The CV axle has a rubber or plastic-based boots that provide joint lubrication, resist grease leakage and protect them from contamination. The constant velocity CV boots can last the life of a car or truck, but continuous moisture and dust exposure can tear them.
How Long Will a CV Axle Last With a Torn Boot? A CV axle will last a week to a year with a torn boot, depending on the axle condition and road stability. Moisture and dust exposure reduces the lifespan of the CV axle to 1.5 to 5 hours.
The lifespan of the constant velocity axle depends on the type of boot damage. Sometimes, the CV boot cracks, which reduces the internal fluid, and you cannot drive a car for five hours.
How long can you drive a car when the CV axle has a torn boot?
The average lifespan of a CV axle boot is around 75000 to 85000 miles on a car or a pickup truck. However, a damaged or split constant velocity joint boot can last about 155000 to 245000 miles.
They can tear due to road hazards and environmental strain. However, you can drive a constant velocity joint axle for about a week to a month with a slightly stable condition of the driving shafts.
However, road conditions determine their lifespan. With sufficient maintenance, you can drive the automobile for a year when the constant velocity boots have torn.
You cannot drive the constant velocity joint axles for about 1.5 to 5 hours when the boots have cracked completely. Due to the rubber cracks, the grease overflows quickly.
As a result, it reduces the lubrication of joints. In such circumstances, they cannot support the shaft at variable accelerations.
Why is it dangerous to drive a car when its CV axle has a torn boot?
Driving a car’s constant velocity shaft with a damaged or cracked boot is dangerous. I have explained a few reasons which make it a dangerous driving condition.
Lack of lubricant cause damages
A cracked constant velocity joint boot can lead to grease leakage. The grease is the lubricant for these joints to maintain their performance for a specific time.
Due to a damaged constant velocity boot, the lubricant flows out, which causes poor lubrication of the joints.
The internal friction can increase more than the standard level. In such circumstances, the joint wear internally, which can damage the shaft and overall driving system.
You cannot drive an automobile when the constant velocity joint leaks because it can cause further damage. Due to a lack of lubricant flow inside the joint, they wear and fail to perform.
Driving a car with leaking CV joints can break the shaft. In such conditions, you cannot control the car, and it causes undesirable events.
Moisture develops corrosion
The broken boot seals break due to pressure and frequent use. In addition, due to their cracks, moisture flows inside the CV joints affect their performance.
As a result, the moisture accumulates inside the constant velocity joints and oxidizes the metallic parts. However, moisture reacts with the environmental oxygen and develops a corrosion layer.
In such circumstances, the corrosion turns the flexible CV axles into rigid shafts. Due to their rigidity, you cannot rotate the steering wheels and shaft simultaneously.
As a result, you cannot drive for about 4 to 5 days.
Contamination causes clicking sounds
You cannot drive a car when its CV axles have broken boots because they can open holes for contamination flow. As a result, the dust particles enter them and reduce their performance.
Due to driving strain, the constant velocity joints lose their mounting locations. As a result, they undergo different vibrations when you drive the car.
They produce loud clicking sounds, which indicate internal damage to the shaft. You cannot drive a car or pickup truck with a broken boot because it can cause sudden automobile failure.
These components require replacement and repair for their standard performance.
Leaking grease and axle vibrations
The internal heat can crack the CV boots, and they tear, which leads to grease leaking. The grease flow inside the wheels and affect their functions.
Moreover, the free-flowing grease can approach the other components of the chassis. For example, it can flow underneath the automobile frame when the constant velocity shaft rotates.
In such circumstances, it resists the standard turning position of the shafts. Therefore, during these grease flow conditions, you cannot drive the car because it undergoes severe vibrations on stable roads.
It happens due to vibrating constant velocity joints due to irregular lubricant flow.
Factors that affect the car driving distance with a damaged CV axle
The driving distance reduces when the boot cracks and the constant velocity shaft is damaged. Due to the below-mentioned reasons, the driving distance of a car decreases.
Weather and road conditions
The moist weather and wet roads can affect the performance of torn CV boots. Due to the wet surfaces, moisture exposure increases.
The oxygen reacts with the moisture and affects the metallic joints. Also, they can reduce the flexibility of the drive shaft.
As a result, the driving shaft cannot respond to engine power. In addition, wet roads can cause the flow of water droplets on the torn CV boots.
In such conditions, you cannot keep driving the car because it can lead to poor tire control. Also, the vehicle can collide with other cars due to the irregular movement of constant velocity shafts.
Age of CV axle
Sometimes, the CV boots crack on the new constant velocity axles. In such conditions, the driving span increases due to their stability on distinct roads.
However, the old shafts cannot withstand continuous grease leakage. Also, they cannot handle the continuous flow of contamination.
As a result, they cannot survive the internal wear and stops. In such circumstances, you cannot drive a car for 4 to 6 hours with a cracked constant velocity shaft.
However, the shaft age determines their stability in their torn conditions.
Total traveled miles
The used cars and pickup trucks have more traveled miles and less efficient CV axles. With these vehicles, you can cover a distance of about 3 to 5 hours with a torn boot because they can cause vibrations during driving.
Uncontrollable automobiles are dangerous, and you cannot align the steering wheel with the car wheels. Lack of coordination results in abnormal driving, and you can end up in a severe accident.
Unlike old automobiles, the new vehicles have minimum traveled miles. They can increase the driving distance of a car for one month to one year when the constant velocity shafts have damaged CV boots.
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