I can see the CV boot disengaged from the wheel on a 2001 Taurus anything I should do?

Question

I have a friend that says it would be a case of just repacking it with grease as long as there are no holes in the boot and reconnecting it, or if there are he says just replace the entire axel, any suggestions or concerns?

Answer 1

I have been doing car work for a long time and replacement boots and also reconnecting the boot will only get you a few months tops worth of use because i can guarantee you water and some dust or smal particles of sand have gotten into the boot..this is a very simple job to do a 12 year old could do it..remove the caliper and then remove the center nut that holds the CV shaft on the wheel..once you have that removed then next step is to drop the lower ball joint ..make sure you do this right and you won't damage the ball joint..once you have the ball joint dropped just pull the whole arm straight out towards you ..if you find the shaft is staying stuck in the wheel hub get either an air chizzel and you will see in the center of the shaft there is a dimple put the chizzel there and give it a few shots and it will come out..once you get that end of the CV shaft out of the wheel hub then its as easy as pulling it out of the transmission..and then the installation of the new one is just the oppostie..I live in Canada and i just replaced a CV shaft on my friends Taurus last month and a new one from Canadian tire was only 87 dollars..it was actually over 100 dollars but once you return the old one you get money back for a core exchange so in the end it cost him 87 bucks.good luck and if you need any more help don't be shy to e-mail me..

Answer 2

If the joint is exposed and the boot is torn away. Then you need to remove the axle shaft, clean the entire joint area and install a new boot. If there is any clicking noise coming the joint , then you need to replace the joint all together. If the joint breaks from dirt lodged in the area, it will cause the car not to be driven in either foward or reverse gears.. Best is to go to a repair shop and have the joint evaluated. If the joint is salvagable, then you are looking around $150 parts and labor. If the joint is bad, then buy a complete 1/2 shaft that has been remanufactured already with a new joint and boot. The labor is less intensive by just replacing the shaft alone so you will save money on labor, but the shaft is around $150-175, so about $250 should cover it parts and labor.
good luck and dont drive it very far until you repair it.

Answer 3

Ask your shop whether they can replace the band that clamps the boot without removing the axle from the car. If they can do it easily and cheaply, do it and then drive the car until the axle gives you a problem. But the longer you drive it, the more dirt gets into the grease and the more chance there is that the joint will wear out prematurely. If the boot is split, you'll probably end up getting a new remanufactured axle installed.

Answer 4

if the boot came off the axel take it to be REPLACED, if you catch it early enough you will not cause any damage to the CV joint. the boot keeps the joint lubricated and keeps water and dirt out of it. if you hear a clicking when you turn or anything like that take it to a mechanic and check the whole axel.

if the axel is already damaged it would not matter what you do to the boot.

Answer 5

i own a repair shop,and it may have thrown all of the grease out of it,i think id replace it now rather than take a chance on it going out later on,because its hard telling how long it was run like that,so to be safe about it just replace it,then you don't have to worry about it going out later on good luck with it hope this helps.,,PS i would go ahead and replace the whole thing,having done this so long i have learned the hard way,do it now,and save time and money later on.

Answer 6

Hopefully dirt hasnt been ground into your axel....clean, repack and hope for the best.