Protective cover for universal joint seal boot

In a drive shaft assembly (2) for an independently suspended, driven vehicle wheel having an inboard universal joint (12) that is attached to one end of a drive shaft (14) for connection to a power source and an outboard universal joint that is attached to the other end of the drive shaft (14) for connecting the drive shaft assembly (10) to a vehicle wheel,

• each universal joint having an inner joint member that is attached to the drive shaft (14), an outer joint member (18) and drive elements disposed within the outer joint member that transfer torque between the inner and outer joint members while allowing the inner and outer joint members to angulate with respect to each other,
• each universal joint further having a flexible seal boot (22) that has a large diameter end that is clamped to a round open end of the outer joint member (18) and a small diameter end that is clamped to the drive shaft,
• the improvement comprising;
• a protective cover (24) for protecting the flexible seal boots (22) that is in the form of a seamless woven cylindrical sleeve that has an cuff at each end that is folded over and double stitched to the sleeve end to provide reinforced end bands (26) that attach the sleeve to the respective outer joint members (18) of the universal joints (12, 16) at the opposite ends of the drive shaft assembly (10) so that the protective cover envelopes the flexible seal boots of both universal joints.