Is CV Boots Leaking a serious issue ?

wattsong

CV Boots leaking has been found when i do oil changing. Quote on replacing them(left and right) is $480, i don't know if it is serious problem, some article said CV Boots is the most important part of the cv axle. Some article said it's not serious, the car will run rightly even if heavy noise come from cv joint. Please help me analyze this issue and give me a sugestion about it.

See Also: All About CV Joints--Function, Problems, Repairs

vidtech

torn cv boots are a major issue.they keep the good thing in(grease)and the bad stuff out(dirt and grit).once the bad crud gets in and the good stuff gets out,the cv joint WILL fail.stay away from those replacement"split boots"as they are junk.you have two choices replace the boots or wait till the entire joint fails.the first choice is the one i would pick.

hondadude

sounds a little steep, the boots should be replaced if they are starting to split open or show cracking in the bends of the boot. although I primarily work hondas, I would think that price would be for reman shafts and labor. the boots are in the area of $25 each and labor should be in the range of 1.5 hours per side. best of luck I hope this helps you

swschrad

you basically have to take the shafts off the driven side anyway to put new boots on, and that should be just about all the labor needed for a full replacement. but the shop that said $480 is not the place to go, those guys have a boat payment to make, and they figured they could endorse your check over to the boat works.

jgmilberg

For the price quoted it sounds like they are replacing the whole shaft not just the boot. A lot of shops are going that route now because it is a whole lot faster to swap out a shaft than it is to clean up an old joint and install a new boot. If they told you that was for an entire CV shaft assembly they are on target, but check around a few other places and have them give you prices on just boot replacement, not those garbage split fit it boots either, a new ONE PIECE boot, and a price for replacing the shafts. Another way to go about it is to call you local parts store and check on the cv shaft prices and see if the shop will match the price or install the parts you buy.

wattsong

So apperiate many comments from BOTH OF YOU. I have asked two other shops(the former one is dealer) for CV Boots replacement. Both of them inquired me about if have noise exist when steering turn direction / U turn. So far i have not heard some strange noise from transmission system when i spin steering wheel -- maybe my ear is not enough sensitive or professional So they roughly judge CV Joint runs ok, just replace CV Boots enough (Two different quote around $200, i think it might be reasonal). In my feeling, this is not urgent to replace new two of CV Boots, if i don't change CV Boot until next oil change(run more 4000 miles), maybe that's a good choise? otherwise run until CV Joint become a little noisy then change whole Shaft? Thanks your opinion and helpful advise. Welcom further comment on this issue.

shmang

Well, if you are going to put the hope on changing CV boots only, then, you need to do it ASAP! Any delay may cause you have to change the shafts. Even if you decide to change the whole shaft, it would still be a good idea to change it soon - don't wait until the wheel falls off the car (It might take a while, but you will never know when it will happen and when it happens, trust me, it is not fun at all.)

jgmilberg

The noises they are talking about are a clicking or clunking noise that is heard while the car is in motion and turning, like into your driveway, or around a corner. I would never trust just a boot replacement because the boot has been cracked and leaked a lot of the grease out, not to mention all the dirt and water that has gotten in. I would go for the shaft replacement, if both of the cracked boots are on the same shaft it's a bonus, and might cost less to do the whole shaft. Another way to look at it is the price of labor to disassemble, clean, grease, and reassemble with a new boot might be the same as the cost of the new shaft with installation. Like a trade off, lower labor cost to swap out a shaft, and higher parts cost, instead of $30 for the boots and $370 for the labor. If you wait to hear the noises you are driving on borrowed time. If that joint goes out you will be stuck, and you can cause big time damage to the car at the same time.

telitlikeitis

When you are turning a corner and hear a clicking sound coming from the front end, you can count on replacing a bad CV joint. This is a direct result of a boot that has developed a crack, thereby letting water,dirt,etc. inside to damage the joint. It's a rare individual who regularly inspects his boots. CV joints are the achilles heel of every front wheel drive vehicle.

oldharry

How old is the car, and how many miles are on it? Do you plan on keeping it at least two more years?

Unless the numbers to answer the first question are low, and/or the answer to the second question is no, go for the shafts. Fixing it once is cheaper than doing it twice.

Harry