CV question/opinion

[Ehall1998]

I know this topic in general has been discussed but I made a commitment to pick up someone during the holidays (this Saturday) and it requires a 500 mile round trip. I daily drive my 100 series and today I noticed some grease building up outside my cv boots (inner and outer driver's side) and a small amount slung in the wheel well. Do you think it would hold up for the trip and be able to reboot afterwards? I can't find a shop in town to do it in time and at the moment I do not have a garage or jack to do it myself. This drive would be all highway/freeway.

 

[js47]

Have you confirmed that the boots are torn? If not it could be that the clamps just need to be tightened.

 

[Ehall1998]

I cannot find a tear although there may be one at the ends near the clamps. I tried tightening and cleaning them off. Ran some errands around town and found a small amount of grease again.

 

[DoughNut]

It’s probably fine unless its already making noise. I wouldn’t stress a 500 mile trip, but I would definitely get it rebooted or replaced in the near future.

 

[Mark WV]

Check and see if you actually have a split in the boot of if it just normal seepage around the clamps

Seepage I wouldn’t be in a huge rush to replace

If the boot is split, you will likely still be fine for the trip, but you may end up pitting the cv joint to the point that replacement of the entire axel is needed rather than a simple reboot. I have seen cv joints run dry for years before they completely grenade

 

[Ehall1998]

It’s probably fine unless its already making noise. I wouldn’t stress a 500 mile trip, but I would definitely get it rebooted or replaced in the near future.

Definitely going to ASAP.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I know this topic in general has been discussed but I made a commitment to pick up someone during the holidays (this Saturday) and it requires a 500 mile round trip. I daily drive my 100 series and today I noticed some grease building up outside my cv boots (inner and outer driver's side) and a small amount slung in the wheel well. Do you think it would hold up for the trip and be able to reboot afterwards? I can't find a shop in town to do it in time and at the moment I do not have a garage or jack to do it myself. This drive would be all highway/freeway.

I cannot find a tear although there may be one at the ends near the clamps. I tried tightening and cleaning them off. Ran some errands around town and found a small amount of grease again.

I've probably driven 30,000 miles with grease slinging cv boots on a 100. It's totally fine. A little grease slinging is just a very early sign that the boots are tired (or if you have worm clamps, maybe that the clamp is loose).

Drive on.

 

[Ehall1998]

Check and see if you actually have a split in the boot of if it just normal seepage around the clamps

Seepage I wouldn’t be in a huge rush to replace

If the boot is split, you will likely still be fine for the trip, but you may end up pitting the cv joint to the point that replacement of the entire axel is needed rather than a simple reboot. I have seen cv joints run dry for years before they completely grenade

It looks like seepage. I cannot find a tear anywhere but that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't one. But I'm hoping without much loss of grease it will survive until reboot.

 

[Ehall1998]

I've probably driven 30,000 miles with grease slinging cv boots on a 100. It's totally fine. A little grease slinging is just a very early sign that the boots are tired (or if you have worm clamps, maybe that the clamp is loose).

Drive on.

Awesome to hear!

 

[AlpineAccess]

If they are OEM CV's just get them cleaned, greased, and rebooted as soon as you feasibly can. These things are not cheap to replace and aftermarket doesn't hold a candle to the OEM units.

If taken care of, OEM can just be rebuilt over time. Aftermarket isn't worth the time to rebuild.

 

[Mark WV]

If it was split you would have massive amounts of grease pretty much everywhere but especially a large gob on the lower control arm. An awful mess to clean up

 

[Ehall1998]

If it was split you would have massive amounts of grease pretty much everywhere but especially a large gob on the lower control arm. An awful mess to clean up

Ya just a few spots in the wheel well and a "ring" of it around where the boot meets the axle.

 

[JunkCrzr89]

If they ain’t clicking and popping, run ‘em.

 

[BullElk]

If they ain’t clicking and popping, run ‘em.

^^^^^^^

 

[thebeedeegee]

I drove my wife's FJ with a torn boot for probably 1500 miles. I did use some shoe goo to patch the hole but that only lasted for a couple hundred miles

I rebooted after all that so I'd say your fine for a 500 mile trip.