Split CV joint gaiter - dangerous?

DB_SamX

DB_SamX

DB_SamX

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First broken part on my 99 Civic 1.4S: the offside front CV joint gaiter is split and greasy on the outside. The car has been booked for a repair on Saturday but is it dangerous to drive until then? I have 2 45 min motorway journeys to make tomorrow but cannot find out if it would be unwise to do them, or any journeys at all?

Excuse the ignorance: first own car, first fault - had to google it.
 
Its not really dangerous, but if grit gets into the CV joints it will eventually ruin them and replacing them will be much more costly than just the boots.

The boots will open up when turning so straight runs on the motorway shouldn't be too much of a problem.
 
It's not dangerous unless the joint gets too hot and locks. Which is a right barrel of laughs!
 
Hmm, I think I'll just drive to the station and catch the train.

I don't want to tempt fate - had a black cat cross my path just after parking the car today, not that I am really superstitious.

Lopez - I imagine it is a right barrel of laughs only if there are no cars around and you have ample space (or maybe the opposite adds to the excitement!)?
 
I was being sarcastic - it's very scary if you are doing a decent turn of speed, as one wheel locks solid. Very rare for that to happen though.

You can generally drive on a split boot, and even on a knackered clicking joint, for quite some time (normally months as long as you are gentle on it)
 
Has it split for sure? You may be able to repack and re-jubilee it. New gaiters are cheap from motorfactors..

Just to add in I ran a motor with a knackered offside shaft for about 4-5 months. New it was bad just cba. One night driving round a roundabout and it violently threw itself out the box... pushed it uphill from fetties roundabout up to the crewe toll roundabout for those from edinburgh! at 1am!
 
I drove with a split (then completely split) CV boot for about 3 months. Eventually it started clicking and someone swapped the driveshaft/cv joint for me. So yes it should be fine, but eventually it will cost you.
 
I've had both front cv joints go on my Honda. Drove around on each for a couple of months before repairing. I would sort it out sooner rather than later but continue to drive it in the mean time.
 
Biohazard said:
there is no more to come? :confused: by which point the grease has normally been sprayed everywhere. :p
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No, the joint either seizes solid or snaps. The former locks the wheel and is not very nice, the latter results in a total loss of drive and quite often takes the driveshaft itself with it.
 
As long as you dont go mad on the miles it should go fine:) Sounds pretty stupid but you could gaffer tape it up to keep the grease in and the grit out.
 
Well, I didn't take any risks despite the words here and my dad also saying not to worry until the grease stops coming out. WHo knows how long it's been split and I have been driving moderate distances regardless? It did fail the MOT at the weekend but my current one is still valid for now.
 
Lopéz said:
No, the joint either seizes solid or snaps. The former locks the wheel and is not very nice, the latter results in a total loss of drive and quite often takes the driveshaft itself with it.
Click to expand...

I can't see a "seized" cv joint to cause the wheel to lock up. Steering would be difficult to non existant but the wheel would contiue to rotate, no different to a drive shaft without a cv joint, i.e solid rear live axle..

I had a mondeo that the boot slipped off a few times but being a company car i got the garage to cable tie it back on, the car lost drive whilst reversing out of a parking space as a result of the cv joint popping out.
 
I drove for an unkown length of time with a split gaiter. Fixed it asap after i found it though. You'll be fine i'm sure.
 
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