Parts for your 1999 Ford Falcon-Cv boots

1999 Ford Falcon CV boots: are they used, and should owners worry about them?

For a 1999 Ford Falcon (AU Series I), CV boots generally aren’t a thing. According to Ford’s AU Falcon workshop literature and independent repair manuals (e.g., Gregory’s No. 518 and Ellery’s AU 1998–2002), the AU Series I is rear‑wheel drive with a live rear axle and a front double‑wishbone setup. That layout doesn’t use constant‑velocity (CV) half‑shafts at the front, and the live axle at the back doesn’t need them either—so there are no CV joints to protect, and therefore no CV boots to service on a standard 1999 Falcon.

Here’s why: CV boots exist to keep grease in and grime out of CV joints on vehicles with independent drive half‑shafts—most commonly the front axles of FWD cars, and on the rear of cars with IRS (independent rear suspension). The 1999 AU Falcon runs a tailshaft with universal joints (U‑joints) to a solid rear axle, so it uses U‑joints rather than CV joints. Rubber dust boots you might see elsewhere on the car (like steering rack boots or ball joint boots) aren’t CV boots.

A small caveat worth noting from the same technical sources: IRS with CV half‑shafts arrived on certain AU Series II/III models (from 2000 onward) and not on mainstream 1999 AU Series I variants. Unless a 1999 Falcon’s rear end has been swapped to an IRS assembly, there won’t be rear CV joints or CV boots to maintain.

What’s worth checking instead during routine servicing on a 1999 Falcon:

• Tailshaft U‑joints for play, noise, or dried/cracked seals
• Steering rack boots and tie‑rod end/ball joint dust boots
• Front wheel bearings and hub seals
• Rear axle/diff oil level and pinion/axle seals

If someone’s AU has had an IRS conversion or they’re working on a later AU II/III car, then CV boots enter the chat: look for split rubber bellows, flung grease on the inner wheel or underbody, and any driveline clunks. On a stock 1999 AU Series I though, CV boots aren’t a service item because they’re simply not fitted.

Popular questions about 1999 Ford Falcon CV boots

Does a 1999 Ford Falcon have CV boots?

On a standard AU Series I (1999), no. It’s rear‑wheel drive with a live rear axle and uses tailshaft U‑joints instead of CV joints. Only later AU models with IRS (mainly from 2000) or cars that have had an IRS conversion will have CV joints and boots at the rear.

What should be serviced instead of CV boots on a 1999 Falcon?

Focus on tailshaft U‑joints, steering rack boots, tie‑rod and ball joint dust boots, front wheel bearings, and differential oil/seals. Those items reflect the Falcon’s RWD/live‑axle setup and are more relevant than CV boots on a 1999 model.

How can someone tell if their Falcon has IRS (and therefore CV boots at the rear)?

Look underneath the rear: IRS cars have separate control arms and short half‑shafts with rubber bellows (the CV boots) going to each wheel, rather than a single solid axle. Build year around 2000+ and higher‑spec trims are clues, but the visual check is the quickest way.