CV Boot

[bhansell]

Hello,

Quick question: I'm home on vacation and noticed that my mother's front passenger-side CV boot is slightly torn, with the packing grease coming out. No symptoms of a bad joint (clicking noise, etc). It seems that with any car nowadays it's almost smarter to replace the whole front axle (slightly more expensive, but you get 2 new joints/boots) than just the torn boot. I was hoping to get some Toyota specific knowledge on the issue. What are your thoughts on the subject? Any downside to waiting for the joint to start going bad, and then replacing the axle? For reference, a quick call to the local mechanic quoted $100 labor for a boot and $85 labor for the axle. I'm guessing a boot runs about $20-30 and an axle about $80?

For reference: Car is a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE, 4 cylinder 2.4. Forgive me for asking anything stupid, I'm not too familiar with Toyota's (I did try and search through your forums before posting though).

Thank you,

Brian

[techtalk]

Originally Posted by bhansell

It seems that with any car nowadays it's almost smarter to replace the whole front axle (slightly more expensive, but you get 2 new joints/boots) than just the torn boot. I was hoping to get some Toyota specific knowledge on the issue. What are your thoughts on the subject? Any downside to waiting for the joint to start going bad, and then replacing the axle? For reference, a quick call to the local mechanic quoted $100 labor for a boot and $85 labor for the axle. I'm guessing a boot runs about $20-30 and an axle about $80?

Brian

Brian,

I would advise replacing just the torn boot as of right now. The front drive joint assembly is pretty pricey at $330-440 from what I remember; on the other hand, a new OEM CV boot is $18. (I referenced http://www.toyotapartszone.com/Page_...onentsIndex=25) Although you may eventually want to replace the joints in your mother's Camry it's okay to hold off on the replacement until they actually become worn enough to warrant the job.

[nitronate33]

i have no idea who actually makes the cv axle assembly if you were to buy it directly from toyota, although i imagine it is just an aftermarket assembly that you can get at rockauto for a fraction of the price.

for what it's worth, they have new cardone select axles on rockauto for around $60. i recently purchased and replaced both on my wife's 2005 solara and they looked to be of equal build qulity to the originals that came off the car.

[gdanaher]

You can get a rebuilt assembly for a fraction of the price of a new one at the dealer. Consider the warranty that comes with it though. You get what you pay for with these. If you opt to replace the boot, it is actually much more time consuming than just swapping the axles out. You, or someone, will need to strip the old boot off, disassemble the joint, soak in solvent to remove the grease and dirt, and examine it for life. Only then do you reassemble it with a new boot. Once that boot is opened, bad things get in and start the wear process. Think of constant sand blasting. As for me, I'd consider the mileage on the car. Boots can be damaged at low mileage and if caught early the joint can be saved. If the odometer is past 70k or so, I'd opt for a replacement because the original one is long in tooth.

[bhansell]

Thank you for all the replies. I'll look into prices a little more in-depth to figure out the best course of action. Thanks again,

Brian

[tekdemon]

Honestly unless you basically saw the boot tear in front of your eyes I'd probably just try and put the boot back together as best you can and just drive with it until the joint starts to go and replace the whole thing. I don't know if anybody here knows any bootleg cv boot "repair" tips but maybe you can get it to at least keep stuff out a little bit so it'll go a bit longer before it goes bad? Note that this is of course somewhat more dangerous than just repairing it right away, etc. so don't sue me if your car goes flying off the road and kills a schoolbus full of children and your whole family.

[gdanaher]

I have some experience with these things. Really. If you choose to replace the boot, fine business. You are going to pull the half axle out, remove the clamps, disassemble the joint, clean it thoroughly, examine it for wear, and then grease and reassemble the thing using new clamps and a new boot. You can NOT just slap a new boot on it and expect anything. The dirt inside (because the seal is broken) is guaranteed to eat the moving surfaces. You can buy a half axle with two rebuild joints, greased, ready to install for not a lot, and if your time is worth anything, you can essentially pull the old one, install the new one, and be done with it without getting particularly dirty. There is at least an hour of labor in cleaning the joint, removing it from the shaft to fit the new boot on, and giving it an eyeball for wear. I've done it both ways with various cars. On these Toyotas it is a no brainer, but it is also your dime. Good luck.

[JohnGD]

Get a new aftermarket halfshaft from the local parts store for about $80. For example, O'Reilly and Autozone both offer lifetime warranty on both new and rebuilt halfshafts.

This way OP doesn't have to turn in the otherwise excellent OEM halfshaft. Then take the time to reboot the OEM one.