So my passenger side CV joint is no more, the boot split pretty recently, my question is how long can i drive on this? what will happen if i keep driving on it for a while?

thanks and sorry for my stupidity

 

How long is awhile? Don't go on any dirt or gravel roads for starters.

I'm not sure if you can get by until the spring, but I wouldn't think it would be very good to be driving on salted and sanded roads in ice and snow with it that way.

 

If the boot just split, you can drive for "quite a while" - depending on how much you drive daily and what the weather is like while you are driving. Typically the joint will start clicking when turning and then it may fail completely - i.e. break.

There are plenty of ignorant drivers on the road today with torn CV boots... as long as you keep a look out for telltale signs of impending failure (clicking while turning) you should be ok. Once the joint starts clicking, I would recommend immediate replacement.

 

would it be advisable to warp it in duct tape or somthing?

 

I drove with a split boot for almost a year before replacing the axle. By the time I had replaced it, there was a very loud clicking noise when I made turns.

 

As a temporary fix since nissan was out of boot kits I used a combination of bicycle tube patches and some epoxy to seal up the boot to prevent more dirt and water from getting inside the joint. It also prevented additional grease from coming out and making another mess for me to clean up. I suggest doing something similar until you have time to fix it. Though the sooner you replace it the more likely chance you'll just have to replace the boot instead of the entire cv joint

 

I was changing my oil today and noticed my passenger side boot was completey split. I'm not getting clicking sounds when I turn, but I do get a little thudding when I go over bumps and there's a little squeaking...

 

im already replacing the whole deal, i got a rebuilt one for $60, thank guys

 

The torn cv shouldn't cause a thudding. Sounds to me like you have a bad balljoint. Jack up the side of the car you hear the thudding from and give the front wheel a good side to side and up and down shake and let me know if you get any kind of play in either direction

 

so while im down there should i change my ball joints or anything? ill do anything to tighten this car up.

 

Well don't change the balljoints unless you do what I suggested in my above post to see if you actually need them or not! And also...balljoints are NOT easy to change and most guys here just buy new lower control arms with the balljoints and other bushings already in them (I believe around $80 each on ebay). I was set on ES bushings so I torched my old bushings and balljoints out (balljoints required both torching and an air hammer to get them out) then I pressed all the new bushings and balljoints in. I guess I like to do things the hard way but hey it was still cheaper than buying new LCAs. If you're looking to tighten up your car then new LCAs will only help if you do indeed have worn bushings and balljoints. If it's your steering that is sloppy then that's more likely a tierod issue. Shake your front wheels side to side...if you feel some play have a friend shake the wheel side to side while you visually look under the car at what is going on and also take one of your hands and "feel" what is going on. Grab the outer tie rod and determine if the play is coming from there. If not then check the inner tie rod. If both are solid but the play you're getting is right around the hub then you're likely looking at a bad wheel bearing. If you're new at this stuff it may be a little hard to tell exactly what's bad and what's good and it's equally as hard to fully explain how to do it without actually showing you but hopefully I've helped give you an idea of where to start. Goodluck

 

i drove 3 years with a torn cv how good is your luck

 

Mine got a slight 1/2" cut in it three days ago, it started clicking two days ago! Sucks to be me!

 

I wish I took a picture when I changed my axle - the rip went almost all the way around the circumference of the boot. During this time, I was also not very "nice" to my axles, aka not driving easy on them, and I have been able to make two long distance trips on a very badly torn boot. Needless to say, there was grease EVERYWHERE during the install. I'd say that I had been driving on a ripped boot for about 5-6 months or so.

 

sweet so im not the only one. i have no idea how long mine have been torn (im guessing ~6 months) but it is both outside boots and the rip goes completely around as far as i can tell. i just picked up some new boots from checker and they were like $12 a piece. so im going to have a fun weekend replacing a stupid boot. i know i should prob replace the whole thing, but im not so sure i trust a reman, so i'll take my chances for now, plus gotta save for school. i'll ley ya know how is goes