Rebuild this CV Joint or replace?

[Alan Lindquist]

Did a major service today on my 80 SC. While under the car noticed that the port side CV joint to the wheel has 1/2 a boot. I've seen torn boots, but the outboard half is simply totally missing. It has been like this for a while, I'm thinking. I haven't been under the car for a year. Interestingly, there was never any indication of "thrown" grease so I never spotted a problem.

Where I live, there's little rain (rinsing of an open joint) but there is a lot of dirt and grit that could easily get in there. I scooped my finger around and can feel grease, but not grit. But still.... it could have been circulating with grease/grit for quite some time and I put about 15,000 miles a year on the car. I added 1/4 cup of fresh grease but will be driving it throughout the week. It's my daily driver.

With 300K on the car, replacing both is not a bad approach. Question is, would you tear it down and inspect it and re-pack it with a new boot or not even bother and just replace both and settle in for the next decade? I can do either next weekend.

[Charles Freeborn]

No way to tell until you pull it apart and wash it out. Torn boot is not good. Dirt in the join is the enemy.
-C

[otto_kretschmer]

I just replace the boot and repack the joint. I do clean everything and inspect all the bearing surfaces. Small pitting and scoring I ignore. Use the proper grease for wheel bearings and cv joints. I tend to put in a lot of grease in the boot but you don't want to fill it. You need to have an air pocket in there. I also don't bother with keeping the balls mated to the original bearing surfaces.

[Porboynz]

What caused it to rip away, is it hitting the chassis on bigger bumps?

[OsoMoore]

Do you loathe grease?

Taking apart and inspecting the joint is not hard, but it takes some time and is messy. I repacked a joint and replaced the CV assembly on another joint. It was cheaper than buying a whole half-axle, and I learned a lot about my car. I suggest getting some exam gloves from Walgreens to keep too much grease from getting into your hands. Use a cardboard box to protect your work surface.

Here is my joint that was deemed OK and just repacked: Is this CV Bearing Ok?
Here is my joint that was totally shot. I bought a new joint and put it on the axle and packed it: The Bad Noise is Back (Now with Video)

[Alan Lindquist]

Since it's not making noise I'll order a new boot and get the right grease and clean and re-pack it and mount it with new bolts. If it looks shot, I'll re-pack it and mount it anyway and order a new one to replace it.

I don't know how the boot got destroyed. In that photo, the car is jacked and resting on the torsion tube cover, so the trailing arm is at full extension.