I remember owning a honda, and w/ hondas, I found that the CV boots tore invariably over short periods of time. I'm not sure if this happened because my car was lowered, but now I wonder if these kinds of issues pop up with WRXs. I'm on the verge of getting prodrive springs, and wonder if this will open me up to replacing axles on a regular basis.

 

well...you dont launch/get as much wheels spin with a scooby than you do with a honda.. i remember on my turbo integra i tore a stage2 axle in about 6 months. too much stress from launching so much....

 

Sorry, but launching may be hard on the CV itself, but it has nothing to do with the boot.

Boots tear on hondas because of the angle (increasingly so when lowered), and stock honda/ acuras tend to split cv boots between 80-120k miles. The #1 cause of CV joint failure is lack of lubrication- the boots split, the grease gets out, and the CVs run dry and start clicking when you turn the wheel.

I would guess Subaru boots have the same longevity, and unfortunately, double the amount of CV boots/ joints.

 

A Suby Mechanic told me that the boots on WRXs are a bit tougher than the honda ones because they incorporate a plastic boot instead of the rubber one on the hondas (something GM has been doing for years...go figure). He also told me that the boot that really gets messed up usually is the front passenger because of its close proximity to the heat off of the catalytic coverter.

 

Using a wheel with a way lower offset than stock can cause boot failure. Two summers ago, I put on 17" Enkeis with an (estimated) offset of +43 (the salesman lied, and said they would be fine) and the boots blew out within 3 months of installing them, begining with the right then the left a week later. I was told the lower offset puts more stress on the entire steering system, and during sharp turns, the boots are more likely to split. If you notice dark grease splattered all over your rims that couldn't have possibly come from the road, check your boots and change them immediately. If you catch them soon enough, you can replace them and save the entire joint from being contaminated and taking a dump.

As for the lowering, you should be fine. I put Espelir springs on KYB struts on my wife's WRX over a year ago, and the CV boots are still intact.