joint design — CV joint grease is a specific formulation — typically molybdenum disulphide-loaded for outer ball-and-groove joints and lithium complex for inner tripod joints — that is not interchangeable with wheel bearing grease, chassis grease, or general-purpose grease; underfilling leaves the balls without adequate lubricant film at high angles; overfilling pressurises the boot and forces grease past the retaining bands; use the entire quantity of grease supplied in the boot kit, divided between filling the joint cavity and packing the boot interior.
  4. Position the large-diameter boot end over the joint housing before fitting the small-diameter end to the shaft — sliding the large end on first allows the boot to be properly oriented over the joint before the small end is located; fitting the small end first makes it impossible to position the large end correctly without distorting the boot bellows; ensure the large-diameter end seats fully in the housing groove before tightening its retaining band.
  5. Crimp or tighten both retaining bands to the OEM specification — crimp-type bands require a dedicated CV boot band pliers tool that closes the ear of the band to a calibrated gap dimension; undertightened bands allow the boot to slip from the housing under centrifugal force at speed; overtightened bands cut through the boot rubber at the band contact zone; screw-type bands must be tightened to the specified screw torque and the excess band length trimmed to prevent it contacting adjacent components during suspension travel.
  6. Install the new DRIVE SHAFT BOOT (VAG 1K0498103), refit the driveshaft to the hub and transmission, torque the hub nut to OEM specification with a new locking tab or cotter pin, lower the vehicle, and road test confirming no clicking during full-lock turns, no vibration at motorway speed, and no grease contamination of adjacent components after a 10-minute drive before returning the vehicle to service.
Tools: CV boot band pliers (crimp-type) or screwdriver (screw-type), torque wrench for hub nut, degreaser for joint and shaft cleaning, molybdenum disulphide CV joint grease of the correct type and quantity (typically supplied in boot kit).
Frequently Asked Questions
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How long can a vehicle be driven with a split CV boot before the joint is destroyed and requires replacement?
There is no safe mileage figure for driving with a split CV boot — the joint contamination rate depends entirely on road conditions. On dry summer roads with minimal moisture, a small boot split may allow only minor contamination over several hundred kilometres; on wet, salty winter roads a significant split can allow sufficient grit and water ingress to destroy the ball-to-race surface finish within a single 50 km motorway journey. The correct answer is that any boot split requires immediate replacement — not at the next service, not at the next convenient time. A boot-only replacement costs a fraction of a complete CV joint or driveshaft replacement; the only way to preserve the boot-only repair option is to replace the boot before the joint has been contaminated. Discovering a split boot during a routine inspection means replacing it during that appointment, not scheduling it for the future. ok.parts supplies CV boot kits at wholesale MOQ from 9.72 USD per unit.
Is it better to replace the complete driveshaft rather than performing a boot-only replacement?
The choice between boot-only replacement and complete driveshaft replacement depends on the joint's condition at the time of boot failure discovery. If the joint is confirmed smooth and contamination-free — found immediately after boot failure before any wet road driving — boot-only replacement is the correct and cost-effective repair. If the joint shows any roughness, clicking, or has been operated with a split boot through wet road conditions, replacing the complete driveshaft or CV joint is more appropriate — packing a worn joint with fresh grease and a new boot delays rather than prevents joint replacement, and the repeat labour cost of a second driveshaft removal within a short interval exceeds the marginal cost of the complete driveshaft at the first service. A remanufactured driveshaft assembly with all joints and boots new provides a known service life baseline that is frequently the better economic choice at high vehicle mileage.
How does the OEM-equivalent aftermarket unit compare to the genuine OEM part?
OEM-equivalent units in this catalogue replicate the current OEM design geometry and material specification. Quality is verified against OEM cross-reference data. When ordering in bulk, confirm with our team that the specification matches the latest OEM revision for your application.
Is white-label or custom packaging available for wholesale orders?
Yes. ok.parts works directly with the manufacturing facility and can accommodate neutral white-label packaging or fully branded packaging with your company logo, part numbers, and barcode. Minimum order quantities and lead times for custom packaging may differ from standard stock. Contact the team via the inquiry form to discuss your specific requirements.
Frequently Replaced Together
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PartReason for Combined Replacement
CV Joint or Complete Driveshaft
Inner or outer — OEM ref. varies by side and axle		A boot that has been split and has allowed contamination to reach the joint requires joint replacement simultaneously with the new boot — fitting a new boot over a contaminated joint retains the abrasive grit and moisture inside the joint where it continues to wear the ball and race surfaces from within. Inspect the joint before deciding: smooth joint with clean grease allows boot-only replacement; roughness, clicking, or visible surface damage mandates joint replacement.
Hub Nut and Cotter Pin
Single-use — OEM specification		The hub nut that retains the driveshaft in the wheel hub is a single-use component on most vehicles — it has a locking deformation or cotter pin that prevents it from loosening during operation and must be replaced every time it is removed. A reused hub nut that has had its locking feature distorted once can vibrate loose during driving, allowing the hub to separate from the driveshaft at speed. Always include a new hub nut and cotter pin in the parts order before beginning any driveshaft or boot service.
Brake Pads
Axle pair — where grease contamination is confirmed		A CV boot that has been flinging grease onto the adjacent brake disc and caliper area may have contaminated the brake pad friction material. Grease-contaminated brake pads produce significantly reduced braking force and a glazed appearance on the pad face — replace both pads on the affected axle simultaneously with the boot service; a single contaminated pad on one side produces a brake pull under emergency braking from the friction differential between the contaminated and uncontaminated sides.