How can you temporarily fix a broken CV joint boot?

If it's already making noise, it's too late.

What kind of car is this, and which joint? I can't imagine that a reman drive axle from the parts store could cost $500.

nate

I thought I was quoted replacing boot costs $200, replacing joint $400 (?). So what would happen if you don't fix it? wheel drops from the car? How long can it last without fixing. It's a Toyota Camry.

A broken CV boot can not be fixed.Only remove and replace with a new one. cuhulin

Who knows. One day it will break and then you will be immobile. If it happens at high speed the axle can flail around and damage stuff. Not likely but it could happen. It could break tomorrow or it could last for years.

Most of what you are paying for is labor. Are you handy? Rockauto lists a reman halfshaft assy. for various 1990 Camry models for about $50, give or take (they're different for different drivetrain configurations, and sometimes side to side.) If you think you could replace the axle yourself you can "fix it right" for not a lot of money. Generally this will require a large socket and breaker bar for the wheel end, not sure how Toyota retains the inner end, but even if you have to buy the tools you'll probably be able to do the job for under $200 unless you have absolutely nothing.

Worst case, find a friend who's good with cars and has a decent tool selection and buy him a half case of good beer and offer to help.

nate

- will work for beer

- it's what I'm doing tomorrow, although replacing the wiring harness in an Avanti is something that I actually consider fun, thus likely proving that I have issues

- My friend keeps trying to convince me that I want to buy this Avanti. It actually seems like a good deal, but he literally is known in Studebaker circles for coining saying "there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Avanti." Is he really my friend?

Wow. Replacing the boot is $200?

You pretty much have to go through what you would do replacing the entire axle in order to replace the boot. I can't see an axle being a lot more than $75 for a reman'd unit. I have used them a few times and have had no problems with them

Again, like Nate asked, what kind of car is this?

And if it's not something you want to tackle yourself, try to find another place that can do it. I had an axle replaced for $60 at the local Meineke, with me supplying the axle for ~$56. THis was on an '89 Subaru coupe. They did the labor, I supplied the part. It took them all of 20 minutes since they had the lift and the tools, etc.

I did one axle myself on my '89 Mazda. I started at 1PM on a Saturday, went until 7PM, and then started again at 10AM Sunday. I was finished by

I drove the car for two days, and then heard the *OTHER* side clicking!!! This one took me from 10 AM to 4PM, since the 'learning curve' had already been taken care of! ;)

NOW I'm finding myself questioning if your "hypermiling" didn't help the axle meet an early demise.

I missed that...

Is now when I feel smug for driving a 944? Wear out a CV, repack, flip the axle end for end, and drive for another 100K miles until it wears out in that direction too :)

nate

(of course, I ended up replacing both axles twice... long story... every single garage I took the car to could not properly diagnose an untrue rim/tire combo and insisted that the CVs were at fault... just so happens that I'd bought different wheels immediately after fixing a bad CV... live and learn)

you can get a whole replacement aftermarket shaft for less than $100 - boot, new joint, the works. it typically takes less than 20 mins to replace.

before that though, i suggest you find yourself a mechanic that's not going to overcharge you. shop around.

liu wrote in news:1c3ac23a-b096-4507-b67a- snipped-for-privacy@r20g2000vba.googlegroups.com:

That's gotta be a dealer price.

$100 for a complete new aftermarket shaft. Maybe $100 for installation. Or less. Some aftermarket shafts are actually worth more than pure excrement, believe it or not.

"Imminent", not "eminent". They are different words.

The joint will go a /long/ time and get really noisy and vibraty before it fails. At this point you have the choice of either replacing the shaft or just living with the noise until the thing blows apart and you get stranded, or you sell the car. The latter is probably more likely.

Mind you, you've completely failed to idicate whether you've got a Lamborghini or a Kia, and also failed to indicate its year.

Hey! You noticed!

I drove a Ford Taurus for years with a broken boot so I guess it depends on your driving conditions and how lucky you are. The joint was cleaned and regreased and a new boot put on. The time without the boot did damage the joint and it has started making a some noise on turns. My suggestion is that you take it easy on turns. If it makes a whole lot of noise, forget about driving it and find somebody to help you replace that joint.

Thank you all for the advice. I will check around to find a better price. Before finding one, I will just take it easy on turning whenever possible. Thanks,