They're just dust boots. As long as they're not leaking they're fine

 

I wouldn't worry about them until you need new struts.

 

Replace the boots and struts NOW!

If youbgonfor a ka carte replacement, you will see thar the OE struts are worn.

 

104k and you think they need replaced?? they are good for 2x that unless you race the baja! about replacing the boots though... if you can.. do it...

 

OEM struts last a long time especially if you aren't in the rust belt. I just replaced struts on my 2008 Sport (140k miles) this spring and i live in Eastern Canada where the road salt destroys vehicles. Even being 15 years old in the salt the original struts could have kept going for a couple more years, they weren't really that bad. Don't worry about it

 

Thanks for all the opinions. Per my original post, I am not concerned about my front struts needing replacement, no leaks - no noise - ride quality is good. I just wondered if there is a high risk of being prematurely damaged due to the torn boot which is meant to protect the shock shaft from getting wet or dirty and hurting the seal. When driving in the rain, I am sure the tire slings water / road grime all over the exposed shaft.

 

Even if you can DIY the dust bellow, an alignment (about $100 street price) would be needed. Therefore as others said, not really worth it just to replace the dust boot itself when all other parts are aged, especially if you have to pay a shop.

KYB, which is one of the OEM makers for Toyota, believes their struts should be replaced every 50K miles, because a good amount of damping is gone by then (and also they're in the business of selling struts ).

 

If the dust boots fall apart, sure things will not last as long as if they're undamaged. But, is it worth the labor effort/$$$ to worry about? not really

 

Also, see what this member did with the Gen 1 dust boot. After 20 years and 180K miles (290K km):
Front Strut Boot Replacement

 

Eh,wait till the bearing starts making noise or they start leaking

Replace with kyb

 

The Car Care Nut has a video about changing Toyota struts. In it, he even says that the boots are not worth bothering to replace as long as the strut is not making any noise and not leaking. I think this is it, but I'm not positive.

 

LOL this reminds me of the advise I gave to my family member way back.
My sister had the same issue with her Honda CRV, front boots fell apart. I told her just leave it until the struts need replacing.
Well she did not listen and had the boots replaced for $400 bucks at the dealer even though they said leave it alone also; 6 years later the replacements fell apart again.
SMH

 

Mine look like that. I cut the loose pieces as I noticed one side was getting the loose rubber sucked into the shaft area. No noises or issues since. Currently 160k+ miles.

 

Might try duct taping the ends together if they are otherwise not falling apart.

 

Yep, remember if the "women don't find you handsome make sure they find you handy"

 

Just my experience is that Toyota struts don't last as long as they should. Had to replace front & back struts/mounts on 2016 Avalon with under 48K mileage.

 

Never have had to replace. Close to 175k and still perfect,

 

i think very few people replace the boots. my guess is boots help the longevity of the struts, but probably not by enough to justify the cost, unless you drive on dirt or gravel roads a lot.

wonder if there are any glue-on boots like there are for CV axles. the ones for axles seem to not work very well for most people.

or what if you drill holes in the torn rings and zip tie them together?

 

Nobody makes a boot that has a zipper so it can be replaced without taking the strut and spring loose? Maybe there would not be space to work it in. Anyone know of anything? Thanks for the advice here. I was concerned about my 2014 Highlander with separated and deteriorated boots.

 

Quality is not there anymore. The covers have split apart on both side of the 2012 HL. It was notice when replacing wheel this spring (taking winter ones off). Taking both out and disassembling to get new collars on is a big job. Its around 140,000km now. My son and I were surprised but no easy fix.

 

Have 260k on my 2010 highlander. All original OEM struts, has lived 10years in the rust belt (90k miles), and 4 years in Texas(160k miles). I noticed the 2 front boots were falling apart at 100k, never did anything about it. Its had 10 years of salt, been thru the mojave desert, Utah offroads, and lately thru the offroads at the Rocky Mountain National Park, and 4 years thru car washes 4 times a week. Still running strong. I am considering doing a quick job, looking for a strut boot with a clamp so I can replace it without removing the strut. Why? Because they're all gone now, and sometimes the worn rubber gets stuck inside the rod and it affects the suspension and it's annoying.

 

@Luc found that the 14-19 Highlander strut mounts & boots fit (they need to be used together, though). May be a worthwhile upgrade if you need new strut mounts anyway. The boots are made out of some sort of poly and are a lot more durable than the junky rubber ones our cars come with.