# CV boot "leak" - opinions? Hey, Rick?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cv-boot-leak-opinions-hey-rick/685301>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 4, 2014, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cv-boot-leak-opinions-hey-rick/685301 "2014-04-04T00:12:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cv-boot-leak-opinions-hey-rick/685301/21 "2014-04-07T02:53:59Z")

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> [@Gary\_T](#):
>
> I disagree. I’ve seen CV joints with torn boots go quite a while – years in some cases – before they start making noise, and I’ve seen joints make noise for over a year without breaking. There is no urgency to the situation. And if the intent is to replace the axles in the future, there is simply no reason to replace a torn boot beforehand, unless you can’t stand the sight of grease.
> 
> Back when it cost quite a bit more to replace a CV joint than to replace a torn boot (with new CV joints being the only repair option), it was a cost-saving measure to replace torn boots as soon as feasible. Nowadays with the standard repair being replacement of the axle with a reman unit, which often doesn’t cost much more than replacing a boot, it can be more cost-effective to wait until it seems about to break.

I was once behind a car that had a joint fail on the highway. I was fortunately not involved in the accident that followed, but it was ugly. Front end, deep engine & transmission problems are the things that peg my “critical” meter.

It’s been a while since I worked in a shop, though, so the technology may have evolved, and I’ll take your word on this.

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**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cv-boot-leak-opinions-hey-rick/685301/22 "2014-04-07T03:00:11Z")

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> [@RivkahChaya](#):
>
> I was once behind a car that had a joint fail on the highway. I was fortunately not involved in the accident that followed, but it was ugly. Front end, deep engine & transmission problems are the things that peg my “critical” meter.

It’s definitely bad when they go, but there’s usually _very_ ample warning beforehand. The only time I’ve had personal knowledge of a CV joint catastrophically failing, it was a buddy of mine who’s car had been clicking away through the turns for as long as\* I’d \* known him.

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